We are excited to announce a new opportunity for senate faculty: in winter 2025, we will launch the Shared Equity Leadership Fellows (SELF) program.

As faculty, we are frequently expected to lead, including in our research groups, classrooms, committees, professional societies, and departments. Yet, it is rare for faculty to receive leadership training that helps them do so effectively, equitably, and in a way that is sustainable for them as individuals. As faculty, we also serve as important agents of positive change; as leaders, we help create the culture and climate that our colleagues and students experience. Modeled on the Teaching and Learning Center’s Faculty Fellows Program and the Leadership for Equity and Accountability (LEAD) retreat for department chairs, the Shared Equity Leadership Fellows (SELF) program will be a community of practice in which we learn from and with one another how to lead effectively, equitably, and sustainably. This program is also informed by the American Council for Education’s research on shared equity leadership and its essential role in positive change in higher education. This leadership program is also called SELF because research shows that effective leadership is grounded in self-awareness and self-leadership.

This program is designed specifically for faculty and the leadership opportunities and workload challenges they face at UCSC. Though faculty can still apply to participate in UCSC’s Leadership Academy, that program is now offered through Staff Human Resources. Faculty who participated in Leadership Academy are welcome to apply to the SELF program, as the two programs differ substantially in content and structure.

WHY LEADERSHIP?

It is common to think of leadership as defined by the role. It is also common to talk about some people as leaders and to not see ourselves as leaders. We might also have negative associations with traditional leadership and the use of power over others rather than the power to create positive change. Yet there are many ways of leading, and all of us are asked and expected to lead at different times throughout our careers. In this program, we will focus on inclusive and equity-minded leadership and the skills and mindsets that research shows are associated with this form of leadership. They include effective listening and communication, empathy, an ability to navigate differences and conflicts with respect for all, active allyship, and an awareness of the dynamics of change and systems.

PROGRAM GOALS:

• Explore different leadership models and definitions, including equity-minded and inclusive leadership.
• Develop your individual leadership definition and stance.
• Learn and practice inclusive leadership skills, such as inclusive listening, facilitation, active allyship, navigating challenging conversations, giving and receiving feedback, and leading change.
• Develop an individual inclusive leadership plan for the future.
• Create a community of connected, inclusive leaders (who learn from/with and support each other).

WHEN:

Winter Quarter, Fridays from 10:00-11:45 a.m. 

WHERE:

In person in Humanities 1 (main campus). Light refreshments will be provided.

WHO:

Senate faculty of all career stages are invited to apply to be a Shared Equity Leadership Fellow. You may be just beginning to lead, as your students, research group, and colleagues look to you for guidance. You may already have leadership responsibilities as committee chairs and directors of programs. You may not see yourself as a leader (yet), but are interested in contributing to diversity, equity, and inclusion on our campus and beyond. And you may look out toward the future with the understanding that sooner or later you will be asked to take a formal leadership role, such as that of the department chair. From our perspective, all faculty are asked to lead in various ways. The SELF program’s goal is to support you as leaders and to create a community of inclusive and effective leaders who support one another.

APPLICATION DEADLINE:

APPLICATION PROCESS:

• why you are interested in being a Shared Equity Leadership Fellow
• how participating in SELF will help you meet professional or personal goals
• how participating in SELF will help you contribute to UCSC or other entities

Email your application letter to avpaa@ucsc.edu by November 1, 2024 for full consideration. We plan to notify selected applicants by mid-November.

QUESTIONS?

Want to know more, ask questions, or figure out whether this program is right for you? Email Suzane Alonzo at avpaa@ucsc.edu or Jody Greene at acpas@ucsc.edu.

WHO WE ARE:

Suzanne Alonzo is a Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and the Associate Vice Provost for Academic Affairs. Her research is on (non-human) behavior and social interactions, which really just means she is very curious about why individuals do what they do and how their interactions create the social systems in which they live. Suzanne has training in inclusive leadership, facilitations, and faculty success coaching. 

Jody Greene is Professor of Literature and Associate Campus Provost. They have explored various forms of leadership at and beyond UCSC: as a faculty member in a department context; as the founder of a center and developer of a variety of programs designed to support faculty – including department chairs – in an era of rapid change in Higher Education; as an ally/champion in multiple diversity and equity initiatives within and beyond the university; and as a teacher/leader in non-academic contexts including the San Francisco Zen Center and other spiritual communities and training programs.