Southwestern College

Leadership (MSL)

Graduate : Leadership (MSL) : Meet the Faculty

Meet the Faculty

	Cheryl Rude Current position title – Graduate program director, Master of Science in Leadership Studies Education credentials – Ph.D., Leadership Education, Union Institute and University Why leadership development is important – I believe that healthy leaders and followers can make significant contributions to our world. However you choose to name it: career, field, vocation, calling effective and ethical leaders are needed across the globe. Leaders can learn and leadership learning will be exponentially beneficial if it is guided and coached. The teacher/student relationship in graduate education – Graduate education is an opportunity of shared learning. The student learns how to join the leadership conversation as a colleague. How I hope to improve my own leadership – I am a lifetime learner in the area of encouraging others.
	Ken Crandall Current position title – Head football coach, Southwestern College Education credentials – Bachelor's degree from Fort Hays State University, Communications/Public Relations, Master's of Science degree from Pittsburg State Why leadership development is important – Leadership, like any sport, changes daily and the ability to analyze, change and adapt to your players is essential in your success. The teacher/student relationship in graduate education – Teaching at this level is more hands-on and experience driven. The ability to construct, communicate and learn together is what makes the master’s program so different than the typical undergraduate degree. How I hope to improve my own leadership – This is a great way for me to analyze if what I do on a daily basis truly works or it is just coach speak.
	Tracy Frederick Current position title – Professor of Communication, Southwestern College Education credentials – Ph.D., Communication (emphasis: Rhetoric), Regent University Why leadership development is important – Leadership development, like strong communication skills, is critical in our current competitive global community: Both foster skills that help individuals connect with others creating greater opportunities for cooperation and collaboration. The teacher/student relationship in graduate education – Graduate education is different from undergraduate education in that the undergraduate experience is dependent upon the teacher “delivering” information to the student while graduate students should expect to be more actively involved in creating their educational opportunities through original research and real-world projects that construct a practical educational laboratory for active learning. How I hope to improve my own leadership –believe it is only because I am consistently reevaluating my abilities as a teacher, mentor, educational coach that I can improve my teaching techniques and presentation skills that give my students the confidence they need to trust me and have confidence in the skills they learn in my classroom.
	Heidi Hill Current position – Chief operating officer, Global Contracting Solutions, Inc. Education credentials – M.S.L. (Master of Science in Leadership), Southwestern College Why leadership development is important – When communities (large or small) foster leadership development, the resulting benefit to the communities transcends the boundaries of age, culture, and nationality. The teacher/student relationship in graduate education – As an instructor in graduate education, I serve as a mentor and guide to my students as they spread their wings and challenge their knowledge frontiers. How I hope to improve my own leadership – I have a passion for learning that includes learning how to strengthen others so they discover and model the good leader and good follower within.
	Matt Lindsey Current position title – Executive Director, Kansas Campus Compact; Instructor, School of Leadership Studies, Kansas State University Education credentials – Master of Public Policy, Concentration in Political Advocacy and Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School Why leadership development is important – Leadership development is especially critical for individuals in my field because we cannot be agents for change by ourselves; we must be able to energize and cultivate a commitment to that purpose in others who work alongside us. The teacher/student relationship in graduate education – At the graduate level, the students bring with them a wealth of experiences and perspectives and it is the role of the instructor to challenge students to see new ways of learning from those experiences and to provide a protected environment to explore leadership as an experimental and improvisational practice. How I hope to improve my own leadership – Through these experiences, I hope to strengthen my capacity to accept ambiguity and chaos and even embrace those elements as core steps to real progress.
	Jeni McRay Current position title – Affiliate faculty, Southwestern College Education credentials – Ph.D., Educational Leadership, Kansas State University Why leadership development is important – At Southwestern we create situations and learning opportunities in which every student can develop into a transforming leader in his or her chosen field, whether education, non-profit, civil service, military, corporate, athletics, health care, social services, or ministry, among others. We allow them to develop their purpose and passion, and create a framework for lifelong service and lifelong learning. The teacher/student relationship in graduate education – Graduate education is about mentoring learners, helping them to develop confidence and critical analysis/reflection skills, and engaging in intense learning of foundational and contemporary philosophies, theories and scientific research in the field of leadership studies. How I hope to improve my own leadership – I constantly seek feedback and set short term and long term goals to measure improvement.
	Kim Moore Current position title – President, United Methodist Health Ministry Fund Education credentials – J.D., Washburn University School of Law, Topeka Kansas Why leadership development is important – The generational turn-over in leadership in many organizations–but particularly the non-profit world–is going to require not just replacement of baby boomers but newly minted leaders who are prepared to mobilize and expand available resources very strategically. The teacher/student relationship in graduate education – A faculty member in graduate education should provide students an opportunity for real-life application of theory, evaluation of prior personal experiences and learning, and some new information and experiences, resulting in greater preparedness of students and faculty to operate in that field; this occurs in an atmosphere of mutual respect for differences in experiences and challenges faced by students and faculty. How I hope to improve my own leadership – I believe this experience will help me become more intentional about my choice of leadership styles for various tasks and thereby become more effective.
	Dawn Pleas-Bailey Current position title – Vice president for student life and special assistant to the president for community engagement, Southwestern College Education credentials – Ed.D., Higher Education Management, University of Pennsylvania Why leadership development is important – You cannot lead effectively without understanding and mastering the components of true leadership. The teacher/student relationship in graduate education – It is not a one way top-down diatribe, but a collaborative exchange of information and knowledge. How I hope to improve my own leadership – I am in a constant pursuit of understanding myself as a leader through observations of the people and historical research.
	Tami Pullins Current position title – Associate academic vice president for advising and student success, Southwestern College Education credentials – Ph.D., Higher Education Leadership, Azusa Pacific University Why leadership development is important – Leadership development is important because being a leader demands adaptivity and creativity that is honed only through practice paired with reflection. The teacher/student relationship in graduate education – I believe my role with graduate students is to provide provocative moments that help them identify their passion and strengths for leading. How I hope to improve my own leadership – As one who tends to be a deliberative, independent thinker, I seek to always improve my collaboration skills.
	Kyle Woodrow Current position title – Pastor of Simons Town Methodist Church Education credentials – M.Div., Princeton Theological Seminary Why leadership development is important – To be a leader in a world characterized as a global village marked by fast-paced change, increasingly complex networks and dynamic relationships, one must continually invest in activities and practices to efficiently and effectively empower others to meet the demands that transformation and growth require. The teacher/student relationship in graduate education – The teacher/student relationship in graduate education should be of symbiotic in nature, where the questions raised, challenges presented, and discerned outcomes lead to mutual growth and greater achievement for both student and teacher. How I hope to improve my own leadership – As I find myself in relationship to different systems, networks and people from around the world, adaptability of style, attitude, skills and practice become increasingly significant aspects of leadership which I hope to continue improving upon.