With all the investments that colleges and universities make in trying to develop their academic leaders—sending them to conferences and workshops, creating their own in-house professional development programs, assigning new leaders to mentors, and so on—institutions want to know whether they’re getting any return on their investment. In short, does the leadership development that current and prospective academic leaders participate in make any real difference? If so, what difference does it make? And in either case, how do we know?
Bravery in the Face of Anticipatory Obedience
Well, the election has come and gone, and its impact most certainly varies depending on where you are. On my campus, the reaction suggests that the outcome was not what