Faculty Highlight: Professor Leonard Chapman

This month I want to recognize Professor Leonard Chapman from the BS Business Management program for his commitment to leadership at Union and his demonstration of social responsibility, both as a faculty member and as an active participant in his community outside the university. Reflecting on his experience in the U.S. Navy, Professor Chapman said that he learned that “[…] everyone in the organization has leadership potential. It just has to be recognized and nurtured.” He is an outstanding example of someone who recognizes and nurtures that same leadership potential in his students and encourages it in his colleagues.

 

Professor Chapman was born and raised in New York City and graduated from Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, with a BA in Fine Arts. He went on to the University of California, Berkeley to earn a BS in Civil Engineering and a Master’s degree in Engineering in Municipal Planning.

He brings the experience of at least two careers to his professorship at Union: a career in management and international corporate consulting with Procter and Gamble, and a career as a Captain of the U.S. Navy. He now serves as a full-time Professor with Union’s Bachelor of Science Program.

 

STRASSE: You served in the United States Navy for 28 years, achieving the rank of Captain. What started you on the path and what kept you on the path to being a U.S. Navy Captain?

 

Here is my story. My father served in the U.S. Coast Guard and was into sailing as a hobby. I was raised as his crew and enjoyed the sport during summer breaks from school. During my high school years, we moved from New York City to Sea Cliff, a small town on the north shore of Long Island. We joined the local Sea Cliff yacht club and raced our Star boat on Long Island Sound. The sea became part of me.

 

While I was at Williams College, the local draft board kept reminding me that, as soon as I had my degree, they would be drafting me into the armed services. I wanted to be sure that I would serve in the U.S. Navy. As a result, I decided to enlist in the Naval Reserve and apply for Officer Candidate School (OCS) as soon as I had my BA degree from Williams. I was able to implement that plan, and it worked out fine for me and the draft board.

 

Upon graduation from OCS with the rank of Ensign, I married, and my wife and I began our married life in Chicago. The Navy moved us there so that I could attend their six-month Combat Information Center (CIC) School just north of Chicago. From Chicago, we moved to San Diego  to spend the rest of my first enlistment on a destroyer that was home based in San Diego. My first assignment on the destroyer was as CIC Division Officer in charge of the training and well-being of the 12 enlisted men in that division. That assignment impressed me with the importance of proper training (managerial as well as technical) in preparing for any assignment in any organization. It was also the first real management/ leadership position that I had ever held, and I thrived in it. I thoroughly enjoyed my first active duty assignment.

 

I left active duty to return to school with very mixed emotions. On the one hand, I was committed to obtaining a Master’s degree and, on the other hand, I did not want to be discharged from the Navy. As a result, I decided to stay active in the U.S. Naval Reserve while completing my graduate work. That way, I could continue to grow in the reserve while learning new theory and skills in graduate school that I could apply in the reserve. I also believed that the combination of a BA degree and a MS degree would best prepare me for whatever final career path I would follow.

 

However, I now had a wife and two small children to support. We wanted to remain in California; so, I applied to and was accepted at the University of California, Berkeley. Living in the Bay Area also enabled me to join a U.S. Naval Reserve Ship Program in San Francisco while I simultaneously earned a BS degree in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Municipal Engineering and a Master of Engineering degree in Municipal Planning at Berkeley.

 

Armed with my BA, BS, Master of Engineering degrees, and several years of experience as a division officer in the Navy, I started interviewing for a position in the public sector. I was also advised by the Berkeley placement director to interview with Procter & Gamble. Procter had openings at their Sacramento plant in operations management, and that opportunity seemed to resemble the division office manager/leader role that I had in the Navy, including a well-managed training program to prepare me for my first assignment in the private sector. I decided to join P&G.

 

Just as I was completing my initial P&G training at Sacramento, my Naval Reserve Ship Unit was recalled to active duty. By now I held the rank of Lieutenant and was assigned as Navigator on one of the three destroyers operating out of San Francisco. After three months of refresher training, we headed for the Western Pacific, and I had the opportunity to put my celestial navigation skills to good use.

 

On the way home from the Western Pacific, I found a small group of shipmates who wanted to learn celestial navigation. I organized the group into a class and at sunrise, sunset, and noon we took our sextant readings and plotted our way back across the Pacific. During the day, we had discussion groups on the theory and practice of celestial navigation. This experience reinforced what I had learned during my initial Navy assignment: that I have a passion for teaching and the personal satisfaction that comes from helping others achieve some of their life goals.

 

I was released from active duty a second time and returned to both my P&G assignment in Sacramento and the Naval Reserve Ship Program in San Francisco. My Navy rank and experience qualified me for the position of Commanding Officer on a destroyer escort (DE). I applied for and was accepted for that assignment. For the next three years, I was able to use what I was learning about management/leadership at P&G in my role as Commanding Officer of the DE and, at the same time, use what I was learning about management/ leadership on the DE in my P&G assignments.

 

Toward the end of my DE tour of duty, I was promoted to the rank of Commander and assigned as Commanding Officer of one of the three destroyers in the Naval District’s Ship Program. With this role, I was again able to put into practice what I was learning at P&G as well as what I had learned in my time in the Navy. I made sure that my officers and men were being properly trained for their jobs, especially in the area of leadership. We stressed the platinum rule in our leadership training: “treat people as THEY wish to be treated.” I also further developed my managerial style: management by walking around. After two very successful years as Commanding Officer of the destroyer, I was promoted to the rank of Captain.

 

P&G then moved me to Cincinnati to manage their Shortening and Oils making and packing operations at Ivorydale. In Cincinnati, I joined a Large U.S. Naval Reserve Surface Program and was assigned as Commanding Officer. I completed that two-year assignment by personally enlisting my eldest son into the U.S. Navy. I then officially retired from the Navy—and that’s my story to the question of what started me on the path and what kept me on the path of becoming a U.S. Navy Captain.

 

STRASSE: What lessons did you bring from your military experience into the business world?

 

Before I answer that specific question, let me say that because most of my Navy career overlapped my career with P&G, the learning experiences went in both directions. What I was learning in the Navy I was able to bring to P&G, and what I was learning at P&G I was able to bring to the Navy. The results were amazingly synergistic!

 

As an example, during the five years as Commanding Officer of the destroyer escort and destroyer, I focused on technical and leadership training for my officers and men, emphasizing the specific needs of each individual, as well as their promotional needs as required by the Navy. I also developed my own leadership style of “walking around,” having informal discussions with individuals and groups, and just getting to know my crew as individuals. I was able to bring the learning from those experiences to P&G. At the same time, what I was learning at P&G through formal training and work experience, I was able to bring to the Navy. It was a wonderful combination.

 

Now back to your specific question. I brought two very important principles from my Navy experience to the business world. The first was that everyone in the organization has leadership potential; it just has to be recognized and nurtured. This leadership potential is accomplished in the Navy through the enlisted Petty Officer Rates, the training that Petty Officers receive, and their advancement process.

 

The second key principle that I brought from the Navy to the business world was the importance of proper leadership and technical training for all assignments. This principle includes the importance of followers having input to that training and the key role that leaders have in making sure that exemplary training takes place.

 

I also learned an important personal lesson from my Navy experience. I learned that I have a passion for teaching and mentoring others and thoroughly enjoy the personal satisfaction that comes from helping others achieve some of their life goals.

 

STRASSE: What current projects are you most excited about?

 

I am currently working on three projects that I believe will greatly benefit our students as well as the university. They are:

·         Starfish (My Union Success Team)

·         The new General Education Program

·         The changes coming to Faculty Council Governance

 

Starfish, once fully operational, will provide a platform for program advisors, faculty, and other key players to have all the student information needed to collaborate effectively and to help students complete their classwork on time. This collaboration, in turn, will have a positive impact on retention and enrollment growth. The new General Education Program will result in new and improved Gen Ed fully online courses. My role is to lead in the development of Master Syllabi for all four of our B.S. statistics courses.

I have been a member of the Summit committee, and I expect that the university Faculty Governance changes that have been recommended by Summit will strengthen our Faculty Governance structure and operations. Once implemented, these changes will eliminate current governance overlap, fill in voids, and generally improve two-way communications between Faculty Council and university staff, administration, and faculty. I look forward to my role in this implementation in 2014/15.

STRASSE: What does “social responsibility” mean to you and how do you live out that value – both here at Union and outside of Union?

I believe that to be socially responsible, every person, as well as every organization, must act to benefit society. I lived that value during my years of service in the Navy as previously described. P&G encouraged its employees to become involved with service work in their local communities. I managed baseball, football, and soccer teams while working in Sacramento and Cincinnati. I am now living that value by helping my UI&U undergraduate students attain a B.S. degree.

I have taken some time to realize the true meaning of “social responsibility.” However, I now firmly believe that my personal challenges are to leave the organizations that I touch in better shape than when I found them and to leave the people with whom I come in contact with a positive emotional experience that they will never forget.

I will finish with two quotes from Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965) that are meaningful to me:

“As we acquire more knowledge, things do not become more comprehensible but more mysterious.”

“Everyone must work to live, but the purpose of life is to serve and to show compassion and the will to help others. Only then have we ourselves become true human beings.”

Faculty Highlights: Dr. Gerald Fishman

Union Institute & University prides itself on the number of scholar-practitioners we have leading our academic programs. This month I am excited to highlight one of our most distinguished scholar-practitioners: Dr. Gerald A. Fishman. Dr. Fishman successfully combines over three decades of psychological research and practice with a passion for community outreach and the skill and insight for effective institutional administration. He is a resource and model for both students and faculty, and he is a valued member of both his own local community and of the public health, social services and counseling community nationwide.
A New York State Licensed Psychologist and Certified School Psychologist trained in a number of therapy areas related to public health and chemical dependency, Dr. Fishman brings over 30 years of experience from his individual clinical, counseling practice to his role as Associate Dean at the Vermont Center in Brattleboro.
In this role of Associate Dean, he is responsible for administering and providing direct service to master’s and doctoral level graduate programs in psychology. He is active in program development and evaluation, institutional research, outcome assessment, and strategic planning in addition to his teaching responsibilities.
The Master of Arts with a Concentration in Counseling Psychology allows students to become familiar with identifying and treating psychological issues in a variety of clinical, educational and workplace environments. The degree also offers a unique graduate Certificate in Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counseling.  Dr. Fishman’s training in therapy approaches related to chemical dependency and addiction issues, as well as his work with nonprofit organizations, universities, governmental agencies and school systems, make him an invaluable resource and model for students in the program pursuing professional counseling avenues in different areas.
Outside of the academy, Dr. Fishman has used his training to create a number of adolescent chemical dependency and adult disorder programs throughout the state of New York. He is also the director of the Human Services Consultation and Training Institute, in Albany New York, an organization offering statewide and national professional trainings in specific clinical, chemical dependency, behavioral health, and school psychology.
More recently, Dr. Fishman has served as a consultant with Casey Family Programs out of Seattle, Washington. This position involves consultation to not-for-profit community mental health centers and governmental agencies serving rural eastern Kentucky and providing a continuum of care to women, children, and families. In this role, Dr. Fishman participates in formative research, program development, and staff training.
For this issue of The Union Strasse, we asked Dr. Fishman to share some of his views about the important topics for current students of psychology, as well as his insights into what it means for him to practice the value of social responsibility.
The Union Strasse: What started you on the path of psychology, public health, and psychosocial related services?
Dr. Gerald Fishman: My interest in psychology and clinical practice with children and adults was sparked by my volunteer work in high school with special education students and peers encountering academic difficulty.  I reflected on the best teachers I ever had, asking what was it about these teachers that influenced positive learning and emotional and behavioral change in their students, and I also included the effects that these teachers had on me.  From these early experiences, I became very interested in understanding and applying principles identified and researched by psychologists to the goal of helping others encountering challenges in their lives.  This essential purpose influenced pursuit of specialized graduate training, certifications, and professional experience intended to address the needs of children and adults across a variety of clinical and behavioral health areas.
TUS: What are the top two issues that you believe need to be addressed for your students within the therapy and public health fields?
GF: Addiction and trauma-informed treatment are two critical areas that need to be addressed with students in clinical training programs.  The scope and impact of substance abuse is increasingly apparent in mental health, criminal justice, health, and social welfare settings, with adverse childhood events (including trauma) evidenced to influence poor outcomes for both children and adults in these systems.  The symptoms of trauma and substance use disorders are maintained in a vicious cycle.  Trauma-informed care is based on a model of empowerment that promotes recovery from both substance use and mental health disorders and helps the client build skills to increase safety and effective adaptation in their lives.
TUS: What have been the most rewarding aspects of your career within the fields of counseling, teaching, writing, workshop leadership, etc.?
GF: I am both excited and honored by the possibility of making a difference in the lives of others by training future counselors and clinicians in best practices and evidence-based approaches to relieving suffering, enhancing coping skills, and increasing positive life outcomes.  Continued evaluation of educational programs for quality assurance and quality improvement purposes is critical, and informs all of our efforts to provide a valuable and value-laden education for our students.  To this objective, I am actively involved in teaching, practice, and lifelong learning.  Engaged study keeps us humble and grateful.  As the mantra goes, “the more I learn, the less I know.” 

TUS: What does “social responsibility” mean to you? GF: As educators and human services professionals, social responsibility translates to ensuring respect for human dignity and human rights.  Social responsibility and, more broadly, social justice provide a set of principles which guide both the content and the conducting of education for our students.  Enhancing access to education, exploring the nature of responsibility to others through ethical, cultural, and societal lenses, and examining the values which inform our direct actions with others are crucial to influencing fair treatment and equality for all people we serve.

 

Faculty Highlights: Dr. Stella Marrie

For over a decade, Dr. Stella Marrie has been active as a psychotherapist, educator, and community leader. In addition to her responsibilities as professor in Union’s Bachelor of Arts program in the Psychology & Human Development concentration, Dr. Marrie is invested in the political and social justice issues surrounding mental health treatment and therapy practices. Over the years, she has served in community centers and women’s shelters, providing training for volunteers working with victims of domestic violence. Dr. Marrie has participated in outreach programs aiding at-risk youth and teenage mothers, as well as individuals struggling with drug addiction and eating disorders. She has taught a variety of courses in group therapy, personality theory, the psychology of trauma, and human development.Her research interests range from Jungian and contemporary psychoanalytic methods of psychotherapy to spiritual development and existential theories of how individuals and communities create meaning in their lives. She is familiar with depth psychology and transpersonal approaches, and her own personal practice of meditation and spirituality has led her to explore the relationship between Buddhism and Western psychology.
I am honored to highlight an individual with such outstanding professional as well as personal credentials.

The Union Strasse:  What started you on the path of clinical psychology?

Dr. Stella Marrie: I think I was always interested in understanding others. As a child that was expressed in my love for nature and animals. My heroes were people like Jane Goodall, Diane Fossey, and Konrad Lorenz.  I read all their books and thought I would become a research scientist. Goodall was especially inspiring because her method was simply to sit quietly and pay careful attention.  She developed an “I –Thou” relationship with her subjects, which was criticized as “unscientific”, but it was probably the key to her success.As it turned out, I went to the University of Chicago, where a student with my interests was typically directed to the anthropology department.  I studied anthropology for several years but eventually realized that I wanted to work in a way that might benefit others more directly.  I realized that I wanted to be involved in my work in a way that fieldwork did not allow.  As I began to take psychology courses, I found a framework of theory and praxis that wedded my desire to understand others and also to be of some service.   During this time, I was also introduced to Zen meditation.  Zen practice gave me ample opportunities of quiet sitting and careful attention.  This practice of mindfulness also became a core element of how I practice psychotherapy and also how I teach.

One of the formative experiences that led me on this path, both as a therapist and as a teacher of psychology, was through one of my first psychology professors, Gene Gendlin.  He was a unique teacher in that everything he did and said seemed to instantiate the ideas he was presenting. Even if he was talking about something that had nothing to do with psychotherapy, his manner and attitude still expressed the essence of his work as a psychologist.  In this respect, it was sort of impossible not to learn in his presence.  I saw in him a deep integrity in the way that he expressed his life’s work and purpose, and I took this as an example of the way I wanted to teach and what I hoped to offer my own students.
TUS: What are the top 2 issues you believe need to be addressed for students within the psychology field?
SM: Many people think of an undergraduate degree as a means to an end - a first step toward obtaining a credential or a job. It is true that career development and advancement are very important and should be a core element of any degree program.  Alongside this is the deeper significance of study in psychology with its potential to change the way we think, feel, and live.  It is important for a psychology program to consider both dimensions and to address the needs and development of each student in a holistic way. This is especially true for adult students who typically bring a wealth of experience to their studies and often have more individual learning goals than traditional aged college students.
Psychology emphasizes many skills and intellectual attitudes that are applicable to a wide range of fields.  The skills that are integral to a liberal arts education - communication skills, the ability to view complex problems from multiple perspectives, the ability to work collaboratively, the ability to think flexibly and adaptively, an appreciation for diversity – are all deeply embedded in this field.  These are habits of mind that also promote self-understanding, meaningful relationships, creativity, and well-being.   Not surprisingly, they are qualities that are also sought after by employers.  So, I feel that one of the most important things for psychology students to experience in their education is that personal development and professional development are not two separate things, but really one and the same.  An undergraduate degree in psychology provides preparation for a variety of careers and also enhances one’s personal life through a fuller understanding of self and others.  I think that when both elements are addressed, students engage in their learning in a very wholehearted and generative way.  Education then becomes a vehicle to many things, but it is always an end in itself.
TUS: Who are the leaders and examples that you look to or aspire to be like? Why?
SM: Some years ago, I taught a seminar titled, Committed Lives: Social Engagement in Adult Development. The students in the course picked moral exemplars from whom they took inspiration to study and write about.  From that experience my own list of moral exemplars became quite large!  Public figures come to mind – authors, artists, and scientists who have shaped my thinking – as well as many people I have met in my personal life and though my work as a therapist and teacher.
I am not sure that it actually originated in Zen, but there is a saying popular in the Zen tradition that one should strive to “let everything be your teacher”.  This is generally understood as encouragement to learn from all of one’s experiences, but it is also literally true that when you get to know something or someone well enough; they always have something to teach you.  I think that some of the most influential humanitarian leaders of our time – people like Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi, Martin Luther King, the Dalai Lama – all seem to embody this inclusive, awake, mind and heart.  So now, possibly because of that seminar, when I think of leaders, I tend to think less of individuals but of a collectivity of people who seem to stand for something that I believe is available to be cultivated in everyone.   I am very interested in looking for facets of that in everyone.
TUS: What have been the most rewarding aspects of your career within the fields of counseling, teaching, writing, workshop leadership, etc.?

SM: Teaching is always a two way street, and the process is mutually transformative.  The same can be said of psychotherapy.  So I feel that in both areas of my professional life, the rewards are intrinsic to the activity, as I am always learning and growing through my work.  As a teacher there something especially rewarding about working closely with students and having the privilege of seeing their lives unfold and flourish as the result of their efforts and experiences at Union.  It takes a lot of courage to return to college as an adult with a job, family, and all kinds of responsibilities.  It is inspiring to see them push through internal and external barriers.  Many of them start out on this path to create a better future for their families and only later on realize that it is also for them.  I so admire the determination that they bring to their work.
I have been with the Union for 14 years, and in that time so many graduates have contacted me for a letter of recommendation for graduate school, a reference for a job, or just to update me on new projects or additions to the family.  I now have the honor of working with students in the doctoral program that I started with in the Bachelors program. These reconnections are like a large informal follow-up study about the effects of a Union education, and they enable me to see the big, long-term picture of the role that the Union plays in the lives of its students – and in society.  The intellectual liveliness, creativity, and commitment to doing good in the world that our graduates express in their personal and professional lives is tremendously rewarding for me and my colleagues.
TUS: What does  “social responsibility” mean to you here at Union and outside of Union. How would you describe the role and importance of "social responsibility" in your own life?
SM: I think of social responsibility as an ethical stance rooted in compassion that recognizes the deeply interconnected and constantly changing nature of life.  Unfortunately, we have a lot of social conditioning that runs counter to perceiving suffering and our interconnectedness. So for me, practicing social responsibility involves cultivating an awareness of this interconnectedness on a continual basis and also acting on that awareness in small and large ways.  I feel that the contemplative side of social responsibility is not emphasized enough in discussions of the topic.  It is important because when we have a deep realization of our connection, acting in a purely self-interested way no longer makes sense.  We start to naturally orient our lives in more socially responsible ways through our choices as consumers, our communication with others, and what we are willing to give our time and attention to.  In my personal life, contemplative practice is the method that I use to train my mind to be ready for socially responsible action. I feel that finding ways to skillfully address suffering through my work as a practicing psychologist, and also in teaching my students to respond to suffering in the world, is my primary expression of social responsibility.  Education is also a critical factor in socially responsible action, and I rely on others to help me become aware of the impact of my actions and the social and global issues that I need to be aware of and involved in.

Faculty Highlights: Dr. Rick Chaffee

Dr. Rick Chaffee’s understanding of leadership and mentoring practices is informed by a diverse background in professional ski racing, a Master's degree in Economics from the University of Denver and a Ph.D. in Applied Social Sciences from Union Institute & University. Dr. Chaffee’s has experience teaching both at the high school and collegiate level. He also has worked extensively in leadership training for the Marathon Oil Company, as well as working as a manager for the Catholic Diocese of Toledo. More recently Dr. Chaffee has been recruiting and mentoring members of the National Guard and employees of various corporations to focus on their degree completion through Union Institute & University.For this issue of the Union Strasse, we asked Dr. Chaffee about what has influenced his career path and his passion for socially responsible leadership in the workplace and in the academy.
The Union Strasse: Your first career was as an Olympic skier. What started you on that path of professional skiing?

Dr. Rick Chaffee: I was born in Rutland, VT and my mom and dad both ski raced. My mom was an alternate on the 1940 Olympic Team but that year the games were cancelled because of the war.

There was a ground swell of interest in skiing around Pico Peak near Rutland as a local woman, Andrea Mead Lawrence, became the first American to win Olympic gold medals in skiing in 1952.

This ground swell of interests gave rise to organized efforts to support ski racing in the region. I ski raced from the age of five or so. My sister, Suzy Chaffee participated with me in the '68 Olympics in France and I competed again in Japan in 1972. Our University of Denver ski team won the NCAA Championships during each of my four years there.

TUS: After you transitioned out of skiing professionally, you went on to teach and to help establish the Green Mountain Valley School. What was your vision for that school?
RC: After teaching for six years with Johnson State College, I was asked to help a local academy, The Green Mt. Valley School, become an elite ski racing academy. I taught, coached and was director of community life with the school.

Our vision was to create a high school in which students could excel both academically and athletically. The goal was for faculty, staff and students to create a supportive learning community in which students could pursue their dreams. The school has since developed into one of America’s leading ski racing academies and college preparatory schools.

TUS: You teach in Union's Leadership program and are invested in both educational and corporate leadership training.  What are the aspects of leadership that you see as essential today both in the academic world and in the corporate world? What aspects of leadership do you feel are essential for your students to grasp?
RC: Leadership is influence in service of a common purpose. The participants in our leadership classes become excited when they discover that many of the theories validate an intuition that they have had for some time. The courses I teach with UI&U and those I taught in corporate training, focused on helping both leaders and followers organize what they already know so that it becomes more useful to them. Teaching is especially fun when that happens.

Most Union students are adults with years of experience in organizations. My role then is to bring together a field of knowledge such as leadership and the lived experience of our participant. When that happens, the learning takes place very fast because the participants already know experientially these concepts and theories.What I find most satisfying about teaching leadership is helping our leadership students remember what is most important to them, which is keeping their integrity.

It seems that we are so challenged by the environments in which we work, so caught up in surviving, that we often lose touch with what is most important to us. Such things as:

• Doing our best and being of good will; 
• Avoiding the tendency to create in-groups and out-groups in our organizations. Because our mind operates by categorizing, there is a natural tendency for leaders to classify their followers and thereby create in-groups and out-groups. Building high quality one-on-one relationships with each team member, despite the differences in intelligence, motivation, career aspirations, and skill level, will take us a long way toward developing a sound organizational climate. 

Here is an example of what I enjoy most in teaching leadership. I ask students to respond to this handout as we approach the end of the leadership course. This piece resonates strongly with our leadership participants:

“You are nearly finished with the course.  

Whatever you have learned here, the insights from the instruments, from the theories, from your application of theory to the cases, and all the insights you have had from your whole life, these will not be lost.

What is important now is this: When you find yourself in a situation, whether you are the leader, follower or a peer, do not try to remember these theories or past insights. Instead, be present to the situation, to the people, to the issues….listen. Be open to whatever is happening…to your own thoughts and feeling and the responses and feelings of the other parties. Then draw on your intelligence, your concern for the well being of people and your sense of beauty and fairness.If you do that, if you do your best to be present to this unique situation and these unique people at this unique moment, with deep concern for both people and the task at hand, what you need to know will be made available to you.It is impossible to determine what to do ahead of time, for every moment is new and fresh and calls for its own unique response.It is in the humility of being open and present, trusting that the right words and responses will come to us, that we find our ‘voice’ and truly serve.”  

TUS: Who are the leaders and examples that you look to or aspire to be like? Why? 

RC: In my classes I use Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech and Joshua Chamberlain’s speech to the mutineers of the 20^th Maine at the Civil War battle of Gettysburg. I am also a great admirer of Nelson Mandela and the Persian poets Rumi and Hafiz.These are leaders who were fearless in their support of freedom, equality and community. I admire all who try, as best they can, to live the qualities of intelligence, beauty and love.Ultimately, however, leadership is a matter of the heart.

TUS: What are your current projects that you’re most excited about?  

RC: Our BS Business Management and Leadership faculty have been working together to develop ‘sound guidelines’ for our collaboration forums, ways to strengthen the quality of our on-line courses in CampusWeb.Another project of special interest is an application of ‘Appreciative Inquiry’ to our peer review process. The Faculty Affaires and Development Committee, FAD, has been creating a peer review process that focuses on two things: developing faculty and celebrating the good things happening in the university as we share our interests and our successes with our peers.Appreciative Inquiry is a process for developing organizations by identifying and celebrating its strengths. Or, as Peter Drucker stated so well in one of our training videos for this process [...] “The task of leadership is to create an alignment of strengths that make our weaknesses irrelevant.”

TUS: What does “social responsibility” means to you, and how you live out that value in your life?

RC: My interest in social responsibility at the moment is focused on the leader-follower relationship in organizations whether public, private or corporate. The leader-follower relationship has profound ethical implications. Organizations and their leadership have a social responsibility to see that the leader-follower relationship is ethical.There are many methods that leaders can employ to get things done. There is coercion, manipulation, mutually agreed upon transactions, and inspiration. Only two of these are ethical.

Freedom to follow without threat or coercion is part of social responsibility in our organizations. Our essential equality as persons, despite differences in roles, is another requirement of social responsibility in the leader-follower relationship. The leader-follower relationship has not been a focus of social responsibility until recently. It is, however, a major focus in our Ethics and Leadership class.

Within our own organization, Union Institute and University, it is important that we help each other keep our personal and institutional integrity. That’s how we live social responsibility in our own house.

From the Desk of the VPAA: Cultivating Community--Online!

Creating a class environment where students feel that they belong to a learning community is crucial to their academic success.

How does a professor cultivate such a community to academically
engage his or her students in a virtual environment?
Below I have highlighted three resources with tools and strategies for increasing student engagement and building supportive, learning communities in an online setting.   

Social Presence: “Tips for Building Social Presence in Your Online Class”--Dr. Oliver Dreon points out that while many instructors create fantastic teaching and cognitive tools for their students, they often forget to develop their social presence in an online course. Social presence in the online classroom is vital for increasing student engagement. Read the article to learn five simple ways to increase your own online social presence!  

New Media Resources: Through the UI&U Library, faculty have access to Films on Demand—an online resource for educational films. New videos relating to art, criminal justice, literature, education, political science, psychology, and social justice have been uploaded. Faculty can create links to these films in
CampusWeb and incorporate the content into their courses. Check out the UI&U Library Blog for details!

See what other education professionals are doing: Faculty Focus is an excellent resource of short articles written by working educators. The site features a variety of teaching strategies and approaches to learning, in addition to providing information about higher ed. seminars and conferences. 
What other resources have you found helpful in creating online learning communities? Send me your ideas for tools and strategies that you have found most effective at Feedback.VPAA@myunion.edu

Faculty Highlights: Dr. Andrew Harvey

Giving back to one’s surrounding community is an integral part of leadership and social responsibility, but it is not always as easy as it sounds. Dr. Andrew Harvey, professor in the Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice Management program at Union Institute & University is a model of giving back to his community in a way that is empathetic, creative, and effective. I am proud to highlight Dr. Harvey and his work this month, both as a professor and in his active engagement outside the academy walls.

Dr. Andrew Harvey brings a wealth of professional and academic experience to his role as a Union Institute & University professor within the Criminal Justice Management Program. He is both a nationally recognized author and resource for leadership strategies and an award-winning college instructor.

Dr. Harvey embodies the cross-disciplinary expertise of the scholar-practitioner that Union celebrates. He spent the last 12 years of his 25-year law enforcement career as a police captain with an agency in Southern California. He said that the variety of roles in law enforcement and the desire to give back to the surrounding community are aspects that attracted him to the work. “I wanted a career that would be challenging; one in which every day would be different. I wanted to make a contribution to the community I grew up in, and to society at large. In evaluating my individual abilities, I felt that what I had to offer would be a good fit for the profession of law enforcement. The ‘job loop’ of a police officer is utterly extraordinary—in a given day you might have to confront armed suspects, work in an undercover capacity, investigate a murder, give a community talk, or handle almost any other duty imaginable. The opportunity of having to handle so many different kinds of challenges on a daily basis was appealing to me.”Combining that experience with his doctorate in education from Pepperdine University, his training at the FBI National Academy, and his experience in the West Point Leadership Program, Dr. Harvey has become a passionate, innovative instructor, seeking to encourage social responsibility through personal responsibility in his students. “For me, social responsibility begins with personal responsibility. I believe everyone should take care of their own family, and their own individual responsibilities to the best of their ability. If this is done, the strain on the society collective is reduced greatly. This allows society to direct limited resources to those most in need; those in our society who have the least physical or psychological ability to take care of themselves and others.”

What shines through in Dr. Harvey is his obvious respect and admiration for the students in the Criminal Justice Management program. “As a professor at Union in the Criminal Justice Management program, most of my students are working police officers; their entire careers are devoted toward improving society within the boundaries of their jurisdictions. As such, social responsibility is not something I have to ‘teach’ them—it is already fully ingrained in them. As part of their key role in society, they literally risk their lives to protect and serve.”

Dr. Harvey is committed to his students’ success, and this means ensuring that many of the returning students are supported and encouraged as they navigate new academic and technological challenges. “Many of our Criminal Justice Management students are coming back to school after being away from it for many years. They will confront a fleeing bank robber without missing a beat, but the APA format will bring them to a breaking point! I work to reduce their anxiety levels from the first moment they hit the seat. Second, although many of our younger students are masters of technology, our older mid-career professionals in many cases struggle with this, and everyone at Union should be sensitive to helping them with this issue that can lead to much frustration.”

Dr. Harvey continually returns to themes of leadership through persistence and care for others. His heroes in this area are men like Nelson Mandela and Abraham Lincoln. “Both of these individuals led through a great combination of common sense, logical analysis, and concern for people,” Dr. Harvey said. “No matter how difficult times were, they maintained their visions and were undeterred no matter what. If you want to know about leadership at the very highest levels, these are two great people to study.”

National television and radio programs, such as the Bloomberg Business television show and The Joey Reynolds Radio Show, have hosted Dr. Harvey as an expert on creative leadership principles, and his two books, The Call to Lead: How Ordinary People Become Extraordinary Leaders, and Leadership: Texas Hold 'Em Style have garnered Dr. Harvey national attention.The kind of leadership that Dr. Harvey champions builds on the foundation of relationships. “I am a believer in the concept of emotional intelligence, as outlined by Daniel Goleman and others, and empathy is a key component of this. If I had to sum up what leadership is in one sentence, I would say, ‘Leadership is about building relationships with people through trust.’  If you truly focus on doing this on a daily basis, it's amazing how well things fall into place, in both the world of academia and the field of law enforcement.”

Go to Dr. Harvey’s website to read more about his leadership principles and training resources.
 

Faculty Highlights: Dr. Carole Stokes-Brewer

Giving back to one’s surrounding community is an integral part of leadership and social responsibility, but it is not always as easy as it sounds. Dr. Carole Stokes-Brewer in the Bachelor of Science, Social Work program at Union Institute & University is a model of giving back to her community in a way that is empathetic, creative, and effective. I am proud to highlight Dr. Stokes-Brewer and her work this month, both as a professor and in her active engagement outside the academy walls.
“The more you give, the more you receive,” this was the often-repeated family phrase that Dr. Carole Stokes-Brewer remembers from her childhood. The motto inspired Dr. Stokes-Brewer’s more than 35-year commitment to the field of psychotherapy, social work, consultation, training, and education. She is currently the Director of Field Education in the Bachelor of Science, Social Work program at Union Institute & University and she is an exceptional example of the socially responsible scholar-practitioner that defines Union Institute & University’s spirit of outreach and engagement.
Dr. Stokes-Brewer’s life reveals a unique kind of leadership rooted in the principle of giving back. “I am so grateful that I often experience that awesome feeling of giving, whether it’s through community service, helping a student, or just giving a smile,” she said. “Previously, I was a Black Achiever and a Big Sister. Along with other community involvement, I enjoy serving as a role model for young people on their journey through life. Cincinnati is the 10^th poorest city in the country.
My newest volunteer activity is with City Link Center, a place people go to learn how to overcome poverty through a variety of services, resources and hope. Specifically, I am in training to help people prepare for employment. As Director of Field Education, it gives me pleasure to represent Union and in seeking learning experiences for our students to prepare them professionally in the field of social work.” In addition to her responsibilities at Union Institute & University and her volunteer work, Dr. Stokes-Brewer is also CEO of Consultants at Mind Matters, Inc., a company providing psychosocial resources for groups, individuals, and couples. She is also the former co-director of Behavior Science for the Cincinnati Family Practice Residency Program, where she developed programs for adults and adolescents relating to chemical dependency issues. 
Creating programs, developing curriculum, and producing content for conferences and national presentations have long been a passion for Dr. Stokes-Brewer. “Currently, I am developing a program for a Fortune 500 company," she said. "At Union Institute & University, I'm excited about assisting and supporting Nina Lewis, chair of the social work department, in preparation of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accreditation. I am also developing social work presentations for state and national conferences.”
Dr. Stokes-Brewer holds several professional licenses. Among these, she is an Independent Social Worker with supervisory designation, a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with supervisory designation, and she is a Licensed Independent Chemical Dependency Counselor. She is also an Approved Consultant in Clinical Hypnosis. “Many years ago, I had a client who was impressed with the experience she had with clinical hypnosis to enhance her self confidence. I became curious about this science and began to explore it in depth. I have always been interested in the power of the mind. After many years of study, training, and practice with clinical hypnosis, I’ve enjoyed watching many people stop smoking, reduce pain, overcome phobias, improve relationships, and recover from illnesses. What’s even better, it is a technique they can learn to continue their self-growth."

Helping people gain a better sense of self, of life-and-work balance and a greater appreciation and knowledge of maintaining personal health is something Dr. Stokes-Brewer is passionate about. “I find that the more balance I have in life, the more fulfillment I experience. Good health is important. I was on a panel with Dr. Nancy Snyderman discussing the importance of women’s health,.  she inspired me to take a more active role in taking care of myself."
Following some of her spiritual and artistic heroes, Dr. Stokes-Brewer has found that artistic expression contributes significantly to maintaining a healthy attitude and lifestyle. "Writing poetry is one of my favorite forms of expression. There are so many poets and writers that inspire me.  Margaret Walker and Maya Angelo are two of my favorites for their brilliant poetry and storytelling. Self reflection is important to me.  I am interested in meditation for its ability to quiet the mind.. Deepak Chopra and Thich Nhat Hanh are a couple of my favorites.  I love the spirit of Cicely Tyson to remind me, in a quiet spiritual way, to develop grace."
Helping people maintain good health and take time for personal development remains central to Dr. Stokes-Brewer’s life-philosophy to “give back” to others, but giving back is not always as easy as it might sound, she notes. One of the principles she tries to instill in her students is the awareness of how to help others creatively help themselves. “Most students come into the field of social work because they have an admirable desire to help people. Along with that desire, comes the belief that ‘help’ is something they tell a person to do. If only they do what I say, life would be better. After that, they don’t understand their clients’ resistance. True help comes when you understand the dynamics of the situation and begin a process that allows individuals to develop better outcomes for themselves. ’Give me a fish and I eat for a day, teach me to fish and I eat for a lifetime,’” she quotes the old proverb.She remembered her own process of learning to reach out to help others different from herself. “It was March 1965, when state troopers marched in Selma, Alabama to the capitol in Montgomery Alabama to persuade a change allowing all to be free to vote. The outcome became known as the Voting Rights Act of 1965. I was a student at Tuskegee University. The excitement of freedom for all inspired me to participate in a student forum to spread the message of voting to people in isolated rural areas. We would find them living in dirt-floor rooms, we encouraged them, showed them the voting process, and even took them to the polls.  I learned so much from listening and connecting with people so much like me, yet so different. It was at that point that I made a commitment to prepare myself educationally to assist others in improving their plight. “To be of help to others, you have to know your strengths and weaknesses,” Dr. Brewer emphasized. “You have to learn how to be detached enough, yet empathic to help others define their experiences that can contribute to the betterment of their situation.” The process of learning to give to others has been a varied and an incredibly rewarding one for Dr. Stokes-Brewer. “I’ve never forgotten that the more you give, the more you receive,” she said. “I do believe it prepared a path in my career, connections with others, and the universe.”
Find out more about Dr. Stokes-Brewer at her website.