Preparing STEM Graduate Students for Inclusive Leadership
This project will test a program of inclusive leadership training aimed at providing graduate students with the skills needed to become leaders in fostering institutional change. Results will provide guidance for other institutions for how to better prepare graduate students to develop as effective leaders who emphasize participation, community, and respect across identities without sacrificing their own professional and personal goals.
Two cohorts of graduate student Leadership Fellows will each participate for two years:
In Year 1, Fellows will learn about academic leadership through a series of interactive workshops and panel discussions. In particular, they will be introduced to the structure of colleges and universities and how change occurs at different organizational levels.
At the end of this year, Fellows are predicted to
(1a) demonstrate increased knowledge about inclusive leadership in higher education; and
(1b) demonstrate increased confidence in their skills as agents of change across their career stages compared to pre-testing and control groups.
In Year 2, Leadership Fellows will work in teams on a Leadership Project led by a mentor. Projects will have measurable outcomes for the growth of the Fellows and for the impact on the institution, as each project has been designed to provide value to UMass Amherst. Fellows will also receive individualized sessions with a professional leadership coach.
At the end of Year 2, Fellows are predicted to be able to
(2a) describe how the lessons learned in Year 1 impacted both their Leadership Project and their work beyond the project and to apply their knowledge to novel case studies;
(2b) demonstrate improved leadership skills through both self-evaluation and assessment by others that know them; and
(2c) articulate a plan to continue to create institutional change throughout their careers. An additional prediction is that
(2d) the Leadership Projects will have met their goals and provided value to the University.
Read the abstract
