Educational Leadership, Administration and Foundations

Ph.D. Degree Program in Educational Administration- Specialization in Higher Education Leadership

Program Description: The 72 course hour Ph.D. program in Higher Education Leadership is designed to prepare students for positions of leadership in two and four year collegiate institutions. Following a scholar/practitioner philosophy, the program stresses knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for leading institutions of higher education in the twenty-first century. It is designed primarily for professionals currently working in higher educational settings who desire a quality educational experience that allows them to continue meeting family and work responsibilities. Graduates of the program are prepared for administrative leadership positions at public or private, four-year colleges and universities, community colleges, technical schools, and for-profit post-secondary institutions.

The distinct features of the program include:

• Cohort-based model for learning.
• Planned/prescripted curriculum that allows students to complete coursework in 21 months (5 semesters).
• Blended distance education delivered program via interactive television and/or the Web augmented by on-campus Friday and Saturday sessions three times per semester.
• Course that are offered in a consistent basis ( Wednesdays when starting program in the fall of odd year or Thursdays if starting program in the fall of an even year).
• Integrated internship experience.
• Serves the working professional although opportunities for on-campus assistantships also available.
• Linkages with large network of alumni for mentoring and support, many of whom have won state and national honors for their work and gone on to serve as presidents, chancellors, and in a range of cabinet level positions.
• Strong commitment to diversity and cultural competence reflected in the backgrounds and skill sets of faculty, students, and curriculum.
• Coursework and dissertation projects that focus on problems of practice.
• Scholarship and grant opportunities available to help you to fund your degree.

Information on scholarship and grant opportunities:

There are a variety of sources of funding to support your studies. The federal, state, and institutional opportunities can be found on the School of Graduate Studies website. The department also has some limited scholarship and grant award opportunities (ranging from a few hundred dollars to $1-2,000). These are typically awarded every Spring via application from students who are enrolled in the program. Thus, you would be eligible once you have begun your studies. Please let the ELAF Office know of your interest so you can be contacted once the award programs are announced, generally in mid-March.

Note that there is one departmental scholarship available to new students, the Harding scholarship. Information on this scholarship will be shared at the program orientation for new students in July.

Program Details & Curriculum:

Master’s degree coursework is applied to the curriculum such that students take 45 credit hours of coursework (15 courses) plus 18 dissertation hours to meet the requisite 90 hours needed to complete the degree.

The coursework consists of a basic core in which students are provided with a firm grounding in the organizational context of higher education including its history, social and philosophical foundations, and contemporary challenges as well as introduced to the processes of educational inquiry and research. The internship core consists of two semester-long, field-based experiences under the supervision of a university supervisor and an on-site mentor. In the advanced core, students investigate the major functional areas of higher education and contemporary management science and leadership theories. Emphasis is on problem-based learning in the courses and the internship experiences give students opportunities to link theory to practice as well as enhance the learning environment for students and faculty. Upon completion of coursework, students take comprehensive examinations (prelims) integrating what they have learned in classes and internships. Once admitted to candidacy, students plan, propose, conduct, present and defend their dissertation research.

Throughout all phases of the program, students are supported by Indiana State University graduate faculty. In addition, academic professionals from a diversity of institutions and functional areas are invited to bring their expertise to the program as guest lecturers, mentors, and program advisors.

Program Proficiencies

The Higher Education Leadership Program is designed to help students develop knowledge, attitudes, and skills in the domains of leadership, inquiry and research, communications, and higher education. Within each of the four domains, specific proficiencies have been identified for students to develop and demonstrate throughout the program.

Reflective Leadership - Graduates will demonstrate:

• a comprehensive knowledge of different theories on leadership and management;
• the ability to reflect critically on historical and contemporary issues within education and to relate them to leadership and practice;
• the ability to articulate an integrated philosophy of education and leadership;
• the ability to exercise leadership within an educational setting.

Analytic inquiry and research proficiencies - Graduates will demonstrate:

• the ability to construct and support reasonable interpretations and arguments;
• the facility to employ multiple perspectives and theoretical frames to assess educational and organizational structures, policies, and practices;
• the ability to critically read and review various forms of research and to use it to resolve administrative challenges in educational situations;
• a understanding of qualitative and quantitative research paradigms.

Communication proficiency - Graduates will demonstrate:

• communication, interpersonal, and process skills necessary to function effectively in academic and professional situations, including written and oral communication, listening to and working collegially with diverse groups, and facilitating intra- and inter-group relations.

Higher education - Graduates will demonstrate:

• a thorough theoretical understanding of higher education and its administration and the ability to relate theory to practice within the following dimensions:
  • Academic Affairs
  • Organization and Governance
  • Finance Policy and Legal Aspects
  • Student Affairs
  • Social Foundations of Education
  • The ability to plan and evaluate policies and programs within higher education.

Program Structure

Students begin the program with a cohort group and commit to moving through the program’s schedule of studies with that cohort group. Students enroll full time (3 course for 9 credit hours) each semester for five consecutive terms over a two-year period, including a summer session. Coursework is delivered through a combination of distance learning and intensive on-campus workshops. The Indiana Higher Education Television Network System (IHETS), Internet, and audio conferencing are some of the technologies used. Courses during the academic year consist of three Friday/Saturday on-campus workshop seminars and weekly IHETS sessions that generally meet one afternoon per week. The summer session between the first and second academic year combines IHETS sessions, directed study, and a required three-week residency on campus.

Program Curriculum

Fall Semester I: Classes 12:00 PM-3:50 PM plus 3 Fridays & Saturdays

ELAF 752 - Organization and Governance in Higher Education (3 hours) A course designed to acquaint the student with the organization and governance of higher education in America and to introduce the student to the unique aspects of administration, planning and public policy in such an institution.

ELAF 687 Higher Education in the United States (3 hours) An exploration of the present status and scope of higher education in the United States through a review of its development, purposes, patterns, effectiveness, problems, and current issues. Particular emphasis is given to topics relating to students, faculty, and organization.

ELAF 891 - Internship (3 hours) Internship designed for breadth and familiarizes students with at least three administrative units within an institution of higher education (e.g., student and student support services, academic and instructional services, business services, media and computing services, facilities, auditing and finance, and external relations, development, academic affairs, president’s office).

Spring Semester I

ELAF 708 - Seminar in the Foundations of Modern Education (3 hours) Analysis of educational problems and issues in education using the disciplines of history and philosophy from the foundations of education.

EPSY 612 - Statistical Methods (3 hours) An introductory course in statistics for graduate students. Topics: descriptive methods, probability, selected sampling distributions, linear correlation and regression, and hypothesis testing.

ELAF 891 - Internship (3 hours) The second internship is designed for depth and provides students an opportunity to concentrate on one administrative service unit within an institution of higher education of their choice as well as exposure to the college or university central administration, institutional policy entities, and/or legislative and external policy making entities. Student engages in a project of relevance and benefit to their chosen internship site.

Summer 3 Week Term (July): Classes start Monday after 4th of July

ELAF 755 - Research Seminar in Educational Law (3 hours) Course provides students with an exposure to important legal issues in higher education as well as the federal and state policy environment confronting that affect public and private post-secondary institutions.

ELAF 761 - Inquiry in Higher Education (3 hours) Instruction in the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to plan and understand research in higher education. Exemplary topics include library use, scientific methodology, observation, measurement, selection of a research question, design, data collection, analysis of data, and generalization from data.

ELAF 806 - Foundations of Modern Educational Thought (3 hours) A study of the theory in education which uses relevant concepts from the social, behavioral, and humanistic disciplines. Emphasis is on the development of research potential in education utilizing theory as a frame of reference.

Fall Semester II: Classes 9:30 AM-3:50 PM (11:20 AM-Noon--->break); plus 3 Fridays & Saturdays

ELAF 686 - Academic Leadership in Higher Education (3 hours) Designed to provide emphasis on concepts of academic leadership as they relate to organizational structure, staff productivity, and leadership in the change process with respect to curriculum, instruction, faculty development, and faculty personnel policies in higher education

ELAF 760 - Resource Management in Higher Education (3 hours) A study of the policies, practices and politics of human and fiscal resource management in higher education with particular emphasis on the financial management of higher education.

EPSY 712 - Inferential Statistics (3 hours) Hypothesis testing procedures including homogeneity of variance, analysis of variance, and tests of selected other parameters. Thorough study of common sampling distributions. Multiple correlation and regression, and nonlinear relationships.

Spring Semester II: Classes 9:30 AM-3:50 PM (11:20 AM-Noon--->break); plus 3 Fridays & Saturdays

ELAF 859 - Research Seminar in Educational Administration (3 hours) Attention will be given to research design and methodology. Each student will select a dissertation topic, prepare a dissertation proposal, and defend the proposal to the Doctoral Committee.

ELAF 763 - Seminar on College Students in Higher Education (3 hours) Designed to explore the experience of college students in higher education. Particular emphasis is given to the study of changing demographics, patterns of growth and development, educational outcomes, and the experience of historically under-represented students.

ELAF 850 - Advanced Leadership Theory, Governance & External Relations (3 hours) Designed to develop and extend the student's knowledge pertaining to the roles, policy development, planning, issues and trends in education administration, governance and external relations through examination of various related theories concerning individuals in organized settings.

How to Apply:

Admission Requirements:

1. Earned master’s degree from an accredited college or university.
2. Have graduate work and experience commensurate with the student’s objectives as evaluated by the ELAF faculty.
3. Additional requirements for admission and/or progress toward the degree may be applicable. See the Graduate Catalog from the School of Graduate Studies.

Application Materials Required:

1. The bulleted items below are to be sent to the ELAF Department via
   email attachment : ELAF@indstate.edu or Fax : 812-237-8041 or Mail to : ELAF Office, 1202 College of Education,
   Indiana State University,
   Terre Haute, IN 47809
   • Departmental application including personal Narrative of professional goals and past experiences and why you are interested in the program.
   • Resume/vita
   • Three letters of recommendation from persons who can comment on your potential and/or fit for the program.
     
2. The items below are to be submitted to the School of Graduate Studies:
   • School of Graduate Studies application submitted on-line.
   • Official transcripts from each undergraduate and graduate institution attended.
   • Official GRE scores sent to the School of Graduate Studies.

Applications are due by February 15 with notification of decision by April 15. Failure to submit all of the above items in a timely manner can delay your admission decision.

GRE information:

We do not have minimum performance expectations on the GRE nor do we use GRE scores in isolation from other components of your application given that the research on its use for admissions decisions emphasizes the benefits of the GRE in combination with other application elements. However, stronger scores are always more advantageous than weaker scores. Thus, we advise that students take the time to adequately prepare for the exam, including purchasing a test prep guide, and/or consider taking a test prep course. Guide materials can be obtained from most bookstores. The GRE can be scheduled and taken at any Sylvan or Prometric Learning Center and your unofficial scores will be available to you immediately after the exam given that the test is taken on computer. Please email your unofficial scores to the ELAF Office immediately after taking the exam to: ELAF@indstate.edu since your official scores will generally not be received by the School of Graduate Studies for approximately 3 weeks.

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