Twelve university administrators from Armenia, Georgia, Ghana, Russia and Ukraine arrived at IREX on September 27th to begin their University Administration Support Program [18] Fellowship. Over the next six weeks the fellows will be gaining first-hand experience in the administrative process at US universities, and thinking creatively about ways to use what they have learned to positively affect management processes at their home institutions.
The fellows will work at universities across the US, focusing on a specific area of management related to their work. Whether focusing on topics like alumni relations at Bowling Green State University, or technology transfer at the University of North Texas, each of the fellows will be looking for new and progressive management practices that they can adapt to their home environment.
Before they head out to their institutions, the fellows participated in an intensive Higher Education Management Workshop. Developed by IREX, in collaboration with Dr. Lemuel Watson [19] of Northern Illinois University, the curriculum addresses issues like leadership style, departmental management, strategic planning, and dealing with human resources issues. Through a series of self-reflection activities, lively discussions about enacting change, and dissection of case studies, the curriculum provides the fellows with the tools to find solutions to problems they face daily in their work.
At the conclusion of the program, the fellows will produce case studies that focus on their specific management topic. Each of these case studies will be available on the IREX website in late November. Until those are available, check back for regular news updates about the fellows and their experiences.