Leadership with Grace

The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute offers four programs based on principles of collaboration and partnership to the VCU community.

On Jan. 21, nearly 200 women will gather at the Richmond Marriott for the 5th Annual HIGHER Ground kickoff luncheon, sponsored by The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute at Virginia Commonwealth University.

The HIGHER Ground Women’s Leadership Development Program, one of four programs developed and implemented by GEHLI, provides women in higher education or other public, private, nonprofit or faith-based organizations with the skills and tools necessary to enhance their personal and professional leadership.

Participants in different stages of transition — recent college graduates, mothers with young children, mothers with grown children, returnees to the workforce, those recently promoted, retirees — engage in a five-month leadership development experience for current and emerging women leaders who exhibit the skills, potential and desire to lead organizations and themselves to a higher level.

“HIGHER Ground is really for women from all sectors who can benefit from what we’re teaching in the program,” said Nakeina E. Douglas, Ph.D., the institute’s director since 2007.

GEHLI, established in 1999, honors Grace E. Harris, who served for 32 years at VCU as a faculty member, dean, vice provost, provost and vice president for academic affairs, and acting president. She was the highest-ranking woman and highest-ranking African-American in VCU’s history. She currently serves as a distinguished professor at VCU.

The institute’s programs, based on Harris’ principles of collaboration and partnership, feature strong theoretical grounding in the concept of transformational leadership, commitment to long-term relationships with clients and participants, and focus on leadership in academic and community settings. The institute also conducts research and disseminates knowledge on the best practices in leadership.

“It’s all about the spirit of Dr. Harris and who she is,” said Douglas. “It’s this idea that everyone has leadership capabilities and you’ve got to bring those things to the forefront and help people identify what contributions they can make.”

Later in January, the VCU Leadership Development Program — the institute’s cornerstone program — will welcome its 11th class. The 10-month program serves to enhance the knowledge, skills and experience of current and emerging leaders at VCU who represent the academic and administrative units of the university and the VCU Medical Center.

Participants enroll with a cohort of 20 to 25 others and collaborate on projects sponsored by various departments and units of the university. Susan T. Gooden, Ph.D., the institute’s executive director and professor and director of graduate programs in the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, participated in the program in 2005, one year after she arrived on the VCU campus. Her team came up with “Ram the streets,” a plan to paint the streets surrounding VCU with the Ram mascot in an effort to boost university pride. Not only was the project engaging, Gooden found the entire program curriculum beneficial to her.

“It just really was a wealth of information,” she said of the program. “The networking was invaluable especially as a newcomer to VCU.”

J. Brian Cassel, Ph.D., senior analyst for the VCU Health System Oncology Administration, participated in the program in 2006. He valued the experience of meeting people from the Monroe Park Campus so much that he recommended the program to a colleague, who will participate in 2011.

“I think she will benefit from going through the program with people from the other campus,” he said. “That is one of the more illuminating aspects of the program — most of us tend to think there is a grand canyon between the two campuses and the program helps to build bridges between the two.”

The institute hosts two other offerings, the Department Chairs Program and Minority Political Leadership Institute. Department Chairs, a seminar format, focuses on strengthening general leadership skills of participants while also providing very specific information relevant to the department chair role. In addition, department chairs benefit from a climate of support and the opportunity to build valuable relationships with other chairs and university officials.

MPLI, a collaborative initiative between GEHLI and the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus Foundation open to the non-VCU community, is an intensive five-month experience designed to promote leadership development for aspiring leaders interested in assuming leadership roles on issues relevant to minority and underserved communities.

Future plans for the institute include fine-tuning and expansion of programs, building its research and evaluation capacity in social equity, and continuing to play a role in enhancing the university’s mission in terms of community engagement and community partnerships.

“The institute brings people together,” said Douglas. “I think that was probably part of Dr. Harris’ plan — getting everyone together and making not only the professional connections, but the personal connections as well.”

For more information on the Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute, visit www.gehli.vcu.edu.