An assessment of leadership development programs for employees in Iowa's community colleges

Abstract

The development of potential leaders for the community college system is critical for their continued success. Research has indicated that many community college administrative staff are preparing for their retirements. As current leaders take their leave, it is essential to ensure there are qualified persons stepping forward to continue leading the colleges. Leadership development programs must be in place to assure there are trained leaders to continue the tradition of the community colleges. The purpose of this study was to describe the impact of two existing leadership development programs on the community college system and its employees in Iowa. The Leadership Institute for a New Century (LINC) and the Community College Leadership Initiative Consortium (CLIC) have been in place to provide leadership development opportunities to employees with a goal of expanding the base of leaders within the community colleges. Information was gathered from several sources and a survey was completed to gain initial information from those participating in the two programs. Focus groups were conducted on three community college campuses, and community college leaders and staff from the two leadership programs were interviewed. These sources provided a picture of the impact the programs are having on community colleges. Findings revealed that the participants from the programs are earning promotions, the programs are serving as retention tools for the colleges, participants are continuing their education, the credit earned in the programs is important to the participants, and participants are satisfied with the program topics.