MELBOURNE (June 28, 2012) – Nancy Dust, Assistant to the President at Ozarka College, recently completed the Arkansas Association Two Year Colleges’ Leadership Institute. She was recognized at a ceremony at the Winthrop Rockefeller Center in Morrilton on Monday, June 11.
The goal of the AATYC Leadership Institute is to identify, develop, prepare, and advance leaders from within Arkansas’ two-year colleges. Through an experience-based model, participants develop general and executive leadership skills related to academics, finance and student affairs. Approximately 24 participants from two-year colleges across Arkansas participate each year.
“I appreciate the opportunity provided by Ozarka College and Dr. Dawe to attend the Leadership Institute,” said Dust. “Not only did this program provide excellent development of leadership skills, it also provided an opportunity to learn more about the governance of higher education. We were provided with an opportunity to learn from well-known leaders in Arkansas higher education and government.”
“One particular insight that I gleaned from this networking experience was that even though all two-year colleges appear to compete for students and funding, we are all working for the benefit of the student,” she continued. “The Leadership Institute was a tremendous learning experience and I hope to apply my newly gained knowledge for the benefit of Ozarka College.”
Dust has been with Ozarka College since 2006 and has become a tremendous asset, many times going well above and beyond her job description.
“I am pleased that we have the opportunity each year to select current or future leaders from our talented faculty and staff to attend the Leadership Institute,” said Ozarka College President Dr. Richard Dawe. “It allows us to grow our future leaders from within, and allows them to become even more productive and increase their leadership perspective. Nancy was an excellent candidate and we are very proud of her work and her accomplishments.”
The Institute began four years ago after a study was released indicating that many of Arkansas’ two-year college leaders would be retiring within the next five years. To help fill this impending leadership gap, AATYC partnered with Dr. Linda Beene, former Director of the Arkansas Department of Higher Education and current Vice President and Partner at Martin-Wilbourn Partners, to develop, prepare and advance leaders from within Arkansas two-year colleges.
Institute participants are nominated by their President or Chancellor and include Vice Presidents, Department Chairs, Deans, and Directors who aspire to additional leadership opportunities.
This year’s group was the fourth to complete the Institute, which consists of three-3 day sessions and a fourth one-day session.
Through an experience-based model, participants develop general leadership skills, and functions of executive leadership in higher education related to academics, finance, and student affairs are developed. Competencies endorsed by the American Association of Community Colleges are addressed.
General leadership skills to be addressed include performance and interpersonal skills; active listening; improving conflict management and enhancing consensus building; managerial counseling, coaching and confrontation; greater awareness of self and others resulting in more constructive interaction; setting and attaining goals; improving self-confidence and increasing ability to build self-confidence in others; creating more effective communication climates; and developing observation and feedback skills.
For more information about the AATYC Leadership Institute, please visit www.aatyc.org.
