Institute/Session Summary:

This session describes a qualitative research study examining leadership stories heard through the oral histories of statewide leaders in the field of postsecondary reading, learning, and developmental education. The purpose of this study was to learn about the experiences of seasoned educators in a variety of institutions in the state of Minnesota as they relate to a statewide organization. This presentation will offer background information about the study, a brief explanation of the process used to gather information through in-depth interviews, and report on themes that emerged. It will also involve participants in a group activity based on the leadership themes from the project. Intended for a wide variety of educators from practitioners and researchers, presenters will share real voices and themes such as organizational power, campus issues, external and internal perceptions of the field, relationship to students, and their motivation and training for working in the field. High
lights will include the sharing of narrative samples from the actual participants whose stories reflect useful insights from their own dedicated, lifelong career paths in the fields of college reading, learning, and developmental education.

The primary goal of this session is to share information nationally as it may relate to the work of other statewide organizations, such as CRLA. The organization from which the interviewees were selected includes strong membership and representation from CRLA leadership and other cross-pollinating organizations, and there is overlap and synergy in their perspectives that can inform and connect leadership across states. Examples of issues that will be relevant to participants includes honest stories told directly by leaders whose entry into the field was rather unassuming or even unintentional, but whose path toward retirement included years of dedication, statewide leadership, and passion about working with students for whom college was challenging or a pipe dream at best. This interview study offers a refreshing and rejuvenating perspective that the presenters will bring to light in this session.

Additionally, there will be active learning strategies incorporated into this presentation to prompt practitioners, administrators, and researchers in the field to understand the power of their own stories and the importance of their connections and contributions to a state or national organization such as CRLA. The presenters include a prominent faculty member in the field of developmental reading at a community college working in a close partnership with her colleague who works in a four-year university and has a background in research. This project was undertaken within the last two years and is ongoing in the analysis phase. This collaboration also offers a model for how colleagues can reach across their campuses and work through and within their state organizations to increase their personal and organizational power to gain a sense of purpose, reflection, and even wisdom about their work and statewide issues in the field of college reading and learning. The participants in this
session will be reminded about the central role and inspiration of students in their own work as life-long learners and educators themselves.

Presenter1 Name: Dana Lundell
Presenter1 Institution: Argosy University-Twin Cities
Presenter1 Bio: Dana Lundell is an Assistant Professor in the Graduate School of Education at Argosy University-Twin Cities. Previously she worked for 14 years in the University of Minnesota in the former General College, including being Director the Center for Research on Developmental Education and Urban Literacy and working as a developmental college writing instructor.

Presenter2 Name: Patty Wheeler Andrews
Presenter2 Institution: Anoka Ramsey Community College
Presenter2 Bio: Patty Wheeler Andrews teaches students in Reading and How to Study classes at Anoka-Ramsey Community College in the northwest suburbs of Minneapolis. She has been active in faculty development and professional organizations that support developmental education during more than thirty years of college teaching and academic support services.