MISSION STATEMENT

The Texas Leadership Alliance will serve as a vehicle for professional development for instructional leaders in Texas community and technical colleges.

VISION STATEMENT

"Texas Leadership Alliance will provide state of the art/ best practices professional development for instructional leaders in Texas public community, technical, and two-year colleges. The professional development opportunities will enhance personal qualities and professional competencies that will enable participants in Texas Leadership Alliance sponsored activities to become more effective leaders in their chosen careers in higher education.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Thanks to the support and proactive vision of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) and the Texas State Leadership Consortium for Professional Development, the Texas Alliance Leadership Academy will strive to be one of the key initiatives strategically designed to assist the THECB "Close the Gaps" in Higher Education. The focus and goal of this grant project is to better prepare Texas' community/technical college instructional leaders to meet the leadership and management challenges of "closing the gaps" by providing a formalized, well-structured/organized, and contemporary Leadership Alliance for current Chairs, Directors, and Deans. Additionally, other educational professionals (leadership candidates) interested in entering the field of leadership in higher education will be provided the opportunity to attend the academy and complete the leadership course in anticipation and preparation for assuming a leadership position.

Administrator professional development is as important as faculty professional development in the state of Texas and in the nation because higher education administrators/leaders have the responsibility to provide good leadership, seek adequate resources, and serve as mentors for faculty throughout "their" respective institutions. There is a shortage of adequately trained educational (professionals) administrators in the area of Higher Education and we continue to see an exodus of those who do have the experience and knowledge in this area, as a result of retirements, change of career paths, or relocation to other states.

Texas, as a state, is most fortunate to have the following resources for direction and leadership:

• The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, as an agency, has established a well thought out plan for serving students throughout the state.
• The Texas Leadership Alliance for Professional Development is a unique vehicle that promotes professional development for community college staff with a desired outcome of providing better service and quality instruction to the students we serve.
• Texas has a number of well-established associations such as TACTE, TACE, TCCIA, TCCTA that provide leadership in coordination with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
• Texas has many instructional leaders who have many talents and capabilities, thus it is important that we capitalize on their expertise prior to their retirements, change of careers, or relocation to other states.

Unfortunately, other states, without any of the aforementioned essential resources and success stories, have established leadership academies for instructional leaders, but these academies are not as accessible for our Texas administrators because of cost, required time, and/or reasonable commitment. Additionally, these "other" national academies do not have the capacity or capability to provide curricular focus or emphasis on the unique requirements and knowledge required to serve as an Instructional Administrator for a Texas CC/TC.

Texas can and will develop an academy that will become a gem of quality preparation for instructional leaders in the state of Texas. This formalized effort is not intended for a specific college, but in partnership with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, various state associations, especially under the leadership of the Texas Leadership Alliance for Professional Development to serve Texas Community/Technical Colleges, and in collaboration with highly respected Instructional Administrators from a partnership of numerous colleges throughout the Texas CC/TC system (in the form of a vital steering committee).

Funding Information

The Texas Leadership Alliance is funded in part by a Carl Perkins grant awarded by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to the Northeast Texas Consortium of Colleges and Universities. The Consortium is based at the University of Texas Health Center at Tyler, which also serves as the fiscal agent for the grant. Online access is available to view the original grant for 2006/07 or for the grant's latest cumulative progress report.