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Running head: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Professional Development Plan
by
DBA Student
A Project Presented in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for
DDBA 8005 Foundations for Doctoral Business Administration Studies
Instructor
September 2009
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Professional Development Plan
Part IA: Description of Personal and Professional Goals
From a very early age, I was encouraged to attend college by my parents, my
grandparents, and a beloved uncle. They all taught me that obtaining an education, particularly a
college education, was a privilege that had not always been afforded to people of color and that it
should not be taken for granted. They also taught me that education was the best way to attain
great success, no matter how I chose to define success. It did, however, take some time before I
fully understood what they so passionately attempted to instill in me. It was not until I began
working at Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU), in an environment of academia, that I
understood the value and importance of education, and the incredible impact that being part of a
learning environment has on a young mind.
I have been fortunate to be able to utilize the management skills I learned from my
undergraduate studies and through various employment opportunities after obtaining a master’s
degree in business administration. I have enjoyed my experiences working in the business field,
as diverse as they have been, and would love to teach business administration at the university
level. I would like to pursue a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree so that I may be
considered an authority within the business field and possibly teach at JCSU as an adjunct
professor. Eventually, both my degree and my experiences will assist me in achieving the long-
term goals that both my husband and I share of operating a non-profit organization for children
and a for-profit security business. Our combined goals are far-reaching and our desire to see
them accomplished is passionate.
I enjoy managing people, events, and projects. I have discovered that I enjoy and am
very good at designing and executing plans that make it easier for others to achieve their
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objective—which is ultimately the definition of management. That is why I wished to design my
own concentration within Walden University’s doctoral program that will combine financial
management and leadership skill courses. I also wish to simultaneously obtain my certification
as a Six Sigma Black Belt. According to the American Society of Quality (2008):
A Black Belt should demonstrate team leadership, understand team dynamics and assign
team member roles and responsibilities. Black Belts have a thorough understanding of all
aspects of the DMAIC model in accordance with Six Sigma principles. They have basic
knowledge of Lean enterprise concepts, are able to identify non-value-added elements
and activities and are able to use specific tools. (para. 1)
The Walden University outcomes for graduates that I believe are most relevant to my
professional goals as a DBA candidate are to:
understand and continuously develop and change themselves, the organizations in
which they work, and society at large;
create new knowledge dedicated to the improvement of social conditions, and to
positively impact society by putting that knowledge into practice, by modeling their
learning through action, and by being civically engaged; . . .
achieve professional excellence as active and influential professionals by applying
their learning to specific problems and challenges in their work settings and
professional practice; . . . [and]
practice in their professional fields legally and ethically. . . . (Walden University,
2008c)
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN
These outcomes are directly aligned with my professional and personal goals. Because of
the manner in which Walden University has chosen to cultivate professionals and the reputation
it has in the e-learning environment, Walden was my first choice in education options.
Part IB: Outline and S.W.O.T. Analysis
Strengths
I have several strengths that I believe will be instrumental in obtaining a Doctor of
Business Administration degree. Two great strengths are the completion of my bachelor’s and
master’s degrees. Both degrees are in areas of business in which I have great interest, and that
interest has grown with each new professional position that I have obtained. Immediately after
completing my bachelor’s degree, I worked as an economic services worker (ESW) for the West
Virginia Department of Health and Human Services. I worked heavily with financial analysis in
order to determine the eligibility of applicants for state and federal programs. I enjoyed the
financial analysis side of the position but could not bear witnessing the immense poverty of the
clients I served in West Virginia. This position brought light to both a strength and a weakness
that I possess. I truly enjoy helping others and working with finances and budgets. However, I
have a weakness for enabling individuals to continue in their plight by doing for them instead of
assisting them achieve independence. During the time that I worked as an ESW in the West
Virginia welfare system, I was truly an enabler. I was prompted to leave the position for that
reason.
I found additional strengths in learning about ethics and compliance in business in my
next professional position, as I worked my way up to the position of manager in a compliance
call center. I benefited from great grammar skills and obtained additional editing and leadership
skills. This position also increased my interest in compliance, particularly as it pertains to
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corporations and their finances. These interests will no doubt have a large impact on my
doctoral studies. The call center management position taught me invaluable skills in managing
people of various temperaments and learning how to be creative in getting results from a diverse
group of individuals. I obtained great time management and crisis management skills as well
that I keep with me and that have shaped my leadership skills. It is these skills that I hope to
teach to other young business leaders, in addition to valuable business skills.
In my current position as a grants manager and development officer, I complete research
on a frequent basis for faculty and staff who wish to write grants that are congruent with the
university’s strategic plan. These research skills will most assuredly be invaluable during my
doctoral studies. Additionally, the research resources at my disposal will be a great asset.
Support from family and friends is essential and it has been given to me unconditionally.
It is from this support that I frequently draw strength. However, my primary reasons for not
allowing defeat to overtake me when it could have in the past are my two sons. They are my
most precious accomplishments, and I will see them succeed in their dreams by instilling in them
the promise of education that was instilled in me by my family.
Weaknesses
Statistical Analysis has always been my least favorite business course. Each time I have
survived Statistical Analysis with an admirable grade, but because I have not mastered it, I still
fear it a little. I know that I will need to call upon resources at the university where I work for
tutoring assistance during my doctoral program in hopes of finally mastering Statistical Analysis.
It is my desire to become comfortable and proficient with statistical tools because it will be
important for both my academic and professional progression. To be successful in my pursuit of
a doctoral degree, I must minimize my propensity to overload my plate with tasks just because I
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have the ability to do it, knowing full well I do not have the time. At my current place of
employment, I am called upon frequently to do things like fix a simple problem with the division
printer or a computer, run reports, or complete an administrative task because I can get it done
quickly, even though it may be someone else’s responsibility. Although my intentions are
honorable, I am enabling others not to perform and am hindering my own efforts. Quickly
recovering from errors made will also be a necessity. I cannot afford to brood over failures
because it does not benefit my progress in any manner. Practicing these corrections in self-
awareness will be no easy task for me.
Opportunities
With a master’s degree and now a doctoral degree in my future, opportunities are
abundant. I am optimistic, even in this current economy with extreme unemployment, that if I
do not obtain a promotion at the university where I currently work, I may still have a future in an
academic setting. It is my desire to bring quality improvements and greater excellence to
Johnson C. Smith University, but the proposal that I am currently developing regarding a
division of quality and excellence is a model that will work in most academic settings.
The opportunity to complete research that may be published is also a possibility because I
work in academia and because of the nature of my job as a development officer. I have had one
piece published in JCSU’s quarterly magazine, and it is my desire to have an article published in
a scholarly journal through connections with the university. Our current university president
encourages scholarly writing, and when given the opportunity to write, whether for research or
for advancing my financial position, I will seize it.
If permitted to continue down my current employment path, I believe there will be
opportunities for fellowships, which are sorely needed. The American Association of University
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Women, the National Black MBA Association, and the American Management Association, all
offer unique fellowship opportunities to members who have applied themselves and show
excellence in their profession.
Threats
The opportunity for fellowships is extremely important in my effort to obtain a doctoral
degree because financial debt from funding my education is mounting. Ironically, the university
where I work does not offer any type of tuition assistance toward a graduate degree. It is my
hope that I can supplant future loans with fellowships from one of the organizations mentioned
above, including any offered by Walden University.
In addition to mounting loans, the current economy is weighing heavily on my family
budget. Ordinarily, I would be prompted to action by finding another way to bring income into
our household. I am now required to depend upon my spouse for that additional support,
something I am used to doing myself. Financial sacrifice is not the only burden I have placed on
my family. With two children, one with a medical need that requires additional attention in order
for him to be successful, I must again rely heavily on my spouse to do what I would be more
comfortable doing myself.
I will put to work those leadership and management skills I obtained during my call
center days in order to appropriately deal with what seems to be increasing political posturing by
some of my colleagues. It is still a little difficult for me to believe that anyone would be
threatened by my ambitions. However, I must be careful to consider that it as a possibility. The
business world is very competitive, but I assumed because I did not work directly in the
corporate world that I would be safe from that type of political environment. I will work to
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reassure my colleagues that my dedication to ethical behavior will not permit me to ruin another
coworker for my own professional gain.
Part IIA: Description of Educational Background and Research Proficiencies
Academic Experience
I was fortunate to enter West Virginia State University, at the time called West Virginia
State College (WVSC), with a full academic scholarship that included room and board. I was
also awarded the U.H. Prunty Scholarship, which enabled me to purchase books during all four
years that I attended WVSC. During my undergraduate experience, I became a well-rounded
student through participation in activities such as the NAACP and the WVSC Ambassadors, a
faculty/staff-nominated designation where students represent the university and provide guided
tours to visiting donors and potential students. I also participated in the Pre-Alumni Club and
raised money through volunteer efforts with my sorority that we donated to a local women’s
shelter called Sojourner’s. During 1992, my sorority sisters and I were honored with the
prestigious Ethel Hedgeman Lyle Community Service Award by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority,
Inc. for our community service work. The work we did during that time not only humbled me
and inspired me to give back, but also showed me the true meaning of philanthropy and charity.
My academic performance during undergraduate school was not stellar, but my
experiences combined with my upbringing instilled within me a desire to press further
academically. My learning continued, although sometimes not within the traditional academic
setting. I attended seminars with regularity and, in 2000, earned my licensure as a life and health
insurance agent in ultimate pursuit of a financial analyst career through Primerica Financial
Services. I did not complete the training to become a financial analyst. However, I did learn a
great deal about financial tools and gained a better understanding of budgeting, saving, and what
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life insurance is truly for. I am still using most of the tools I gained during that time to perform
many of my current duties as a grants manager.
It took another 13 years after receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in business
administration before the academic momentum returned and I was accepted at Strayer University
during the fall of 2006. My graduate school experience at Strayer University fared much better
but was actually far more challenging. I combined distance learning with the tremendous tasks
of maintaining my family life as a married mother of two school-age children and working full-
time as a development officer and private grants manager at JCSU. I excelled at Strayer, even
with these challenges, and found that distance learning was the perfect academic venue to work
with my hectic lifestyle. The courses that invoked keen interest were the classes involving
strategic policy analysis, project management, and research analysis. It is not surprising that my
interest in and enjoyment of these classes were integral to my high performance in these classes
in particular.
I was cautioned that distance learning required additional discipline in order to be
successful in any area of study. I became partial to distance learning because of the flexibility it
offered me as a working adult, as cliché and commercial as that may seem. Difficult courses,
such as Quantitative Methods, seemed no more difficult through the use of the electronic
blackboard system than being physically in the classroom. The use of this online tool in the
distance-learning process was ingenious and fun. Our professor demonstrated classroom
methods electronically in real time and we were able to ask questions of him in real time. It is a
tool I hope to assist in bringing to the continuing and adult education program that is being
established at JCSU.
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Research Experience
Research is essential to the duties I currently perform as a development officer and
private grants manager at JCSU and an important aspect of the grant-writing process. With the
utilization of online tools, I seek potential donors, individuals, corporations, and foundations that
will support the university’s strategic goals. I have used Internet tools to research the wealth of
individuals who have a relationship with our university, rated their wealth based upon a system
that we created for stewardship, and stored the information in a database that the data analyst and
I maintain. I research the philanthropic interests of both corporations and foundations and
compile the information in profiles that I present to our faculty and staff so that grant proposals
may be written to fund the university’s objectives. I also research spending trends of sister
organizations to determine whether the spending habits of our division are congruent with what
the Institutional Advancement divisions of other universities are spending. This information has
been vital to our division vice president and his mission to complete our division’s and the
university’s strategic plan.
As a requirement of the MBA degree that I obtained at Strayer University, I completed a
directed research project (DRP) concerning whistleblower protection laws titled “Whistling in
the Wind: A Study of the Travails of Whistleblowers and the Protection Offered to Them.”
These research efforts began at the onset of my MBA program in September 2006 and were
completed in May 2008.
The scope of the project was to deliver an 88-page research project surrounding a
problem that I chose to identify. Required within the research document was an abstract, an
introduction that included the context of the problem, a statement of the problem and the sub-
problems, delimitations, definitions, assumptions, significance of the study, research design and
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methodology, an organization of the study, and details concerning the qualifications of the
researcher. Also, the DRP had to contain a review of literature, data analysis, and an explanation
of the treatment of the data, as well as the conclusion of the research and my recommendations
based upon what was found during the research.
I relied heavily on the Strayer University online library system, which gave me access to
countless university library systems across the country. I also utilized the library at Johnson C.
Smith University as well as libraries in Charlotte when I needed hard-copy documents. The
basic goals of the project were met in that I completed the DRP in the structure and the length
that was required and gained invaluable experience with regard to completing online surveys and
interviews of some famous professionals. I received an A on the project, which was quite a
stressful undertaking.
I chose the subject because it involved ethics in business practices—a subject that has
intrigued me since working in a call center that was dedicated to protecting employees, the
organizations they worked for, and the organization’s shareholders. I began early, researching
famous and infamous whistleblowers, such as Sherron Watkins of Enron. I had substantial
information for the literature review. I seemed to develop a problem when it came to breaking
down the main problem into sub-problems and found myself redefining the sub-problems as I
furthered my research into the topic.
One of the major problems I encountered during the process was attempting to devise a
rational, objective survey that adequately procured the information that I was attempting to
obtain without bias. I also had problems finding enough people to complete the survey for an
appropriate sample. In retrospect, I would have solicited advice from professors at JCSU during
the process instead of relying only on the resources at Strayer University.
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It is believed that the analysis of the results could have been done more professionally
and efficiently if I had received the results of my survey and interview questions sooner than I
obtained them. I was not satisfied with the results because I do not believe that my research
significantly contributed to the information that was already available concerning
whistleblowers. It is my desire to focus on contributing to the knowledge base and providing
information that was not readily available prior to my research. The DRP was an important
project to complete because it demonstrated the complexity of not only researching a problem,
but the importance of syntax needed to present the information in a coherent, acceptable manner.
During my doctoral studies, I would like to focus on how to appropriately analyze the
research that is obtained in order to make a significant contribution to the research within a
particular subject.
Work/Other Experience
My employment experiences, while always encompassing management, have been quite
diverse. Webster’s Menswear, now defunct, was where I had my first management experience.
As the “third key” manager, I performed inventory counts nightly of the merchandise that
retailed for more than $100. I was responsible for running the nightly sales reports, the
supervision of other sales associates, and of course, the sale of merchandise. This experience
was really my first real full-time employment experience, so it was even more gratifying to be
performing work that was included in my course of study. I continued working at Webster’s
Menswear until approximately six months after receiving my bachelor’s degree. Because the
hours I was scheduled to work were based on sales, which were not exceeding our goals, and
there were no benefits, I began looking for other employment. The management experience at
Webster’s did engage my creativity. I assisted customers in selecting apparel and it gave me my
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first experience with sales reports and the consequences of not meeting the demands of the
strategic sales plan.
Immediately following my work experience at Webster’s Menswear, I secured another
management role with the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources as an
economic services worker. In this case management role, I determined the initial and continuing
economic eligibility of applicants for state-funded Medicaid, food stamps, and Aid to Families
with Dependent Children. My experience in this arena of management was no different than one
would expect from a public servant’s role. The work was difficult, tiring, and frustrating, and the
caseload immense, always exuberantly more than statistics had shown one person should be
handling. It took 2 years until I finally succumbed to the tremendous pressure of attempting to
serve an economic population that I myself just missed being part of by about $200 per month. I
left the declining economic plight of West Virginia behind in July 1997 and headed to Charlotte,
North Carolina, where I found another opportunity and my current life.
In July 1997, I began working for Pinkerton Services Group, Inc. as a communications
specialist (CS) in a compliance hotline call center. There, I was able to enhance good
interviewing and excellent writing skills as a CS. This opportunity is also where I became
interested in whistleblower protection issues, compliance, and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Within
six months, I had progressed to the role of management again as a quality assurance supervisor
in the call center. Our call center grew quickly during the early 2000s with the beginning of the
demise of Enron, MCI WorldCom, and Adelphia. Most of the corporate giants were scrambling
to obtain a way for their employees to alert the company of improprieties and to comply with
new, emerging laws to protect the public and company shareholders.
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I was promoted as the call center’s operations manager during 2001. In this management
role I gained experience doing many different tasks that included, but were not limited to, payroll
for approximately 50 employees, order tracking and maintenance of call center supplies, call
evaluations of communications specialists, monthly evaluations of quality assurance supervisors,
monthly statistical reports on the quality of Workplace Alert Reports, and daily communication
with executives of vendors whom the company served. With the expansion of the call center, the
roles of key management personnel were redefined. We divided the call center’s quality
management team into two groups, manager of the communications specialists and manager of
the quality assurance supervisors. I was designated as the quality assurance manager over the
quality assurance supervisors, the last title I held before leaving the organization in February
2004.
On February 1, 2004, I joined the staff at Johnson C. Smith University, the only
historically black college and university in Charlotte, North Carolina. I sought this change for
two reasons. The compliance center where I formerly worked split from Pinkerton Services
Group and formed a separate company, Global Compliance Services. Many things began to
change and the environment was no longer stable. Additionally, I was the only manager on call
24 hours a day to address any issue that arose in the call center. After giving birth, being on call
24 hours a day was no longer conducive to maintaining a stable family life. For the first time
since obtaining my degrees, I accepted a role that did not appear to involve managing
individuals. In the role of office manager and executive assistant to the vice president of
Institutional Advancement, I did maintain and even enhance some management skills. This
assignment required me to be more team-oriented. I became the administrative right hand for a
division that included Alumni Affairs, Foundation Relations and Private Grants, Corporate
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Relations, Public Relations, Development, and the Vice President’s Office. This role gave me
the opportunity to become adept with budget management and analysis as I was given the
responsibility of managing nine budgets. I also became proficient with fundraising software, the
Raiser’s Edge, which was crucial to the division’s success. As the office manager, I became at
one point the data analyst and was then responsible for training a new data analyst. We shared
the responsibility of database management and reporting.
Three years later I was promoted to my current position as the division’s development
officer and private grants manager. I retained the responsibility of the divisional budgets and
learned different skill-sets, including research, grants administration, and grant writing. While
quite adept at research and grants administration, I have yet to write a grant that has been funded.
It is my hope that JCSU’s new president, Dr. Ronald L. Carter, will see the need for a budget
analyst, as I have proposed to him, and promote me to this new assignment. Eventually, I would
like to work in the capacity of professor at our university.
I hope to use all of the skills that I have acquired through previous employment, which
seem now to all be interrelated, in order to advance the mission of the university. Experience
with issues of compliance that I gained in the call center, writing and editing, managing budgets,
analyzing financial information, combined with my DBA, are all expected to advance my career
as a senior-level executive at Johnson C. Smith University.
It was initially my desire to use my doctoral project to advance an initiative at JCSU that
involves infusing Six Sigma Quality measures in each area of our business, particularly with how
we approach education. Because of our current culture and some resistance that I have received
from senior-level executives when attempting to propose new ideas, I shied away from this idea.
However, after completing recent assignments, reading about the intent of the doctoral project
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and how it is intended to interrelate to a candidate’s work environment, I would like to attempt
this initiative at JCSU and use this research platform for my doctoral studies. It was David
Johnson (2005) who stated that “the outcome of the research is designed to provide valuable
insights to the sponsoring organisation, in addition to contributing to knowledge in the field of
practice. In this form of doctorate therefore research is a tool in developing professional
practice” (p. 88). I would like my doctoral project to pertain to the following question:
How can Six Sigma or Lean Management Quality measures be implemented within
JCSU’s education and management systems to advance the university’s strategic and
quality enhancement plans?
Part IIIA: Individualized Plan of Study
The date that has been projected as my anticipated graduation date for my Doctor of
Business Administration degree is October 26, 2012. Courses such as DDBA 8110 Business
Operations: Systems Perspectives in Global Organizations; DDBA 8120 Information Systems:
Global Management Strategies and Technology; DDBA 8130 Marketing: Strategic Innovation in
Globally Diverse Markets; DDBA 8140 Finance: Fiscal Leadership; and DDBA 8150
Leadership: Building Sustainable Organizations were all waived, giving me a total of 15 credit
hours toward the 60 required for my degree completion.
I have chosen to design my own specialization. It is my desire to combine the finance
and leadership specializations in order to create a program that will prepare me for a future that
includes teaching business courses at Johnson C. Smith University as well as leading the
operation of both for- and non-profit businesses. The descriptions under the specialization of
finance, particularly the idea that managers can “maximize their firm’s value” speaks to specific
skills that I must acquire in order for my plan of success to work (Walden University, 2008a). I
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want to be an agent of change within whatever organization I work for, not just for the sake of
change, but change that is positive. The leadership specialization will help me to obtain this goal
(Walden University, 2008b). I intend to take DDBA 8523 Seminar in Law and Compliance,
DDBA 8541 Seminar in Entrepreneurial Finance, and DDBA 8522 Seminar in Sustainability.
During the spring 2009 semester, I will be registered for courses DDBA 8160 Business
Strategy and Innovation and DDBA 8427 Applied Research Methods—Qualitative and
Quantitative (currently I am enrolled in courses that my evaluation indicated would be waived).
The next course that is required is DDBA 8437 Quantitative Decision-Making in Professional
Practice. I will take this course with one of the three required DBA specialization courses
mentioned above. These two courses will be completed during summer 2009. During the winter
2009 session, I will take the final two specialization courses. There will be a requirement of 20
hours of doctoral study completion courses that will be taken four credit hours at a time for five
semesters. With no anticipated breaks within my course of study, I anticipate my completion
date to be during spring 2011 instead of the projected October 2012 date.
There are two 4-day residencies required for the DBA degree program. It is
recommended that the first residency be completed within 90 days of completing DDBA 8005. I
will complete my first residency March 18 to 22, 2009, in Lansdowne, Virginia (Walden
residency calendar, 2008). The next residency will be completed after completion of my core
courses during 2010.
The focus of my doctoral project will involve incorporating Lean or Six Sigma
Management into higher education. It is my hope that I will be able to implement the Lean
design into the curriculum and the management practices at the university where I work after
completion of the research on this subject.
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It is my belief that my fellow colleagues would describe me as a tenacious problem-
solver, an optimistic leader who believes there is a solution to every problem. I am always open
to constructive criticism and self-improvement. I seek to improve with each obstacle that I
overcome. I am also willing to offer constructive criticism to others and have learned the art of
how and when to do so professionally and with tact. I like to incorporate humor, where
appropriate, in much of what I do because I truly believe that in order to solve most problems,
one must have a sense of humor.
These personal skills, or life skills, have come with maturity and much trial and error. I
believe each of these skills will be essential to my ability to excel in the Doctor of Business
Administration program as well as being integral to my future professional endeavors.
Part IIIB: Professional Interview
Evelyn Leathers is the director of Corporate and Foundation Relations within the
Institutional Advancement division at Johnson C. Smith University. My goal in interviewing
Ms. Leathers was to get an in-depth understanding of what role this division will play in the
mission of the president, Dr. Ronald L. Carter, in JCSU becoming “Charlotte’s very own
nationally-recognized independent urban university” (Carter, 2008, p. 2). It is my intent to
understand what policies may be improved within that department and ultimately the division in
order to improve to the level of quality that Dr. Carter intends for the university to fulfill the
proposed vision.
The role of the Institutional Advancement division is to support the university financially
through philanthropic solicitation, community involvement, and improved public relations. For
this reason, the division includes the departments of Development, Corporate and Foundation
Relations, Grant Research, Alumni Affairs, and Public Relations. The division plays an integral
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role in that it provides money that is not earned through tuition. When enrollment is down, the
Institutional Advancement division’s role becomes even more vital.
Ms. Leathers, who has served JCSU in several different capacities through two separate
terms of employment, remains loyal to the university because she is passionate about the human
investment, the students (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008). There are
many historically black colleges and universities that are currently experiencing financial duress
due to a number of factors. According to Ms. Leathers, the university has survived and
prospered due to the quality of the Institutional Advancement division and the university’s
relationship with The Duke Endowment (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14,
2008). Johnson C. Smith University is fortunate enough to be one of four universities to be
included as a beneficiary of The Duke Endowment’s mission to serve higher education by
promoting academic excellence (The Duke Endowment, 2007). The Duke Endowment provides
financial support to schools like JCSU in order to foster excellence in individuals so that they
will be inspired to share with the community what they have gained through education (The
Duke Endowment, 2007). Although JCSU has exercised fiscal responsibility, Ms. Leathers is
convinced that without The Duke Endowment, the university would not be successful,
particularly in today’s extreme economic climate (E. Leathers, personal communication,
December 14, 2008).
The nation is currently experiencing a recession, one that is predicted to last at least until
late 2010. Ms. Leathers proposes that her department, Corporate and Foundation Relations, will
need to become creative, selective, and savvy in order to remain afloat and remain aligned with
the university’s mission (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008). Creativity
will enable the division to utilize initiatives that corporations and foundations will support
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financially, such as incorporating green initiatives into capital building plans. Selectivity means
that the university will not go after or accept just any grant offered by a foundation or
corporation. Ms. Leathers explained that sometimes fulfilling the conditions offered by a funder
can be costly to the university (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008).
Proposals must be carefully reviewed to ensure that the university is not taking on a financially
burdening project. The Institutional Advancement division must also be savvy and shrewd in its
business dealings in order receive the most return on the investments made by its public relations
staff, its development officers, and all of its financial solicitors (E. Leathers, personal
communication, December 14, 2008).
In today’s economic climate, more than ever, quality in our operational functions
becomes very important to the success of the university. The department of Corporate and
Foundation Relations will practice quality in its operations by going back to the basics of
fundraising, traveling smarter and only within the region to conserve resources, and focusing on
research efforts more heavily (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008).
These efforts will assist Dr. Carter with fulfilling the university’s goal of infusing quality where
needed to become one of Charlotte’s elite, premier universities. Ms. Leathers explained that
foundations and corporations do not give to people, but to causes. If the university, and the
Institutional Advancement division in particular, focuses on quality programs and eliminating
waste, corporations and foundations will be prompted to give to the university’s cause (E.
Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008).
One of the most critical areas within the Institutional Advancement division that could
use an infusion of quality is the university’s enterprise management system. Ms. Leathers stated
that quality reporting is essential to development, grant writing, and research (E. Leathers,
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN
personal communication, December 14, 2008). All staff must be trained to use the system
efficiently in order for the division to be effective and practice quality. Once all staff becomes
proficient with its operation of the enterprise management system, it will translate to quality in
most areas of operation (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008).
Ms. Leathers is able to draw strength from understanding that the mission of the
university is to provide a quality education to our most valuable assets, the students. Soliciting
funds from foundations and corporations during a recession is not easy and sometimes not
enjoyable, but necessary (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008). Ms.
Leathers stated that the outcome will be positive and anticipates it will take another five years
before the university realizes benefits from quality initiatives that are just beginning under the
new administration of Dr. Carter (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008).
Ms. Leathers and I discussed a quote from John B. Duke, founder of The Duke Endowment:
“Education, when conducted along sane and practical, as opposed to dogmatic and theoretical,
lines, is, next to religion, the greatest civilizing influence” (Duke, 1924). In addition to agreeing
that the quote is profoundly accurate, we share the hope that the same sentiment will be fostered
within the generation that we are educating at JCSU.
Because Ms. Leathers is my immediate supervisor, her input during this interview lends
insight to the direction she gives me on a daily basis. It also forced both of us to contemplate
what changes are needed within our own department to work hand in hand with Dr. Carter to
promote his vision for the university. There is additional work to be done in order for the two of
us to engender change within our department. The questions proposed and the answers provided
will assist me in further developing my doctoral study regarding quality and how one might
incorporate Lean and Six Sigma into higher education.
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References
American Society of Quality. (2008). Six Sigma Black Belt certification. Retrieved
November 9, 2008, from http://www.asq.org/certification/six-sigma/index.html
Carter, R. L. (2008, Fall). President’s letter. The Johnson C. Smith University Bulletin, 2.
88-99. doi:15.555/GGE.64.1.76-82
Duke, J. B. (1924, December 11). Indenture and deed of trust of personality establishing
The Duke Endowment. Retrieved from The Duke Endowment website:
http://www.dukeendowment.org/downloads/ind.pdf
The Duke Endowment. (2007). Higher education. Retrieved December 14, 2008, from
The Duke Endowment website: http://www.dukeendowment.org/education
Johnson, D. (2005). Assessment matters: Some issues concerning the supervision and assessment
of work-based doctorates. Innovations in Education & Teaching International, 42(1), 87–
92. Retrieved from http://proquest.umi.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/pqdweb?
did=1157097371&sid=1&Fmt=6&clientId=70192&RQT=309&VName=PQD
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). Name of program [Video webcast]. Retrieved from
http://www.courseurl.com.
Walden University. (2008a). Walden University DBA finance specialization. Retrieved
November 9, 2008, from Walden University website:
http://www.waldenu.edu/Degree-Programs/Doctorate/18391.htm
Walden University. (2008b). Walden University DBA leadership specialization.
Retrieved November 9, 2008, from Walden University website:
http://www.waldenu.edu/Degree-Programs/Doctorate/18427.htm
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