Building a healthy community in which to work, whether in industry, government, or the nonprofit world, is not always easy. From my perspective as an educator, I believe it begins with embracing the mission of the organization and interpreting that mission into a vision for the future. At Bay Path, we have tried to forge our healthy and creative community around our mission to educate and advance women. We have done this in several ways.
Women-centered programs drive our mission and vision as a healthy community. In 2015, we celebrated the 20th anniversary of our Women’s Leadership Conference. Over the past two decades, this event has been attended by thousands of women (and men). More important, our entire Bay Path community participates: Students serve as escorts to our keynote speakers and presenters, and faculty, students, and staff attend sessions throughout the day and have the opportunity to network with over 2,000 professionals from our region and beyond. Community leaders, donors, and supporters of Bay Path are invited and see firsthand how our mission translates to action. And through the years, we’ve welcomed a who’s who of remarkable women: commentator Cokie Roberts, poet Maya Angelou, former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Queen Latifah, Barbara Walters, and Gloria Estefan, to name just a few. By sharing their stories, these keynote speakers are inspirational to everyone. Their messages, particularly, energize our Bay Path community members to be role models—to think of the difference students, faculty, and staff can make in the lives of others, while celebrating our achievements as a women’s university. It is just one point of pride: an opportunity to celebrate what makes Bay Path special and unique.
A second manner in which we embrace and celebrate our mission and vision as a women’s university is through our curriculum and delivery model of Women As Empowered Learners and Leaders (WELL), our signature program that extends across our student populations. Developed by Provost Melissa Morriss-Olson and Kris Barnett, WELL broke new ground at Bay Path both in its structure and implementation—it focuses on iPads and other new technologies that support both classroom learning and self-study. Ultimately, it is a shared learning and community experience that weaves together WELL courses, university events, community service, career preparation, campus theme activities, and leadership skills. Equally important, students in WELL discover the importance of a woman’s position in work and society, which is so critical in empowering them to be effective learners and leaders. As a result, WELL has created an environment of collaboration across all segments of the university campus, tightening the bonds between departments and areas to make us a more unified place of learning.
To remain relevant as a healthy learning community, it is equally important to cultivate a climate of innovative thinking and risk taking. The process begins with ideas, big and small, and they may come from anyone, from grounds and facilities workers to the department chairs of our respective schools. Suggestions range from how to implement sustainable energy practices to academic programs, to even a new building. In fact, each year I present the President’s Award for Excellence in Innovative Thinking to a Bay Path University faculty or staff member for a significant process improvement, idea, or action that enhanced the university’s quality of service; provided a creative educational or transformational experience for our students; improved operational effectiveness; or resulted in a significant cost savings for the university within the past 12 months. We honor the recipient at our Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day with a monetary gift and plaque. It is joyful to see the number of innovations that are submitted and the accolades received by the winner.
Finally, the current higher education landscape demands that our university think differently on how we teach and provide support to a student population that is constantly being redefined in America. Over a decade ago, we established the One Day a Week College for adult women, and it revolutionized our thinking on how we deliver learning and our services to women with multiple demands. And since then, we have never stopped trying to do it better. Just last year, we launched one of our most ambitious initiatives, The American Women’s College Online—the first fully online, all-women’s baccalaureate programs in the country. The learning platform for The American Women’s College Online is SOUL, or Social Online Universal Learning, and was created by our own Bay Path team. They are invested in its success. In October 2014, we received a $3.5 million First in the World grant from the U.S. Department of Education—the largest in our history for this innovation that will contribute to revolutionizing online learning. We are just beginning.
Creating a healthy community requires a foundation built on planning, communication, and honesty. In today’s ever-changing educational landscape, we must constantly remind ourselves why we exist and what learning environments are best for our students. Every college or university has a rich history, and students, faculty, and staff must understand and embrace that legacy. But it cannot always be assumed that everyone is on the same page. Twice a year, I hold town meetings and all the faculty and staff are invited. I feel this New England tradition provides open channels for information exchange and assures people about the future. Sometimes the news I deliver is not about successes and accomplishments, but about the challenges we are facing—and the need to face them as a community. Updates are provided on our progress toward accomplishing our vision goals, and there is time to ask questions. This openness minimizes fear and uncertainty. In turn, it is one more way we create an environment where our community thrives, allowing us to live by our motto: Carpe Diem—Seize the Day.
Carol Leary, President, Bay Path University (MA)