Leading Change with Antioch's PhD
By Laurien Alexandre, Director, PhD
in Leadership and Change
Two years and a few months ago, Antioch University began
a bold experiment with an intensive-residency, cohort-based
yet self-paced doctoral program in leadership and change for
working professionals. Today, we have 62 full-time doctoral
students engaged in the study of, research about, and reflection
on the practice of leading change in their workplaces and
communities.
Virtually every assumption of doctoral study - except research
rigor - is challenged by the design of this unique program.
Convinced that curriculum is more than a sequence of courses,
this program is designed around multi-year, integrated, team-taught
tracks in leadership and change, and research and inquiry.
Students are awarded credit for the demonstration of learning,
not for sitting in classrooms. No longer site bound, this
learning community meets quarterly in intensive 3-7 day residencies
at the different Antioch campuses. Doctoral-level library
services are provided electronically and a research librarian
attends every residency to meet with students. Faculty works
from home offices, holding bi-weekly program phone meetings,
and all-day meetings prior to each residency. Extensive communication
with students is maintained via phone, email, and through
an array of virtual learning activities. This geographically
dispersed learning community is held together by the power
of the intensive face-to-face residencies, by technology-mediated
learning, rich peer engagement between residencies, and by
close faculty-student advising and powerful student-student
support.
The program has resonated with non-traditional adult learners
who are leading change in their professions and are inspired
by Mann's entreaty "to win a victory for humanity."
Over 80% of our student are in their 40s, 50s, and 60s. Close
to one-fourth are students of color, and over 60% are women.
They come from every region, work in non-profit, for profit
and educational settings, and hold diverse jobs - from directors,
senior managers and deans, to community activists, teachers,
and entrepreneurs. Approximately 20% of our students are alums
from one or another Antioch campus. Scott Wallace, one of
the program's two College alumni, writes, "Reconnecting
with Antioch after an almost 25-year hiatus gave me new energy,
a sense of deepening the process of lifelong learning, and
a reaffirmation of the importance of making sense of the world.
The PhD Program provides a powerful way to increase my scholarship,
insight and reflection, all processes started during my years
at Antioch College in the 1970s."
The program has also inspired outstanding nationally recognized
senior scholars to leave tenured full professorships in top
research institutions to join this bold experiment. Our first
founding faculty - Elizabeth Holloway (UW - Madison), professor
of psychology, Dick Couto (University of Richmond), professor
of leadership studies, and Al Guskin (Antioch), university
professor of higher education change - have now been joined
by Jon Wergin (Virginia Commonwealth University), professor
of educational studies, Carolyn Kenny (Simon Fraser &
UC - Santa Barbara), professor of human development and indigenous
studies, and Peter Vail (George Washington and St. Thomas),
university professor of management, coming from St. Thomas.
This exceptional faculty team is committed to creating an
environment which supports adult learners with care, guidance,
respect and rigor.
For information on the PhD Program, please contact office@phd.antioch.edu
or call (937) 769-1360 or check the website: www.phd.antioch.edu.
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