Vol. 24 No. 2 (2024): Exploring Positive Forms of Leadership in Post-secondary Education
This issue is themed around dimensions of inclusionary leadership at the university classroom level, in a whole faculty approach as well as at the sector level. It also examines some of the contemporary contentions for leaders such as the influences of neoliberalism including the massification of education, the negative aspects of the privatization of university education, the depredations on authentic and creative leadership, and the impacts and tensions due to COVID-19.
Blanchard recommended that “principled leadership”, encompassing spirituality, love (an ethic of care), and a strong sense of authentic identity within leaders, can ameliorate the negative impacts of neoliberalism in Canada. Along a similar positive vein, Quinsee and Parker in the UK call for leadership development to overtly include playfulness in the university contexts. They highlighted the importance of playful learning to forge safe and supportive learning environments for leaders, which in turn can promote leaders’ resilience by learning from failure within safe and fun environments. Kapoyannis, Kendrick, and Danyluk described their leadership response to the complications arising from COVID-19 as collaborative professionalism within a community of practice. This collaborative approach illustrated the positive outcomes of leaders working together for the benefit of their students within trying and messy times.
Fournier’s inclusionary leadership explores the use of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), specifically the Voice Thread tool, to make content visual and auditory, rather than simply relying on print as a useful strategy for all students but particularly as a UDL approach for those who struggle with reading. This demonstrated inclusionary leadership within the university classroom, whereas Hill, Crawford, Martens, Pelletier, Thomas, and Wong explored inclusionary leadership through the lens of Indigenization of their faculty’s programs via Métissage. Their collaborative work directly influenced teaching, learning, and scholarship through braided narratives. Inclusionary leadership at the sector level was highlighted by Mellon and Archer who examined the Further Education and Training (FET) sector in Ireland particularly as this sector caters to an increasingly diverse student population. They emphasized the importance of this sector in support of students with varied needs and backgrounds.
This issue offers a different and unique perspective to post-secondary leadership. So many of these papers have a distinctly positive and uplifting flavour and offer strategies and recommendations to address the diversity in post-secondary institutions.
