Stepping down as CTE Director and sharing the news with friends

After seven years, I have decided to step down as Director of AU’s Center for Teaching Excellence. Before there was an official announcement, I chose to share the news with a few close colleagues. Here is the note I wrote to AU’s former Provost and Interim President, Milton Greenberg, about whom I have written in a few previous postings.

Dear Milton,
In advance of a formal announcement, I wanted to let you know that I have decided to step down as CTE Director. While the exact date is not certain, my expectation is that it will be before the first of July. Provost Bass will, I expect, be informing faculty members of this transition shortly. I have asked to take a one year sabbatical to work on two long planned books and then return to full-time teaching and research as an International Development faculty member in the School of International Service.

Though this is clearly the time to move on, there are many things that I will miss about serving as CTE Director. One is the annual opportunity to introduce you at the welcoming reception for Greenberg Seminar participants and the motivation that event always provided me to read your latest columns. Also, I looked forward to the opportunity to catch up with you that those events provided. I plan to continue reading your columns and will be seeking out other opportunities to keep in touch. But let me take this opportunity, while still in an ‘official’ capacity, to thank you for support of the Greenberg program and you many kind works about the program and our work in CTE. They have meant a lot to all of us.

With new leadership in the Office of the Provost and a new Dean of Academic Affairs, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Affairs, Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs and Research, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and, now, Director of CTE yet to be chosen, this is clearly a time of transition for Academic Affairs at AU. As in the past, I am sure we will survive the turbulence such transitions entail, moving forward with resilience and new strength. I look forward to participating in that process, albeit in a more modest role. Perhaps there will be grist for future columns as you view all of this with characteristic humor, detachment and wisdom.

With respect, warm regards and best wishes

Dormgrandpop

CTE's fall 2008 semester at AU - lessons learned

Those of us who manage AU’s Center for Teaching Excellence completed our semiannual program review and assessment process this week.  It comprises two meetings.  In the first, we ‘complete the past,’ which, in January, means reviewing our work during the fall semester.  In the second, a 2/3 day ‘retreat’ held in my faculty residence apartment, we review our goals for the upcoming semester.  In the ‘complete the past’ session, each manager reports on ‘what worked’ and ‘what didn’t work.’  Then he or she shares ‘lessons learned’ from those experiences. This latter sharing is the most valuable part of the process. Here is an excerpt from the lessons we learned, during the fall semester.  

• Even when responsibility for a project is shared,  if the outcome is important to us  we should act as if we were ‘responsible for the whole,’ to ensure the project’s success.  Rationalizing failure because ‘someone else didn’t do their job’ is not acceptable.
  
• When working with outside groups, we need to be clear about the division of roles and responsibilities and the capabilities of each participating group before the project begins.
  
• The timing events featuring  outside guest speakers is important. An experiment with bringing a guest speaker in during the early fall revealed that faculty are less likely to attend such events at that time than they are during the January Ann Ferren Teaching Conference. We must work to find other such viable times for faculty events so that our use of outside speakers can be cost-effective.
  
• Sometimes you have to be “mean” (firm, authoritative) to make people pay attention. Challenges posed by a difficult employee motivated a change in management style by the employee’s supervisor, with positive results..
  
• We need to more fully involve graduate fellows in publicizing CTE services by making videos and creating our innovative outreach activities.
  
• When making lists of goals and priorities, it is important to include “good stewardship” – the things we’re always working on. This is not only  give ourselves credit for the things we do, day-to-day,  but also to keep ourselves accountable and remember to pay attention to those ongoing responsibilities.  
  
• When participating in collaborative projects with other units including  university-wide projects like like the new web roll-out, it is important to speak up when things are not going well.  Doing this without hurting a colleague’s feelings is always a challenge and, often, a motivation to simply keep quiet.  When speaking up,  it is important to be positive and focus on the project goals, not to personalize or be confrontational.
  
• Projects work best when the people responsible for them are enthusiastic about them. When people are enthusiastic about something they should be empowered to work on it; if someone isn’t, we should acknowledge this as a management challenge.  They must either be motivated, assigned to other tasks, or, in the worst case, fired.  People must be proactive and enthusiastic to be effective.
  
• Building effective collaboration between units at AU takes great good will on both sides plus very significant investment of time over a long period.  However strong collaborative relationships are time savers in the long run.  An example of collaboration that works really well is that between CTE and the Office of Information Technology (OIT).  Its success illustrates the importance of a proactive commitment to working together on both sides. This approach may also work for other on-campus units,  however we need to be realistic about what is involved and the time it will take.  We must also remember that ‘it takes two to tango.’
  

Many of these lessons may sound like platitudes that one can find in  any basic management or organizational behavior text.  But it is important to remember that platitudes are platitudes because they are true. 

Singapore Airlines - there are lessons about customer service to be learned

My international research agenda, over the last twenty two years, has mostly  focused on writing, then publicizing Paradise Poisoned, Learning about Conflict, Terrorism and  Development from Sri Lanka’s Civil Wars, My international travel has mostly been limited to a annual or semi-annual trp to Sri Lanka.  Though I will still sustain ties to Sri Lanka, that phase of my life is complete.  This summer I decided to break the pattern  by revisiting Singapore, which will probably be a case study in my new book project. For the outbound leg of the journey, my miracle-working travel consultant, Linda de Silva was able to book me a business class ticket on Singapore Airlines at discounted rate.  As I write this posting, my Boeing 747 is high in the air, about midway between Delhi and Kanpur, exactly 4,157 km from our final destination.

Frequent travelers to Asia have all heard about Singapore Airlines, which consistently  ranks #1 or #2 in surveys of customer service.  But I had not flown the carrier since 1988, when I traveled with my wife from Singapore to New Zealand.  Yesterday, got a preview of what was in store when, after arriving at JFK from Washington, I sought directions from a Delta Airlines staff member to my connection.  “Singapore Airlines,” he volunteered in response to my question, with a smile, “That’s a great airline.”

I wouldn’t say that Singapore’s ground service is exceptional, though it was efficient and hassle free. (In Frankfurt, it was outsourced to Lufthansa, which has its own distinctive ambience of hard-edged Germanic efficiency). In-flight service, however, was an entirely different manner.

Regular readers know I take pride in the customer service provided by my own organization, American University’s Center for Teaching Excellence.  The level of attentive service provided by the young women - and a few men - who worked my two flights considerably exceeded my exacting standards.  What impressed me most was their professionalism, attention to detail, and proactive commitment to serving their customers reasonable needs, whatever they might be.  To use one of my favorite customer service mantras, these gracious, disciplined, efficient women and men were in the business of “producing results” not just “doing a job.”  

Here is just one example, from among a multitude.  On the flight from New York to Frankfurt, I awoke after about a four hour sleep (in a seat that miraculously transformed itself into a comfortable bed at touch of a button.) I flicked on my reading light to check the time. It seemed as if only a nanosecond had elapsed before a young woman was at my elbow with a glass of fresh orange juice and an offer of breakfast.  The rest of the cabin was almost entirely dark.  Someone must have tasked to watch for stirring passengers. Another example.  Every single staff member new my name, “Dr. Richardson” and used it frequently when we interacted.

I could write about much more, the elegant cuisine, meticulously and graciously served, the immaculate ambience of cabin and restrooms. I am picky about attention to detail. On two flights spanning more than twenty-two hours,  I could not spot a signle detail  that was out of place or out of order.

Clearly this does not happen by accident.  Contrast what I have described with the sullen, slovenly, dispirited, “going through the motions” level of service, that I experienced on two leading US carriers  in the past year - to be fair not in business class.  

Today’s flights have so impressed me  that I have tried to engage  staff members in conversation, to find out what motivates them and how they are trained.  On Sri Lankan Airlines, business class cabin staff are often quite willing to engage in quite lengthy dialogues, but not on Singapore Airlines.  In the most deft, cilvil and gracious way imaginable, staff members kept conversations brief. The message was clear, though communicated indirectly.  Their mission was service, of every customer, for every sixty seconds of every sixty minutes of every hour that the flight was in progress.

i will not give up this quest, however.  I and my staff at AU’s  Center for Teaching Excellence have much to learn from Singapore  Airlines.  I will make it a priority for us to learn it. 

We specialize in things thought impossible

There are three reasons for the long hiatus in postings. The weeks in May at AU are supposed to be a time for teaching one’s breath and taking stock. This year, it has been quite the opposite. We scheduled CTE’s end of year retreat for Friday. Monday CTE’s Annual Report was due. Tuesday and yesterday, there were a frenzy of preparations for a month long trip to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and, of course, Sri Lanka. Anyhow, the retreat was a success, the report got completed and, though I delayed packing until the last minute - as usual - I got to the airport with time to spare; plenty of time, as it has transpired because because my flight from Reagan to Kennedy airport has been delayed.... hopefully not canceled. ...it wasn’t, however I’m glad I didn’t have a close connection: The 4:25 arrival time became 6: and included nearly and hour wait on the Tarmak at JFK airport. this is customary, the pilot explained. Anyhow, I wanted, in this posting to share the executive summary of CTE’s annual report. It will give you an organization which is, we believe, you need in American higher education and perhaps in the world. Here’s why:

From these materials [in our more voluminous report]six themes emerge that highlight a significant year of accomplishments for CTE and contributions to the American University.

First is the growth in core services to CTE’s principal clients, AU’s students and faculty. We call this the ‘good stewardship’ mission and it trumps all other goals and priorities. In academic year 2007-2008 CTE’s total contacts with faculty members, providing services in various venues, grew by 40%, from 6,695 to 9,357. This included a remarkable 51% growth in the services provided by CTE’s Faculty Corner, an institution that we believe is unique in American Higher Education. There was a 17% increase in total student contact hours, from 63,061 to 73,519, with high levels of satisfaction reported in our end-of-semester surveys. This included a 75% increase in the utilization of CTE’s multimedia facilities, the New Media Center and the newly created NMC 2.0.

Second is community building. The creation of vibrant user communities is viewed as central to CTE’s mission. Among the communities that interacted regularly and grew strong were the Ann Ferren Teaching Conference Planning Group, the Faculty Quantitative Teaching Technologies Network, the Greenberg Seminar Faculty, the Model Classroom Faculty, the Distance Education Faculty and, in an earlier stage of evolution, the Multimedia Faculty User’s Group.

Third is sustaining CTE’s distinctive culture of service, empowerment and professionalism. Perhaps this was most visibly captured in a series of short videos produced for a CTE staff competition and posted on YouTube. The theme was “CTE: There’s a Better Way.” Other initiatives supported the professional development of CTE Fellows and helped create a supportive, nurturing environment for CTE’s diverse cadre of international students.

Fourth is catalyzing and sustaining new initiatives. In 2007-2008, CTE unveiled AU’s new Model Classroom, featuring cutting edge instructional technologies supported by a new concept of collaborative staff support from the New Media Center. It provided leadership for AU’s iTunes University presence, to be unveiled in August. It opened NMC 2.0, a high-end multimedia center that piloted a space optimizing collaborative use model. NMC 2.0 recorded 477 contact hours and 77% capacity utilization in April of its first year.

Fifth is modeling collegiality and collaboration. For the second time in four years, CTE worked with OIT and Blackboard Inc. to orchestrate a near flawless system upgrade of the Blackboard learning system. It collaborated with the Office of the Provost to further strengthen distance education. It worked in partnership with SIS and the Kogod school on the design of lab and AV systems for new buildings. It is collaborating with Librarian Bill Mayer and his staff to stage our next Ann Ferren Teaching Conference in the University Library.
Sixth is serving AU’s broader mission and the AU Community. In addition to contributions noted above, CTE provided AV support to more than 300 special events each month, ranging from club meetings to commencement, the President’s inauguration and speeches by outside dignitaries. It upgraded AU technologies in 55 classrooms and collaborated with the Finance Division to create a capital budgeting model that will facilitate a sustainable process for future upgrades. It contributed “Teaching and Learning Day” to the Presidential Inauguration Week, displaying models of good teaching in parts of the campus where they had never been viewed previously. It has become the provider of videoconferencing and video production services to the AU community. It produced DVDs of major events for wide distribution in less than 24 hours. … and much more.

It seems appropriate to conclude this year’s Annual Report, once again documenting significant accomplishments, as we concluded last year’s report: “We have fun, enjoy each other’s company and working together. We are trusted and sustain that trust by producing consistent, high quality results on a daily basis. We make things work. CTE’s Annual Report is not only about what we accomplish, but how we accomplish it. We take inspiration from The Song of the Panama Canal Builders: “Got any rivers you think are uncrossable, got any mountains they say, ‘Can’t tunnel through,’ We specialize in things thought impossible, doing the things they say, ‘You can’t do.’ ”

CTE'S goal: a culture that is both results oriented and affirming

At the begining of the fall and spring semesters, The Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) publishes a four page newsletter that is distributed to faculty and staff. My column, "From the Director" appears on the front page. Recent titles have included 'AU's New President: Grounds for Optimism from a Compelling Book' (Jim Colllins, 'Good to Great') and 'Winning the Battle for Brainpower.' My column for the spring semester number follows.

Each August, a new cadre of part-time staff members join CTE. At orientation, we discuss seven principles entitled ‘Serving the AU Community and relating to one another.’ I believe the most important principle is this:

In CTE, every staff member, from the Director to our most junior hourly worker, is expected to do what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, irrespective of their job descriptions. Even more, CTE staff members are expected to proactively and creatively seek out what needs to be done, without waiting to be told. How can I make a difference? How can I strengthen the results we produce? How can I improve the quality of work life and the quality of human relationships in CTE? How can I create positive Karma? These are questions we must ask ourselves every hour of every working day.

Not long ago, I shared our principles statement with Traci Fenton, a charismatic former AU graduate student. Traci is founder and CEO of WorldBlu an organization whose mission is to promote and celebrate ‘organizational democracy’ particularly in the private sector. WorldBlu’s research has shown that democratic organizations are often more efficient and profitable than their competitors.

In return, Traci sent an article ‘Engines of Democracy’ from the management journal, Fast Company (#29 – Oct. 1999, pp. 174, ff.). It described the achievements of GE’s jet engine assembly plant in Durham, North Carolina. This 170 employee facility leads not only GE but the world in the efficiency and quality of its work. It has the lowest defect rate and best record of on-time delivery. It has reduced production costs by 30% in ten years. It was selected as the sole source provider of engines for the new Boeing 777. Its employee turnover rate is the lowest in the business.

GE Durham embodies the principles of Organizational Democracy that WorldBlu promotes. There is only one boss, the plant manager “which means that on a day-to-basis, the people who work there …essentially run themselves.” A “culture of continuous improvement” is pervasive. GE Durham employees, “have challenging jobs that matter, they have a degree of control over their work that is almost unprecedented, they adhere to demanding performance standards, they receive the training and support they need to do the best work they can – and, as a result, they do just that.”

Traci shared “Engines of Democracy,” she told me, because my description of CTE reminded her of the GE Durham plant. All of us were gratified by her complement. CTE has a long way to go before matching GE Durham’s world-class performance standard and affirming culture. But we are working on it.