Misty Jaffe Early Leaders Program

Mission and Goals

The Misty Jaffe Early Leaders Program (ELP) is a collaborative effort of the Dean’s Office, CLA Faculty Council and the Faculty Center to support leadership development in our college and, as such, represents an important investment in the future of CLA. The program is named in honor of Dr. Alexandra “Misty’ Jaffe  (1960-2018), Professor and Chair of Linguistics and CLA Faculty Council Chair, who was well-known for her dedicated service and leadership, especially in faculty governance, and for her unwavering commitment to nurturing a diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus community where everyone’s voice is heard and valued.

The twofold goal of the Early Leaders Program is to increase capacity of CLA leadership going forward and to foster CLA diverse leadership. ELP is envisioned as a space for: empowering and creating visibility for early leaders; thinking and learning about leadership; collectively practicing leadership skills; and gaining awareness of existing and possible leadership pathways.

Inspired by CSULB’s President’s and Provost’s Leadership Fellows Program which serves mid to later-career faculty, the ELP is designed for those seeking or serving in new leadership roles. ELP is open to all tenure-line and lecturer faculty. 

Expectations

The 2021/22 ELP is a one-year cohort program. Participants are expected to commit to all sessions (monthly through the academic year) and to undertake a series of readings, activities and evaluation exercises as a part of the program. Monthly Guest Leaders offer a range of ongoing lived leadership experiences and opportunities for dialogue and networking.

2021-2022 Program Cohort

Participants:

Amy Wax-PSY, Isacar Bolaños-HIST, Dede Long-ECON, Rezenet Moges-Riedel-LING, Rajbir Judge-HIST, Wanette Reynolds-LING, Lauren Heidbrink-HDEV, Jolene McColl-I/ST, Abe Weil-WGSS, Tina Matuchniak-ENGL, Theresa Gregor-AIS [absent], Todd Henneman-JPR, Deborah Thien-CLA AD (ELP Co-Lead), Malcolm Finney-Faculty Center Director (ELP Co-Lead)

Cohort 1 Feedback

I truly appreciated the opportunity to participate in the first cohort of the CLA Early Leaders Program. Through readings, guest speakers, activities, and group discussions, the program allowed me to develop a complex understanding of what leadership entails and gave me tools that will be essential for taking on leadership positions in the near future.

The ELP has been helpful to understand various aspects of leadership in academia. I enjoyed meeting people, sharing experiences, and building networking with them through the Program. I appreciate the opportunity to participate in the 1st cohort of the ELP.

Applications

ELP is on hiatus in 2022/23. Applications for 2023/24 will be invited in Spring ’23. Seating is limited; underrepresented faculty and junior faculty are strongly encouraged to participate.