Synergy and opportunity in higher ed
Synergy and opportunity in higher ed
As an undergraduate student at University of Northern Iowa, Michael Gleason was heavily involved in Camp Adventure. Early on, program founder Christopher Edginton saw his potential. He suggested that, if Gleason pursued a master’s degree, he’d have the opportunity to serve as a graduate assistant in the program.
When Gleason learned more about the postsecondary education (PSE): student affairs Master of Arts program, he knew it would be the perfect fit.
“I wanted to create meaningful learning opportunities for college students in the same way my mentors had done for me,” he says.
Today, Gleason is putting his master’s degree to work as the newly named vice president for academic and student affairs at Clarke University. Previously, he was an associate dean for graduate studies at Wartburg College and the Irving R. Burling Distinguished Professor in Leadership. He has taught both undergraduate and graduate students, helped grow graduate programs and promoted academic innovation.
“What I really enjoy is that I can apply what I’ve taught within leadership programs to the administrative work I provide within higher education,” Gleason says.
Being effective in higher education
Through his master's program at UNI, Gleason gained a deeper understanding of the complexity of higher education — something that continues to help him in all of his roles today.
“As a student, you don’t always see how much work goes into creating the systems and infrastructure for student success and learning,” he says.
Through coursework in legal issues, college student development, assessment and finance, Gleason learned about the importance of effective administration in higher education and how he could best support students.
“While the types of students we serve will always be changing, it provides insight into the developmental stages of students and why considering those is critical in the design of any initiative to serve students,” Gleason says. “Regarding leadership, the program taught me a great deal more about myself and the strengths I bring to serving students, as well as the areas that are not my strengths and how I can build teams that complement my strengths.”
I wanted to create meaningful learning opportunities for college students in the same way my mentors had done for me."
Finding the intersections
Gleason is proud of how his work centers on intersections of different higher education cultures — whether between student affairs and academic affairs, the institution and community or graduate and undergraduate education.
“I really enjoy working to create infrastructure and support in these spaces where I think students can learn the most and we can create dynamic learning experiences,” he says.
Much of that perspective was shaped by the PSE: student affairs faculty, who brought both academic preparation and practitioner experience into the classroom.
“I think that really impacted the way that I view higher education and the synergistic opportunities that exist between worlds we sometimes see as separate, such as academic and student affairs,” Gleason shares. “The content of the program was great, but the modeling of professionalism in higher education really stands out to me the most.”
