From May 31 through June 6, the Higher Education doctoral program came alive for its annual Summer Institute: seven days of intensive learning, genuine connection, and the kind of conversations that remind you why you chose this field.
Depending on where they are in the program, students dove into one of two course pairings. First-year students took Contemporary Issues in Higher Education (HIED 805) alongside Research Design and Analysis (FOUN 812), while second-year students tackled Modern Catalysts in Higher Education (HIED 863) and Program Evaluation in Higher Education (FOUN 813). Classes ran throughout the day and moved fast, but students rose to the challenge.
The week opened with a welcome session that gave participants a chance to meet and connect before the real work began. Later in the week, Dr. Nicole Cronenwett set an energizing tone, walking students through how their Top 5 CliftonStrengths can be put to work in a doctoral program. It was the kind of practical, personal encouragement that sticks.
Perhaps the week’s most memorable moment came from Dr. Bob Shackleford, a former community college president, who spoke on hope and purpose in higher education practice. He shared a story about his grandmother, someone who saw his potential before he could see it himself, and reminded the room that education has always been about more than credentials. His core message landed simply and powerfully: know your “why,” and don’t let the demands of the work pull you away from it.
In the classroom, faculty brought that same intentionality to every session. Students in Dr. Kim Bullington’s and Dr. Bill Nuckols’ class noted the depth and energy of discussions on contemporary issues in higher education. Beyond course content, faculty introduced students to useful academic tools, highlighted professional conferences worth attending, and shared guidance on grants and funding opportunities, the kind of practical mentorship that genuinely shapes careers. Throughout the week, they also held firm to a value that ran through everything: be human first. Dr. Michelle Bartlett (CCL Faculty) taught both of the Foundations classes. Students left feeling more prepared for their dissertation work and learned how program evaluation can help strengthen the work they do in the field.
Outside the classroom, the institute had its own rhythm. A student-planned social, an evening reception, and a combined closing session across cohorts gave everyone room to breathe, laugh, and build the relationships that tend to outlast any single course.
Students described the week as more family reunion than academic intensive, a place where people showed up for each other. That sense of community, paired with rigorous and relevant coursework, is what makes the Summer Institute something participants carry forward long after the final session ends.
- Written by Francis Dugbartey (current Ph.D. student)
