Professor K. V. Kale sir is addressing the Leap Year program at the Widener University Pennsylvania

Post by: sandeep gaikwad
December 19, 2021
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Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Department of Higher Education, GOI announced the Office Memorandum, dated on 26 September 2018 about the organization of the Leadership for Academicians Program (LEAP). Accordingly, it sanctioned different Top 15 institutions of India. These institutions further collaborated with reputed foreign institutions for completing the foreign component of the program. LEAP was a three-week Leadership Development program (two weeks domestic and one-week foreign training) for second-level academic administrators of publicly funded higher education institutions in India. The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) Mumbai, in collaboration with the University Of Pennsylvania Graduate School Of Education (Penn GSE), USA was one of them.

In response to an open call for LEAP participation, I applied and got selected for LEAP into TISS by MHRD, Department of Higher Education, GOI on the basis of my academic and research credential in 2018-19 batch-I. I successfully completed the domestic component and submitted a report and the certificate copy of the domestic component to the University authority for their perusal. Due to my US Visa constraints and then the Covid-19 pandemic situation, I was placed in LEAP-II to complete my foreign component at UPenn USA. Now I am happy to share that, I have successfully completed the Foreign Component at UPenn, GSE, USA during December 6-10, 2021 (Certificate is enclosed). .

The international component of the program, offered by Penn GSE were focused on the following goals:
· Present the U.S. context and draw out the implications this context creates for leadership;
· Identify and introduce the ideas, tools, strategies and ways of leading that can be leveraged effectively to create responsive, accountable universities; and
· Facilitate the intentional translation from the U.S. context and application to the Indian one so participants can apply such learnings to their own situations.

The detailed deliberations as per the above goals were delivered by the experts and discussed in depth during December 6-10, 2021. The important aspects which were presented were as follows:

Welcome and Program Overview: Welcome by the Dean, Pam Grossman, Dean, GSE
Introductions Overview of the Program, Peter Eckel, Senior Fellow, and Director of Leadership Penn GSE
The University of Pennsylvania Overview, Matt Hartley, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Penn GSE
Getting to Grips with U.S. Higher Education, Peter Eckel, Senior Fellow, and Director of Leadership GSE
The University as Citizen and Neighbor: Economic Renewal, Anthony Sorrentino, Assistant VP
Budgeting to Foster Innovation and Accountability: Responsibility Centered Management (RCM) as a Management Tool: Trevor Lewis, Vice President for Budget and Management Analysis, UPenn.
Supporting Innovation and Tech Transfer, Laurie Actman, Penn Center for Innovation
Supporting Faculty Laura W. Perna, Vice Provost for Faculty, University of Pennsylvania
Using Data to Drive Institutional Decision Making and Creating the Systems to Do So: Stacey Lopez, AVP
Leading Multi-Disciplinary Centers, Tariq Tachil, Center for the Advanced Study of India (CASI).

Other institutes visit:

Widener University Visit Host (Community Engagement) Kristen Quinn, Office of the President.
Cabrini University Visit Host: (Student success and Engagement) Claire Clute, Vice President.

Student Engagement and Student Support: Mamta Accapadi, Vice Provost for Student Life.
Introduction to Restorative Justice and Restorative Practices; Pablo Cerdera, Associate Director, RJI.
Higher Education in India; Engaging Alumni to Advance the Mission: Elise Betz, Tara Davies, Alyssa D’Alconzo Thomas, and Hoopes Wampler, Alumni Relations.
Institutions of Eminence: Matt Hartley, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Penn GSE Alan Ruby, Senior Fellow and Founding Director, Global Engagement Office, Penn GSE.
Making Sense of the Experience: Peter Eckel, Senior Fellow and Director of Leadership Programs, Closing Session: By all participants. Discussion, deliberation, self-institutional overview
Distribution of certificates to the successful participants.

Program concluded with a vote of thanks and by sharing of take home aspects with regards to adopting and implementing responsive, accountable institutions. I personally learned a lot from this program and shall sincerely try to adapt the learnings in my institution.

I, am immensely thankful and wish to convey my sincere gratitude towards the authorities of DHE, GOI; Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad and authorities of TISS, for enabling me to complete this Prestigious LEAP Program successfully.