Powered by Passion and Purpose | Dr. Julia Christensen Hughes
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It's all about the students and pedagogy.
Dr. Julia Christensen Hughes makes sense of her journey in higher education leadership, her insights on organisational change, and her experiences at the University of Guelph and Yorkville University.
Julia shares her early disappointments as an undergraduate student, which fuelled her passion for improving higher education.
She discusses her focus on purpose and aligning organisational behaviour and leadership with espoused values, drawing from her MBA and PhD studies. She talks about the precarious nature of innovation in public universities which seems to want to always revert back to the status quo.
Julia shares insight from her tenure as Dean of the Lang School of Business and Economics at the University of Guelph, where she emphasises sustainability and ethical leadership. Julia highlights the importance of external endorsements and data-driven storytelling in building reputation and attracting significant donations, such as the transformational gift by Kim and Stu Lang which named the School. She also shares her approach to change management, focusing on invention, improvisation, storytelling, and adaptation.
Transitioning to her current role at Yorkville University, Julia discusses the challenges and opportunities in private higher education, particularly in serving online graduate students. She contrasts the agility of Yorkville with the systemic issues hindering public universities, such as financial deficits and resistance to change.
The interview concludes with Julia's advice for aspiring leaders in higher education and her hopes for the future of universities as learning organisations.
Dr. Julia Christensen Hughes makes sense of her journey in higher education leadership, her insights on organisational change, and her experiences at the University of Guelph and Yorkville University.
Julia shares her early disappointments as an undergraduate student, which fuelled her passion for improving higher education.
She discusses her focus on purpose and aligning organisational behaviour and leadership with espoused values, drawing from her MBA and PhD studies. She talks about the precarious nature of innovation in public universities which seems to want to always revert back to the status quo.
Julia shares insight from her tenure as Dean of the Lang School of Business and Economics at the University of Guelph, where she emphasises sustainability and ethical leadership. Julia highlights the importance of external endorsements and data-driven storytelling in building reputation and attracting significant donations, such as the transformational gift by Kim and Stu Lang which named the School. She also shares her approach to change management, focusing on invention, improvisation, storytelling, and adaptation.
Transitioning to her current role at Yorkville University, Julia discusses the challenges and opportunities in private higher education, particularly in serving online graduate students. She contrasts the agility of Yorkville with the systemic issues hindering public universities, such as financial deficits and resistance to change.
The interview concludes with Julia's advice for aspiring leaders in higher education and her hopes for the future of universities as learning organisations.
Chapters
- 00:01 Introduction to Messy and Julia
- 01:18 Julia's Origin Story and Path to Leadership
- 04:27 The Importance of Purpose in Leadership
- 06:46 Navigating Complex University Systems
- 08:33 Transforming the Lang School of Business and Economics
- 15:20 Strategic Communications and Building for a Major Gift
- 20:35 Leadership Approach: Relentless Focus and Adaptation
- 23:05 Leading Yorkville University: A New Educational Model
- 29:10 Challenges Facing Public Universities
- 33:04 Sustaining Change in Universities
- 35:33 Advice for Future Leaders and Reflections on Higher Education
