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Vision Statement: Teaching, Research, Leadership
By Thomas Landefeld
My vision regarding teaching, research and leadership incorporates the variety of experiences that I have had in academia over the past 30 years. These experiences encompass graduate training at a Tier 1 research university, followed by postdoctoral experiences at medical schools, the bulk of my career at the University of Michigan Medical School as a professor, researcher and administrator, culminating with administrative appointments at a teaching university in the CSU, where the diversity of the students population is of paramount importance to the mission of the campus. Because of this experience, these three areas are intimately intertwined in my vision.
I believe that it is impossible to dissociate research from teaching if one is going to be effective. Initially, I thought this to be only true for the sciences but after working for the past several years with programs in the College of Arts and Sciences, I believe that this applies to all disciplines and this is not surprising as true learning comes from the application of what is learned.
For the sciences, this is demonstrated best from the laboratory experiences that students receive as undergraduates preparing them for graduate/professional schools. Since the graduate degree is truly a research-based degree, the experience that the student receives as an undergraduate is critical for their entry and success in graduate school. Although not all students are destined for post baccalaureate education, my vision in that regard is to provide as much information as possible to all undergraduate students, including career choices, salaries, benefits, potential, so that their decision is an informed one.
I have seen many students make a decision that if they had the appropriate information they would have made a better one. Thus, teaching has to be more than just what is in the syllabus and the text book. We, as academicians, have to take the responsibility of advising and counseling students about what they can do with their education. Research aids significantly in doing exactly that, not only in that the experience is a practical application, but also because research forces analytical thinking which cannot be taught as effectively in the classroom. In addition, teaching through research usually leads to better retention, which in turn results in better success, i.e. graduation, which is really what education has to ultimately be about.
As for leadership, my philosophy is that good leaders have to good people and that is not nearly as simple as it might sound. It is very easy to do the comfortable thing when "leading" but far too often that is not the best decision and as a result, a lack of leadership is obvious. Good leaders are people whom others not only want to follow but also want to emulate. And, when that happens, more good leaders are created. Importantly, one has to lead by example and this should not be confused with only having a vision. People often refer to Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech by saying that they too have a dream-the difference is that Dr. King lead by living that dream, not just dreaming it. True leaders, like MLK, will lead by actions that will cause their visions to come to fruition. I strive to do exactly that as part of my leadership in the positions that I have held and incorporate that into my vision for teaching, research and leadership.
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