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Galloway, N.J. — �鶹��ý��վ’s doctorate in Organization Leadership may reside in the School of Education, but 10 years after its launch, the program attracts candidates from a variety of professional fields.

“In every organization — in schools, churches, the military, law enforcement, social work, health care and, of course, K-12 and higher education — effective leaders are required to make change and to make those organizations successful,” said Sequetta Sweet, program chair of the Ed.D. program. “And that’s the beauty of this degree.”

While many New Jersey colleges and universities offer advanced degrees in educational leadership, �鶹��ý��վ’s degree program is attractive to leaders across industries, Sweet said.

That’s one of the reasons Brian McBride, the superintendent of Monroe Township schools, decided to enroll. He earned his doctorate in 2019, and he sought out �鶹��ý��վ’s program because he wanted an experience that would include professionals beyond other school administrators.

“As a school superintendent, while you’re the chief educational officer, you are actually running a large organization where you have personnel that work in operations, governance and law. I have 1,000 employees who work for me,” said the Williamstown native.

Child Welfare Leadership Professional Tamica Williams, a self-proclaimed “lifelong learner,” enrolled in �鶹��ý��վ’s program a year ago. She enjoys learning what leaders in other fields think and how leadership, culture and organizational dynamics influence outcomes.

“I am fascinated by the theoretical frameworks used in organizational settings,” she said. “And after learning them, trying to determine which ones would apply in specific situations to navigate the difficulties and complexities within an organization.”

Williams already has a built-in love of �鶹��ý��վ after graduating in 1997 with a bachelor’s in Criminal Justice and a minor in Africana Studies.

“I believe �鶹��ý��վ provides a safe environment for learning and networking and it fosters growth beyond the classroom,” said the Williamstown resident who grew up in the Atlantic City area. “The professors that I encountered during my undergraduate time had a profound impact on me and my education.”

Her favorite part of the program is her small cohort of eight people who all work together.

“It’s great camaraderie, and we support each other,” she said. “We are able to maximize each other’s strengths while helping each other with challenges that need to be developed. We challenge each other’s thoughts and perspectives and hold each other accountable.”

Working within a tight-knit group has always been a strength of the Ed.D. program, Sweet said. The cohort meets in a combination of online synchronous classes on weekends and asynchronous ones that students can do on their own time. One unique aspect is that the cohorts must also spend a week in person on the Atlantic City campus for a class focused on creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship.

“It’s the most loved part because it’s their first time meeting in person. Before, they’ve only seen each other in those ‘Hollywood Squares’ on the screen. It’s in the summer. It’s on the beach and many of the students even stay in one of the dorms,” Sweet said of the six-day summer course. “It was an intentional decision for the degree program to not be all online.”

McBride also appreciated how the program was hands-on and how the dissertation process allowed him to address a current issue in his job and take what he learned back to his school.

“One of the things that I learned is that the role of a leader is to make other leaders, so I was no longer managing a school district, I was leading one,” said McBride, who also earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from �鶹��ý��վ in 1996. “My leadership team is no longer hierarchical. It became a team dynamic where we could take risks as a team.”

The program will celebrate its 10th anniversary with an event at 6 p.m. April 14 at the Noyes Arts Garage of �鶹��ý��վ in Atlantic City. There will be TED-style presentations from alumni and current doctoral students along with an interactive art experience exploring leadership and vision. Individuals interested in learning more about the Organizational Leadership program are invited. It’s free to attend, but you must .

Sweet is looking ahead to the program continuing to evolve. Some possibilities include adding microcredentials or certifications, or interest tracks, such as one specifically focused on higher education. She also said the faculty are constantly discussing how artificial intelligence can be integrated.

“It’s important that we teach and help students understand that you can use AI as a thought partner and not just something to do your work for you,” she said. “It can come up with new and innovative ways of doing things and different ways of thinking. One of the aspects of authentic leadership is transparency, and so it’s important to not be afraid of it and to show how I used it.”

— Story by Mark Melhorn