Dr. Sandra Godsey, Dean of Career and Industry Programs at Cleveland State Community College, was recently appointed to the inaugural Academic Leadership Collaborative for the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR). She joins a cohort of deans from all 13 Tennessee community colleges selected by their presidents based on their leadership roles and commitment to professional growth.
Developed in partnership with Vanderbilt University’s Office of Faculty Affairs, the collaborative brings together Tennessee community college academic leaders for a professional development experience focused on reflection, problem-solving, and peer learning.
The sessions will be facilitated by partners from Vanderbilt University, who bring extensive experience in leading this collaborative leadership model. Vanderbilt has successfully implemented this program internally with its own leaders over the past several years.
“High-quality academic leadership is essential for our colleges to succeed in their mission of educating students,” said Dr. Flora W. Tydings, chancellor of the Tennessee Board of Regents system. “We’re grateful to Vanderbilt University for sharing its innovative, effective, and collaborative leadership development model, as well as the Vanderbilt faculty leaders who will share their expertise as they facilitate the sessions.”
Named after Maxine Smith, a member of the Tennessee Board of Regents from 1996 to 2006 and a pioneering figure in the pursuit of educational opportunity, the overall series is designed to help develop emerging and future leaders and encourage innovation in Tennessee’s public higher education system. The other components are the Chancellor’s Fellowship, Emerging Leaders Fellowship and the Faculty Innovation Fellowship programs.
“I am honored to have been selected for the TBR Academic Leadership Collaborative and to have the opportunity to engage with emerging and established leaders across the TBR system,” Godsey said. “This experience will strengthen my capacity for strategic leadership, broaden my perspective on system-level priorities, and position me to contribute more effectively to institutional innovation, academic excellence, and student success.”
A Cleveland State alumna, Godsey joined the college in spring 2019 as an adjunct business instructor. She has earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in business administration from Bryan College.
More information on the Maxine Smith Leadership Series is available at Maxine Smith Leadership Series | Tennessee Board of Regents.