The University of Memphis Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music

Oversight of all academic and administrative functions within the
School of Music and represent the school’s interests to local, state, regional, national, and international communities.

Director, Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music

Professor Of Music

Support external grant research, develop and manage the college’s faculty research grants, chair the College Research Council, and nurture interdisciplinary research initiatives with the campus and community.

Dean's Fellow for Research Development

Manage all aspects of graduate curriculum and policies, chair the graduate curriculum committee, oversee graduate advising, recruitment, and retention.

Associate Director for Graduate Studies

Supervise and evaluate graduate assistants, manage $1M graduate award budget, coordinate graduate teaching assignments with faculty, and notification and management of all graduate award offers.

Assistant Director for Graduate Admissions

Manage $1.2M undergraduate scholarship budget, oversee student compliance with scholarship policies, chair the awards committee, and manage all scholarship offers.

Assistant Director for Student Services

Raw Tuba Foundation

By providing a multi-purpose environment for all to develop, refine and attend Music and Art experiences, the RawTuba Foundation helps to foster positive social change within our society.
We at the RawTuba Foundation are committed to assisting rural and underserved individuals of all ages through friendship, creativity and belonging. Offering a welcoming space, we host and present concerts, lectures and activities that are meant to encourage excellence and expand possibilities for all.

Board Member

Cornerstone Leadership Group LLC

The Cornerstone Leadership Group comprises a diverse team with over 25 years of experience that helps develop leadership in higher education and non-profits.

President

State University of New York College at Potsdam

Visiting Instructor

University of Arkansas - Fort Smith

Instructor of Low Brass

For over two decades, I performed as a professional tubist on five continents, working with Olympic-caliber artists and ensembles.

Then, in 2020, I made a career change.

I loved teaching and performing, but realized my particular skills were best utilized playing a different role in higher education and the arts.

I accepted a full-time leadership role overseeing a comprehensive School of Music at the Univ. of Memphis with over 80 faculty and staff, 400+ students, 75 community partners, producing 300 events per year, and a satellite campus in Jackson, TN.

I discovered that leadership development and support for new leaders can vary, and I had a lot of development to do if I wanted to have the tools to succeed in my new position.

So, I sought out workshops, mentors, coaching, and certifications to equip myself with those tools.

Learning to harness my own skills while empowering the people I work with led to transformational results:

➔ Modernizing how we train students for professional careers.
➔ Overseeing the highest applications and enrollment in the school's history.
➔ Substantially increasing the diversity of faculty and staff with over 50 hires.
➔ Raising over $2.5M in philanthropic funds.
➔ Establishing international partnerships.
➔ Increasing our community engagement through programs and partnerships.
➔ Leading the school through the planning and opening of a $40M Performing Arts Center.

In July 2024, I begin a new role as dean of the School of Music at Baylor University.

This kind of work energizes me, and I love sharing and partnering with higher education professionals and arts leaders to accelerate their learning curve. 

You can read some of their testimonials
→ GO HERE: https://www.kevinsanders.me/testimonials 

If you would like to learn more about 1-on-1 coaching or other types of support I can offer:
➔ Send me a DM on LinkedIn
➔ Email me: hello@kevinsanders.me

There’s an old saying, “Show me your budget, and I’ll tell you what you care about.”

That’s what came to mind as I reflected on Kevin McClure's recent Chronicle essay “Your Pay is Terrible? You’re Not Alone.” https://lnkd.in/eZR5WmRP 

Are too many campuses trying to do too much with too little?

I’m far from an expert on #university finances, however, if:
- The institutional arms race for student amenities (entertainment, gourmet dining, wellness)
- Or facilities (luxury gyms or dorms)
- And constant focus on new initiatives and more growth

Comes at the expense of the very people we entrust to carry out our mission….

Is it worth it?

#Alumni surveys rarely mention the new fitness center or dining center.

Those are important, but it is the people we hire who are the difference makers - who make connections and experiences memorable.

If higher education is to attract the best and brightest minds and the variety of talent that it takes to make a campus successful:

- From the custodian who presents a clean work environment
- To the administrative assistant who files the paperwork on time
- To the research professor who brings in major grants.

We, as an industry, have to do a better job of prioritizing the value of who we hire.

Thanks to Kevin McClure for shining a light on this topic.

#HigherEd, #EduFinance, #AcademicFunding, #BudgetPriorities, #EducationPolicy


Kevin Sanders

Campus leader and coach helping faculty and leaders in higher ed | Follow for posts about higher education, leadership, the arts, & creativity

Why is it important to prioritize budget priorities in higher education?

Illustration showing a man behind a wall of money-green pennants, he his pulling at his empty pocket, which makes the shape of a much-smaller pennant.

Open article: Your Pay Is Terrible? You’re Not Alone. by chronicle.com • 12 min read

Your Pay Is Terrible? You’re Not Alone.

5 beliefs about a music career that aren't true:

⛔ There are no jobs.
⛔ It's impossible to make a living.
⛔ You have to be exceptionally talented to succeed. 
⛔ Art education is useless.
⛔ You need to live in a large city to become successful.

How many have heard this before? ✋

Henri Murger did the arts community no favors when he created the "starving artist" persona almost 200 years ago.

But, here's the truth: 🚨

💰The music industry is a $28 billion industry (and growing).

📈 According to Nielsen, 90% of the population listens to and appreciates music❗❗❗

🎭 The industry may change, but music isn't going anywhere.

Many think your choices are either a music teacher or a music performer. 

That's it. 

And students (and their parents) enter college thinking those are their only options.

When, in fact, there are DOZENS of career paths available that are rarely talked about (more on this in a later post).

I've listed over 40 in the image.

What have I missed?

What are some lesser-known career paths in the music industry?

What are some key strategies for success in the music industry?

How important are music listeners to the music industry?

What do boundaries look like in #highereducation?

Here are 9 examples for #faculty and #staff:

🛑 Receiving emails from students or colleagues late at night.
👉 Set an auto-responder communicating when you respond to emails or include those hours in your email signature. (e.g., no email correspondence after 4:30 PM or before 8 AM).

🛑 Being asked to take on additional classes or committees beyond your capacity.
👉 Cite your university workload policies, current obligations, and be prepared to politely decline.

🛑 A colleague requests a time-intensive task with an immediate deadline that disrupts the progress of your ongoing projects.
👉 If the task is part of your typical responsibilities, make sure you have established policies and deadlines for how others should submit requests to you (e.g., travel requests must be submitted one week before travel dates).

🛑 Students seeking support for personal issues that require professional help.
👉 Be familiar with university resources (student support, counseling, etc.) and cite them in your syllabus so you can easily refer students rather than try to handle serious personal issues yourself.

🛑 Colleagues frequently stop by your office for unplanned discussions during your focused work time.
👉 If you often work with your door open, consider keeping it shut for periods of focused work. A sign on your door can communicate your available hours or instructions for visitors. 

🛑 Being overloaded with requests to serve as an advisor to more students than you can effectively manage.
👉 Setting a cap on the number of students you can advise at one time and suggesting other qualified colleagues to students beyond that number. If this is a department-wide issue, discuss a broader policy with your #departmentchair

🛑  Being expected to attend numerous non-essential social events or gatherings by the department.
👉 Selectively participate and assertively decline when necessary by explaining your other commitments or obligations.

🛑 Encountering aggressive or confrontational behavior from a student or colleague.
👉 If the conversation makes you uncomfortable, state clearly that you expect respectful communication and can continue once everyone's emotions have calmed down.

🛑 Being left out of important departmental decisions that affect your courses or workload.
👉 This requires a direct approach: speak with the decision-makers to express your interest in being involved in conversations that impact your professional duties.


Of course, there are times when we would be flexible and adjust any of these examples.

The goal is to communicate our own expectations with others 

and when we do go beyond our boundaries 

it's because we want to 

and not because we feel we have to.

What about you? What are some boundaries that help you?

#AcademicLinkedIn #HigherEd #UniversityLife #AcademicChatter #FacultyLife

How can faculty and staff assertively decline non-essential social events or gatherings?

What are some common boundary issues for faculty in higher education?

Most department chairs step into their roles with the best intentions, but even well-meaning actions can sometimes backfire.

Here are 5 examples of how good intentions can go awry:

1️⃣ Avoiding Conflict: 
It's natural to want a harmonious team, but shying away from conflict can stifle innovation and motivation.  Embrace diverse viewpoints and manage disagreements constructively, not just smooth them over.

2️⃣ Shielding faculty and staff from internal challenges: 
This may seem supportive, but it actually prevents #faculty and #staff from being aware of the issues and creating a culture of problem-solving.

3️⃣ Moving too Quickly: 
In a rush to achieve, it's easy to overlook the importance of alignment with mission and values. Ensure faculty and staff understand the WHY and HOW behind their efforts, not just the 'what.'

4️⃣ Micromanagement vs. Absence: 
Over-involvement suffocates, and disengagement can leave everyone directionless. Try to find a balance by providing autonomy while remaining accessible for support and feedback.

5️⃣ Being Everyone's Friend: 
This is tricky. While friendly relations are important, blurring the lines between leader and friend can lead to complications. Personal affiliation isn’t the same as effective teamwork and, at its worst, it can cause perceptions of favoritism or forced loyalty. There’s no right answer here, but something for new leaders to be aware of as they create relationships.

---------
The goal of any academic leader should be to foster an environment where everyone can thrive.

Any opportunity to bring awareness to the impact of our actions is a step in the right direction.

p.s. What have I missed?
---------
♻️ Repost this to help other academic leaders.
💬 Follow for posts about higher education, leadership, & the arts.

#Leadership #HigherEducation #ExecutiveCoaching #TeamDevelopment #ProfessionalGrowth #departmentchair #academicleadership

Why is alignment with mission and values important for success?

What are some strategies for managing conflict constructively?

What’s the most important role of a #departmentchair in decision-making?

For many, it's trying to make people happy.
- A senior #faculty member
- A disruptive #student
- A favored #staff member

But, seasoned #academic leaders know that decision-making is about:

⭐ Processes…not Personalities⭐ 

👉 So, instead of a popularity contest, focus on a process that includes:

1️⃣ Fairness - Ensure your decision-making process is equitable.
2️⃣ Inclusivity - Involves diverse perspectives.
3️⃣ Transparency - Everyone knows HOW and WHY decisions are made.
4️⃣ Consistency - Includes follow through even when there’s pushback.

When decisions are made with integrity and
Focusing on fairness rather than favoritism
People are far more likely to respect the outcome...

Even if they don’t completely agree with it.

p.s. 👇 What’s your decision-making process?

------
♻️ Repost this to help other academic leaders.
💬 Follow for posts about higher education, leadership, & the arts.

#HigherEducation #Leadership #DecisionMaking #InclusiveLeadership #TransparencyInAction

Can you provide examples of how to ensure fairness in decision-making?

What are the benefits of a fair and transparent decision-making process?

How can academic leaders involve diverse perspectives in decision-making?

One of the easiest ways to undermine your own leadership as a #dean, #chair, or #faculty member?
Choosing the wrong person to vent to.

Now, venting can be healthy…
but, to be clear, it isn’t problem-solving.

It’s an emotional release.

and its impact depends heavily on how, where, and to whom you express your frustrations.

When we’re frustrated, one of the worst things we can do is vent down:

👉 Faculty complaining to students about other faculty or administration.
👉 A chair complains to faculty about other staff or their dean.
👉 A dean complains to chairs or faculty about the provost, or president.

If you’ve ever had someone above you vent down (to you!), you’ll know that it can:
🔴 Diminish morale
🔴 Encourage cynicism
🔴 Trap colleagues in uncomfortable positions
🔴 Erode personal and institutional professionalism

Venting down sends mixed signals.

It diminishes your leadership and conflicts with any efforts you make to get others excited about the program or a new initiative .

If you need to vent (and we ALL need to vent).

There’s a healthier alternative:

⭐ Vent Laterally.

👉 Faculty to faculty
👉 Chair to chair
👉 Dean to dean

👉 Even better: Someone you know well who works at another institution.

Complaining has a cost and, if you’re in a position of power, your words carry weight.

Use them to set the tone for your program’s culture and success.

What about you?
How do you handle venting or being vented to? 

#HigherEducation #academicleadership #FacultyLife #emotionalintelligence #LeadershipTips #workplaceculture

How can workplace culture impact the success of a program?

What are some best practices for venting in the workplace?

How important is leadership in academic institutions?

One of the best ways to deal with imposter syndrome is to recognize that....

🚨Nobody. Has. It. All. Figured. Out.🚨

When we look around us, it's too easy to forget that we're all just doing the best we can with what we have.

Relying on our experience, intuition, and the collective wisdom of our community to navigate our own way.

When we measure our success against the accomplishments of others, we discount our unique journeys and strengths:

🛣️ Our path
🏃 Our pace
🏆 Our progress

They are yours alone and should be the standards you uphold.

Just keep growing, learning, putting yourself around great people, and doing it your way.

Simple as that. 👊

Onward and upward—we go! 🚀

#ImposterSyndrome #SelfGrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment #Leadership #Education #CareerSuccess #LinkedInTips

A 2023 #NACAC poll states that over 50% of students rank #college applications as their most stressful academic experience.

As #faculty or #staff, when was the last time you tried to navigate your own application process like a prospective student?

Here are 5 questions you can ask yourself as you navigate the process:

1️⃣ Is our application information easy to find?
👉 Consider implementing user-friendly navigation and search tools, ensuring mobile compatibility, and organizing your content to logically guide users through the application process.

2️⃣ Are there unnecessary barriers in our application that we can remove?
👉 Consider assessing whether all requested information is essential, streamlining document submission processes, or simplifying prerequisites.

3️⃣ Are the financial aspects of enrollment (i.e., scholarships, fees, etc.) clearly explained?
👉 Consider offering webinars or informational sessions on financial aid and providing a detailed cost breakdown on the website.

4️⃣ Are we communicating with prospective students throughout the application process?
👉 Consider Regular updates via email or SMS, a clear point of contact for queries, and transparent updates on application status.

5️⃣ How smooth is the transition from applicant to enrolled student?
👉 Consider offering a comprehensive orientation program, creating a mentorship system with current students, and providing checklists for newly admitted students.

#StudentExperience #StudentEngagement #HigherEducation #AdmissionsProcess #OpenDoors #UserExperience

How can colleges better explain financial aid to prospective students?

What are some tips for reducing stress during the college application process?

What are some ways to help newly admitted students transition to college?

If you're hiring a leader soon, here are 5 excellent questions to ask candidates.

Their answers will reveal how much they prioritize: 
⭐ Collaboration
⭐ Mentorship
⭐ Community
⭐ Employee wellness

Too often, the interview process focuses on the accomplishments of the candidate without exploring:
1.) How they reached those accomplishments and 
2.) Take care of the people that are in their charge.

💡 The environment a leader creates and how they can galvanize a team will add more positive momentum to an institution than any one individual's successes.

What are the five questions to ask candidates when hiring a leader?

How should leaders handle mistakes or failures within their team?

Why is collaboration important for a leader?

Multilingual Executive Talent & Leadership Advisory Consultant | Call/Text +44 7546 620 202 📱 | ICF-certified Executive Coach | Talent Access in Civil Aviation & Aerospace, Transportation, Infrastructure & Energy |

OK, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. 

It is NOT easy at all to spot a good (or bad) boss during the hiring process.

But worry not.
 
Here are 5 questions to help you spot a good one (or a bad one!) in your next interview in 2024:

1. "Of all the people who worked for you, how many have been promoted and how did you help them get there?"

This can reveal a lot about how they develop and support their people. 

The best managers out there will have specific examples of how they did this. 
_________

2.  "Can you share a time when an employee gave feedback on something that can be improved or changed?"

This can reveal how they accept and implement feedback (or not). 

The best manager make people feel:

- heard
- understood and
- respected 

when accepting feedback. 
__________

3. "How do you maintain the balance between achieving results and caring for the well-being of your team?"

This will give you an understanding of their approach to managing stress and pressure within the team. 
________

4. "How do you handle mistakes or failures within your team?"

This can shed some light on their attitude towards failure and whether they use it as a learning opportunity or a reason to reprimand. 

The best managers understand that mistakes are inevitable and use them as coaching moments. 
__________

5. What kind of leadership development opportunities exist here?"

This one is not just for you. The answer to the above can reveal how the company invests in its leaders. 

Remember

You are NOT choosing a job. 

You are also choosing a boss. 

Choose wisely. 

And with that dear high flyers, I wish you all a Happy, Healthy & Successful 2024!
#aviation #leadership #newyear2024 

Here's some 19th-century wisdom for your Friday:
“The inertia of a massive university is formidable. 

A good past is positively dangerous, if it makes us content with the present, and so unprepared for the future.”

👉 Harvard President Charles W. Eliot in his 1869 inaugural address. 

150 years later, we are experiencing the landscape in higher ed shifting under our feet:
- advancements in technology.
- changing student demographics.
- new societal needs that demand institutions to lead the way.

For all of higher ed's deeply entrenched traditions and complex bureaucracies, it's exciting to see how different institutions rise to meet these challenges.


💡 Fun fact: Charles Elliot was president for an astonishing 40 years. 

#HigherEducation, #EducationalLeadership, #InnovationInEd, #ChangeManagement, #FutureOfLearning, #AcademicInnovation, #HistoricalWisdom


What impact does higher education have on society?

How do technological advancements influence education?

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