Benefits to Students

From the learning outcomes, students who successfully complete the Community College Leadership Certificate program will be specifically equipped with the following benefits:

1. Senior leadership career opportunities: Community colleges have increasing demands for advanced degrees to take up higher levels of leadership and responsibilities for strategic positions such as: deans of faculties, departmental chairs, faculty leaders, directors, presidents, provosts, and vice presidents positions.
2. Strategic indicator for higher responsibilities: This certificate will signal to employers that candidates for employment or promotion have a willingness to engage in professional development that will provide the skills and training for leadership roles.
3. Opportunity for broad recognition: The program will also give community college presidents the opportunity to nominate candidates from underrepresented populations.
4. A base for career uplift: This certificate program will also provide a natural base for community colleges to develop their succession planning by identifying holders of this certificate as leaders or potential leaders that have dedicated themselves to improving their leadership skills.
5. Regional benefits: With the certificate program comes the potential to significantly improve the leadership in Tennessee’s community colleges.

Significant Advantages

Upon the successful completion of the certificate, students may transfer the 15 hours into the Ed.D. (Doctor of Education) program in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis with a concentration in Higher Education Leadership. A participant who wishes to pursue an ETSU Ed.D. degree in Educational Leadership with a HEDL concentration concurrently with the certificate must also apply and be admitted to the degree program.