SLCC President Attends Harvard Seminar

Salt Lake Community College President Deneece G. Huftalin recently was one of 50 competitively selected presidents from private and public institutions from around the country to participate in the Harvard Seminar for New Presidents, held annually at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Productive, articulate, responsive leadership is expected as soon as a new college or university president assumes office, and the external and internal challenges facing institutions today do not permit the luxury of learning on the job. Addressing those concerns, the seminar provided new presidents with a practical and conceptual orientation to the presidency, and it further familiarized them with the opportunities and hazards they will likely face, preparing them to respond to the multiple responsibilities and constituencies of their new role.

The seminar’s 5-day schedule included sessions led by nationally recognized leaders speaking on topics that ranged from fundraising to building the administrative team, focusing on the critical issues of the first months and years of the presidency. Most importantly, the seminar introduced presidents to an extraordinary level of resources and information and an exceptional peer group of colleagues from around the country. It also provided a chance for new presidents to reflect on their own situations and to consult with experts about their special concerns and circumstances.