Emerging ScholarDr. Paige Haber-Curran

By: Contessa Scroggins

Who is Paige Haber-Curran

• Teacher• Researcher• Author• Speaker• Consultant

Excerpted from the International Leadership Association’s 2015 Leadership Education Academy, Dr. Haber-Curran

was a co-chair and below is her bio.

Paige Haber-Curran, Ph.D. is assistant professor and program coordinator for the Student Affairs in Higher Education (SAHE) master's program at Texas State University.

Paige earned her Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from the University of San Diego, her master's degree in College Student Personnel from the University of Maryland, and bachelor degrees in Business Management and German Studies from the University of Arizona.

Paige has over 10 years of experience working with student leadership programs- both co-curricular and curricular. Paige's research interests include college student leadership development, emotionally intelligent leadership, effective pedagogy in leadership education, and women and leadership.

Paige is coauthor of the forthcoming second edition of Emotionally Intelligent Leadership: A Guide for Students (2015) and is co-editor of the forthcoming book Advancing Women and Leadership: Moving the Needle through Applied Theory Building (2015).

In 2013 Paige was recognized as an ACPA Emerging Scholar. She is actively involved in ACPA: College Student Educators International and the International Leadership Association. Paige serves as a Co-Lead Facilitator for the LeaderShape Institute and consults and speaks around the world on topics of leadership.

http://www.ila-net.org/lea/

Dr. Haber-Curran’s research focus has been on student leadership and programs that promote student development and growth. She highlights the positive approaches such as “leadership conferences, peer leadership teams, and multicultural leadership programs.”

(Haber-Curran, P., & Tillapaugh, D., p. 94, 2013).

Haber-Curran is a proponent for educating the whole student. As it pertains to leadership, programs focus on “values, motivations, emotions, purpose, and goals.

(Haber-Curran, P., Allen, S., & Shankman, M., 2015).

Haber-Curran’s research highlights the importance of the human dimension of student learning about oneself and building relationships with others.She also points out that in transformative learning “instructors play a pivotal role in constructing learning environments” that encourage critical thinking.

(Haber-Curran et al., p. 67, 2015)

Her research of a leadership capstone course involved students as “co-creators” and challenged various pedagogical approaches. This was a qualitative and phenomenological study that asked “how do students describe the experience and process of their learning in a student-centered, inquiry-focused leadership course?” (Haber-Curran et al., p. 72, 2015.)

The pedagogical approach for this course challenged the traditional model and instead engaged and encouraged students to design their own learning process.Using the adaptive leadership constructs, the teaching methods used where “action inquiry, case-in-point, and problem-based learning.”Action inquiry encourages students to reflect and make sense of their experiences.Case-in-point requires students to scrutinize their “own perceptions, beliefs, and behaviors as well as collaborating with others to mobilize change.”Problem-based learning accentuates critical thinking of complex issues. This method spotlights the connection of “theory to practice.”

(Haber-Curran et al., p. 95-96, 2013)

The results of this study taken from student’s reflection feedback revealed that students developed an increased self-awareness and a broader view of leadership.

(Haber-Curran, et al., p. 99, 2013)

The students learning encompassed three main areas; “reflection, engaging in the group process, and providing and receiving feedback.”Reflection both individually and in the group emphasized the students understanding of themselves and of others.Group process deepened the students understanding of themselves as leaders and their interactions with others.Feedback although difficult for students, expanded their self-awareness and fostered their relationships with others.

(Haber-Curran, et al., p. 98, 2013)

Haber-Curran points out that student affairs educators play a vital role in the development of student leaders. She asserts that professionals in these key positions are “experts in assessing developmental readiness, enhancing self-efficacy and self-authorship, and integrating cognitive, psychosocial, and cultural dimensions of development.”

(Haber-Curran, P. & Owen, J., p. 40 2013)

Haber-Curran identifies challenges that student affairs educators must face. One such hurdle is the preparedness of these educators. Some enter into a leadership role without the proper training or education to meet the high needs of the students. The responsibility falls on the individual to seek out professional development. One possible solution would be collaboration between these educators and researchers and faculty members that can provide their expertise. (Haber-Curran, et al., 2013)

Creating student leadership programs, conferences, and other types of student leadership development should be a priority for all universities and colleges. My institution is a community college and I can see how these programs would not only improve the student as a person but it would also promote student success and completion.

Haber-Curran identifies significant areas within student affairs that promote student leadership. At my institution, I can see how these areas are in need of improvement and the development of a more collaborative effort between student affairs and faculty is needed. Currently student leadership is built into each programs capstone course but it is not exclusively focused on leadership. In addition, if the student does not finish a capstone course they may never be introduced to the learning outcomes of building oneself as a leader.

References

Allen, S., Haber-Curran, P., Shankman, M. (2015). Valuing human significance: Connecting leadership development to personal competence, social competence, and caring. New Directions for Student Leadership, (145),

59-69. doi: 10.1002/yd.20124

Haber-Curran, P. & Owen, J. (2013). Engaging the whole student: Student affairs and the national leadership education research agenda. Journal of

Leadership Education, 12(3), 38-50. doi: 10.12806/v12/i13/tf2

Haber-Curran, P. & Tillapaugh, D. (2013). Leadership learning through student-centered and inquiry-focused approaches to teaching adaptive leadership. Journal of Leadership Education, 12(1), 92-116.

Haber-Curran, P. & Tillapaugh, D. (2015). Student-centered transformative learning in leadership education: An examination of the teaching and learning process. Journal of Transformative Education, 13(1), 66-84.

doi: 10.1177/1541344614559947

International Leadership Association (2015, August 2). Leadership education academy. Retrieved from http://www.ila-net.org/lea/