Overview of the LINC Initiative

What is the LINC Initiative?

The Kellogg Leadership for Institutional Change (LINC) Initiative assists selected land-grant institutions in developing new institutional leadership models that will allow them to respond more effectively to the needs of their constituents. Penn State University, in partnership with Cheyney University, is one of twelve recipients of a W. K. Kellogg Foundation LINC Initiative grant.

The LINC Initiative extends the work of the Keystone 21 partnership, also funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. Keystone 21 is a cooperative effort among Penn State, Cheyney University, and the Rodale Institute that is developing new organizational linkages and approaches to education and outreach within the food systems professions.

What are the goals of LINC?

1. Enchance the capacity of the Kellogg Foundation to support systematic change in higher education.

2. Support the development of leadership that is both a cause and a result of transformational change.

3. Facilitate change in higher education that better connects colleges and universities to the needs of learners and communities.

What will happen during the LINC Initiative?

LINC activities will occur in two phases:

Phase I, a planning phase which focuses on creating a dialog about flexible and dynamic leadership models for the twenty-first century; and

Phase II, an action-implementation phase which focuses on developing ways to integrate these new leadership models into the university.

Phase I, which began in March 1998, concluded in Spring 2000.
Phase II will begin in July 2000 and extends through June 2003.

An integral part of Phase I at Penn State is the establishment of four "Leadership Learning Communities." These groups, which meet monthly through May 2000, provide an opportunity for selected faculty and administrators to discuss issues related to leadership, leader development, and institutional change in higher education. These forums are complemented by six national workshops, sponsored by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and Workspan, Inc., which provide an opportunity for representatives from the twelve Kellogg LINC partnerships to discuss leadership issues.

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Who is participating in the LINC Initiative at Penn State?

The core participants in Phase I of the Penn State Initiative are the members of the Leadership Learning Communities. In addition, a Design Team meets regularly to guide and evaluate the progress of the Initiative. Co-convenors of the Penn State LINC Initiative are David Day, Associate Professor of Psychology, and Louise Sandmeyer, Executive Director, Office of Planning and Institutional Assessment.

How will LINC benefit Penn State? The LINC Initiative will help Penn State develop a:

• Leadership vision that will facilitate organizational change to better meet constituent needs;

• Plan for institutional change that will enhance our responsiveness to changing societal and stakeholder needs;

• Plan for new programs that will integrate individual andorganizational change during Phase II of the Initiative;

• Plan to integrate existing change and leadership initiatives at Penn State and Cheyney University;

• Plan for developing new partnerships.

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