As active members of the Network for Change and Continuous Innovation (NCCI), staff from the Rutgers Center for Organizational Leadership played an active role in the 21st annual conference, which was conducted virtually on July 8 and 9, 2020, due to the ongoing impact of the pandemic.
Dr. Ralph Gigliotti, NCCI Board Member, moderated the keynote panel with three university leaders—Dr. Ángel Cabrera, President, Georgia Institute of Technology; Dr. Cynthia Teniente-Matson, President, Texas A&M University–San Antonio; and Dr. Mark Becker, President, Georgia State University. In a wide-ranging conversation, the panelists explored the challenges posed by recent crises and offered strategies and insights on how higher education can best move forward in the pursuit of excellence, improvement, and innovation. Nearly 1,000 participants attended the panel.
Dr. Brent Ruben, one of NCCI’s founding members, awarded the Brent D. Ruben award to Cindy Taylor, Assistant Vice-President of Human Resources at Carleton University and former NCCI president. The award is presented to a NCCI member in appreciation of their leadership in advancing excellence in higher education. Brent also co-led a session entitled “Program Agility: How to Thrive During Leadership Transition.”
The Network for Change and Continuous Innovation was originally formed as the National Consortium for Continuous Improvement in 1999 by national leaders in continuous improvement, organizational development, planning, quality, institutional effectiveness, and related areas.