interview 2

Leadership in High ED: Interview

. with Dr Jane ThayerBy

Juvénal Balisasa(June 21, 2010)

Leadership in High ED.: Interview with Dr. Jane Thayer

Dr. Jane Thayer is Associate Professor Emerita of Religious Education in the Seventh-day Adventist Seminary-AU. During her 25 years of full-time service at Andrews University, she served as contract teacher, Director for public relations, Assistant professor of religious education, Director of University assessment, Associate professor of

religious education, and Director of the Ph.D in Religious Education Program. Her areas of special interest or expertise are Christian formation, Assessment of spirituality/religiosity, Spiritual Development of Young Adults, and Discipleship.

Reasons for choosing Dr. Jane Thayer

• Her long leadership experience in higher education

• The important leadership positions she has held in higher education

• Personal interest in her Christian leadership traits


What I hoped to learn form her

• Communication skills in higher education

• Quality assurance in higher education

• Priorities in higher education


The Interview procedure:

• Preliminary contacts

• Sharing interview questions before interview session

• Interview session


Interview question: 3 main areas

• Biographical information

• Jane Thayer’s leadership development in higher education

• Jane Thayer’s Perspective on leadership in higher education


A. Biography

A point of special interest:

Among many interesting life events and decisions that have shape her leadership personality and style, Jane chose to let

her faculty life cycle suffer for 14 years in order to care for her two kids! This happened during the time when “being a house

wife was considered,” as she puts it, “a waste of women’s brain!”


A. Biography

Leadership Outcome of such a radical choice:

Dr. Jane says: “Through that experience, I leant to develop my personality and worth outside my work...the biggest lesson I

have learnt is that I am a child of God...I am not dependent on my title...My identity is in Christ.”


B. Her leadership development in higher education:

• Aspirations• Measuring leadership achievements• Concern for followers/subordinates• Major challenge• Motivation• Leadership style


C. Her Perspective of higher education:

• Key success factors

• Difference between Christian and secular leadership in higher education

• The greatest challenge for a Seventh-day Adventist leader in higher education

• Jane’s (human) model leader

• Leadership traits Jane wishes those she leads should learn from her


The take away:

• The true identity of a Christian higher education leader is in Christ, not in tittles and positions

• Leadership success in higher education centers on Visioning, Competence, Love for people, Networking, Organized work, Communication, Value of the people

• Rewarding leadership requires a mind that clearly sets life priorities and gets ready to pay the price along the way.


Relevance of the interview

for leadership in higher education

Keeping the vision and working toward it“What my university’s religious education program needs today is

someone who can envision what it should be in the coming years. I can do that. It needs someone who knows the people and the culture of the

university. I know that. It needs someone who can network with denominational leaders and evangelical Christian educators. I enjoy that.

It needs someone who can understand recruitment processes and develop recruitment materials. I can do that. It needs someone who has a

passion for seeing it thrive. Here I am.” (Jane Thayer)
