HEP Associate Professor Kelly Schrum and Higher Education Program (HEP) Ph.D. candidate David X. Lemmons, along with co-author Karin T. Watson of the University of New South Wales, recently co-authored the chapter, "Dipping Your Toe in the Water: Building Confidence, Community, and Capacity," in the edited volume Routes to Change: Strategic Leadership in SoTL. The chapter explores accessible pathways for emerging scholars to engage in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) while building confidence, community, and leadership. Schrum and Lemmons recently shared their reflections on the publication, the collaborative writing process, and how the HEP program supported their work.
What is your publication about?
Kelly Schrum: Our chapter invites potential Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) leaders to “dip a toe” into engagement with SoTL, providing accessible pathways and practical first steps to becoming part of this scholarly community.
How did the HEP program support your work?
David X. Lemmons: My experience in the HEP Ph.D. program helped in two key ways. First, my dissertation chair, Dr. Kelly Schrum, invited me to participate in this project because of work I had completed in one of her courses. Without the program, I never would have had the opportunity to be part of this collaboration. Second, the program gave me the opportunity to strengthen my academic writing skills, improving my confidence and preparing me to contribute to a scholarly publication at this level.
What was it like collaborating on this project?
David X. Lemmons: This project was a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with my co-authors, drawing on our diverse disciplinary backgrounds, areas of expertise, and Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) experiences. Together, we engaged in meaningful conversations throughout the writing process about SoTL leadership in an international context. Collaborating with colleagues at George Mason University and the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, made the experience especially rewarding.