The rise and fall of camelot: designing, implementing, and dismantling  (Page 12/16)

In September of 2007, seven faculty members came together and created a common vision based on ethical ideals framed around courageous action. Three years later, that vision became a reality as 37 participants completed the program. The ability to work through an ethical endeavor, and to see it to completion, has left me with an irrepressible sense of hope for the future. Having done this once, I know, given the right group, I (we) could do it again.

Intense faculty relationships formed, despite changing team membership, and various degrees of involvement. We had shared experiences of dreaming, designing, working through challenges, slogging through tedious revisions, and overcoming exhaustion. These experiences brought us very close together and there were numerous significant times when we felt very close to each other. For me, being able to build these close relationships brought a greater sense of purpose to my teaching, research, and scholarship. It also eliminated the sense of isolation tat can come from teaching online.

The unique structure of the program, the emphasis on personal ethical development led to unique relationships between faculty and participants. Additionally, faculty emphasized participants’ roles as trailblazers and co-designers in the program. We relied heavily on feedback from the early cohorts to make substantive improvements in the program. I consistently referred to participants as colleagues, and they were in the truest sense of the word. The nature of the courses allowed us to learn from each other. The online format seemed to allow for the sharing of very personal thoughts and experiences and the vitality of the learning communities stimulated both personal and professional transformation in many participants.

The ability of the program to transform individuals helped faculty experience the difference we were making in people’s lives. Participants shared numerous examples of how the program enriched not only their professional practice, but also their personal relationships. Participants also shared multiple examples of how they used program learning in their schools to support teachers and improve students’ experiences. Many of the BHAGs offered remarkable examples of how individuals in our program made significant differences in their schools.

The combination of these four elements, idealism, collaboration, faculty-participant bonds, and difference-making, worked synergistically to provide times of unparalleled professional satisfaction. At many points, I felt that I was self-actualizing as Maslow had described it. Being able to contribute so meaningful to others’ development, and in such a collaborative way, in turn brought me to a point of transformation and, to a degree, transcendence.

Year 3 (2010-2011)

During year three, the faculty continued to refine and improve the program. We also found new collaborators as FMA and two of our research faculty members became actively engaged in our PLC. Year three included more personnel changes (see Figure 2), and a “program prioritization” process initiated by Dean2 that ultimately led to the dissolution of our department.