Educational Leadership Grant established for HPU graduate students

By Ryan, December 11, 2015

By Alexis Ancel, News Editor//
In 2012, High Point University started its first doctoral program in Educational Leadership. In May of 2016, two to three students currently enrolled in this program will be awarded the newly established Entrepreneurial Accelerator Grants of up to $1,500, funded by HPU alumna Dr. Mary Jo Hall and her husband Colonel Emmett Stobbs Jr.
The majority of these graduate students are currently studying to be superintendents of school districts, many of whom are already in positions of leadership in some form and this grant is designed to help them move closer to that goal.
“Students who may need to purchase a commercially developed survey or travel to special training or to interview an expert in the field can apply for funds to help offset their out-of-pocket costs,” Dr. Donald Martin, professor of education, said.
There is a heavy emphasis put on learning by doing, collaborating to come up with solutions to prevalent issues in education and applying them in a hands on way- all of which are very important concepts to Dr. Hall.
“The focus is to solve problems in a school district or educational setting and coming up with potential problems of practice,” Dr. Mariann Tillery, dean of the School of Education, said. “You don’t just research and write about it, you strategize how to solve these problems and implement those strategies.”
Students apply for the grant in their third year of the program while working on their dissertations and are required to have a recommendation from a member of the committee.
The committee looks for specific qualifications in their applicants during the selection process. This includes solid research, a practical budget and the potential for something that can be written, published or presented at a conference for the purpose of being able to communicate this information to the community.
One of the major requirements for these grant proposals is a broad scope of the problem in areas such as improvements in the school district, teacher quality and student learning.
As Dr. Tillery mentioned, it is important to Dr. Hall that the solutions proposed are not so specific that they cannot reach a wide range of people.
Dr. Hall graduated form HPU in 1969 before earning master’s degrees in both business and education, followed by a doctorate in educational leadership and has long been a supporter of HPU’s School of Education. Her husband, Col. Stobbs Jr., graduated from West Point in 1969 and served for 30 years in the Army.
Their hope is that this grant will attract other donors in the future and help the program to move forward.
“She wants to know that the grants she’s funding have the potential to grow, continue and expand,” Dr. Tillery said.
Dr. Hall has been very involved with HPU over the years through various programs and events in educational areas and has become a well-known consultant in the field.
“Dr. Hall not only facilitates learning exchanges in our strategic planning classes, but she works with our students on designing problem solving methodologies in their professional work in the field,” Dr. Barbara Mallory, an associate professor of education and educational leadership, said. “We are so fortunate to have a High Point alumna and a creative expert in the field as a great friend to our doctoral program.”