Best-selling author resumes lecture series March 4 with 'Leadership and the Six Secrets of Change'

 

Posted Feb. 11, 2009

Michael Fullan

Michael Fullan

Best-selling author Michael Fullan, an international scholar on school and education reform, will speak on “Leadership and the Six Secrets of Change” March 4 at 3:30 p.m., when he visits the UF College of Education campus to present the third distinguished lecture in the college-sponsored series, “21st Century Pathways to Education.”

Fullan’s talk, to be held in the Terrace Room by the courtyard of UF’s Norman Hall, is targeted to UF education professors and students, but is open to any university faculty and students, P.K. Yonge faculty and the general public.

Fullan also is scheduled to lead an open forum discussion for Education faculty and students earlier that day at a time and location to be announced.

His talk couldn’t be more timely, coming at a time when public schools, colleges and universities—including UF—are besieged by economic, social, technological and global change that demands what Fullan describes as “turnaround leadership.”

Fullan is a professor emeritus of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. Recognized as a worldwide authority on educational reform, he is engaged in training, consulting and evaluating change projects around the world and his books have been published in many languages.

He currently is Special Advisor to the Premier and Minister of Education in Ontario. His book, “Leading in a Culture of Change,” was awarded the 2002 Book of the Year Award by the National Staff Development Council, and “Breakthrough” (with Peter Hill and Carmel Crévola) won the 2006 Book of the Year Award from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.

In his UF appearance, Fullan will draw from his most recent book, “The Six Secrets of Change,” published in 2008, focusing on what leaders need to know to survive and thrive while managing the complexities of change. He draws on his acclaimed work in bringing about substantial change in education reform in both public school systems and universities.

Fullan served as dean of education faculty at the University of Toronto from 1988 to 2003, leading two major organizational transformations including a merger of two large schools of education. He is currently working as adviser-consultant on several major education reform initiatives around the world. The best-selling author has another book due out in March titled “Praise for Turnaround Leadership for Higher Education.”

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WRITER: Larry Lansford, UF COE News & Communications, llansford@coe.ufl.edu