Rodney G. Alsup

About Rodney G. Alsup

MY STORY: Imagine a Friday afternoon in early January. You’re knee-deep in prepping for classes. It’s a familiar routine: new year, new semester, new students. Unexpectedly, my phone rings, and it was the Dean. To my surprise, he ask if I would be interested in becoming the Director of the B-School’s new Executive MBA program. His question caught me completely off guard. I paused. I was unsure of what to do. However, by Monday, the entire B-School was aware that I was the new EMBA program director.My transition to graduate program management felt like a sudden plunge into the deep end - no time to adjust, just sink or swim. A flood of “program management stuff” hit me before I could even catch my breath.My only qualifications for this new role were that I was available and willing to serve. I began my journey with a stark realization: no job description, no checklist, no training manual, and no experienced program manager to provide support. I was alone and responsible for learning my job while performing it.Despite my initial fear and lack of experience, I survived. Each obstacle I faced presented a chance to grow and learn something new. I realized there was no cohesive framework for managing graduate programs, just scattered information gleaned from colleagues at conferences. My role involved creating a program management framework, drawing on both my experience and insights from colleagues at competing programs.Guess what? Many new program directors are facing the same challenges I faced. This isn’t how things should be. That’s why my focus is on supporting new graduate program leaders and their teams. I’ve put together a collection of resources targeted at graduate program managers and leaders, offering useful information to help them tackle challenges, expand their programs, and foster their career growth.Your journey in this field could parallel mine in some ways, but it’s also possible that you’ll forge your own unique path. Regardless of our differences, we all strive to make educational leadership more impactful. We want to make a difference.Connect with me to learn more about what I do, how I do it, and how you can contribute to helping me build a better framework for graduate program management while helping your program thrive.

Experience

1. Senior Consultant

   Percept Research

   Jan 2008 — Present

Education

• Eastern Kentucky University

  Master of Business Administration (MBA), Accounting

  1974 — 1975

• Eastern Kentucky University

  Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Accounting

  1970 — 1974

• University of Kentucky

  D.B.A., Accounting

  1979 — 1984