University Business - July 2006 - (Page 49)

Klawe feels right at home in front of Harvey Mudd's Olin Science Center, located near one of the gateway entrances to the Claremont Colleges consortium. Getting so little sleep likely contributed to her getting a severe disconnected from that school because they're not yet taking those case of bronchitis. That forced the multi-marathon runner to learn courses. During a Tea and Talk session with the undergraduate another thing how to slow down. Not easy, when during that re- engineering council, of which Moore was a member, the conversa- covery she was transitioning to a college on the opposite coast. tion turned to how they could ensure freshmen had familiar faces Choosing the easy route isn't her style. Take the time to learn to direct questions to. Maria did not hesitate to volunteer herself something you are naturally bad at, she'll say. The self-proclaimed as that friendly face, Moore recalls. The group devised the idea of extremely uncoordinated person who once took 29 swings just assigning small groups of freshmen to attend regular dinners with to make bat-to-softball connection learned to juggle and can now Klawe. It became a forum to share concerns and offer suggestions. manage four balls at once. Currently she's trying to beat her daugh- The dinners were successful beyond what we had hoped, ter's high score on a Sony PlayStation Portable game. Moore says, adding that a series of sophomore dinners followed. With a focus in North America on expanding natural abilities, Maria is an admirable facilitator of discussion. Moore also admires you learn very little about what strategies you need to learn some- Klawe's ability to move ideas to action. If something is a good idea, thing that comes to you less naturally, Klawe says. By analyzing then it gets a chance, and more than just a chance. Maria can turn a where you're failing and practicing more, you wind up being able to good idea into an inspiring reality, she says. weave together pieces of what you've learned to do. I just don't believe in elitism, Klawe explains. You should She often finds herself learning from both colleagues and stu- bend over backwards to take everyone you encounter as seriously as dents. You don't need to be mentored by people who are more ex- possible. It doesn't matter if they're a full professor at Princeton or a perienced or older than you, she says, adding that Moore was one clerk in a Safeway store. You should listen to their ideas. of the few people who knew she was considering a move to Mudd. Lifelong Learner For higher ed officials, the lesson is that student feedback mat- ters. The students coming to get this education have an important On the road and at home, knowledge expansion is a reality for role in play in helping shape that education, she says. Klawe. But sometimes she finds herself learning in ways she doesn't expect. This January, while in India at a Microsoft technology fes- Leader tival, she scheduled some campus visits. Her travel companions had no trouble getting their nightly z's while on the road between About 15 years ago, Klawe was first told she'd be a good fit for a schools, but Klawe says she quickly learned this: Driving in India is presidency role. Her inclusive nature particularly stood out. definitely not something I'd be able to sleep through. It's absolutely Vince Poor, who has worked in Princeton's Engineering depart- hair-raising one-lane roads with four lanes of traffic, big trucks ment since 1990 and became Klawe's successor as dean of the school, that appear out of nowhere. was impressed by the strategic planning process she took on universitybusiness.com July 2006 | 49 94 ddni.ewalK.M MP 75:25:2 60/12/6 http://universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - July 2006

Contents
College Index
Advisory Board
Company Index
Editor's Note
People Watch
Sense of Place
Stats Watcch
Viewpoint
Marketing
Human Resources
Future Shock
Money Matters
Community Colleges
Diamond in the Mudd
Higher Ed at the Crossroads
Property Values
The President Next Door
Good Medicine
The Outs (and Ins) of Facility Management
Business Technology
What's New
Calendar of Events
Direct Connect
End Note

University Business - July 2006