In May of 2021, Masters of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) Department Chair Tim Hermann retired, leaving a spot that will now be filled by three Student Development faculty.
This year, Hermann’s role was filled by three members of Student Development and MAHE staff. Skip Trudeau is now vice president for student development and director of the Master of Arts in Higher Education program, Kelly Yordy is assistant professor of higher education & Director of MAHE programs, and Drew Moser is director of MAHE initiatives & professor of higher education.
The three have worked with MAHE since before Hermann’s retirement, and Moser has held a variety of positions at Taylor including Samuel Morris hall director, the director of the Calling and Career Office (CCO), and most recently, dean of student engagement.
With the split, the three will share teaching responsibilities, thesis advising and a variety of other administrative responsibilities.
The shift from one head of leadership to three is a change for MAHE, but students have expressed an appreciation for the shared leadership in this case.
Alyssa Bates, the assistant hall director of English Hall and first year MAHE student, appreciates the variety in leadership.
“It is cool to have different people in different areas,” Bates said. “There's a lot of different people who have our back, and I’ve learned from all of them. Every different person I get to work with is really valuable, because I get to see their leadership style.”
Bates compares being in MAHE to being like a sponge, where she is able to soak up lots of different experiences from everyone she works under and above. She appreciates that the size of the university allows her to get exposure to everyone’s area of expertise.
Moser, along with his professorial responsibilities, is focused on leading new initiatives in the MAHE program. Moser said he feels that through current and new initiatives, Taylor has built up one of the best higher education programs in the country and is proud of what has been done so far.
“I don’t think you can get a masters in a lot of things that are as fun and relational as MAHE,” Bates said. “It’s not something you can find everywhere.”
Bates feels that this comes from MAHE being one of Taylor’s only graduate programs. Because of this, Taylor is able to pour lots of resources into building up MAHE and investing in its students.
The appreciation is mutual, as Moser is excited for his increased opportunity to work with students.
“I’ve been teaching in the MAHE programs as an adjunct professor for many years, and really enjoyed it,” Moser said. “I’m excited about the opportunity to spend more time working with the program.”
