The OneRED: High-Impact Leadership Program is a strategic growth opportunity for high performing, high potential Director level and above Rutgers staff leaders. It is designed to create a network of leaders with a university-wide, “One Rutgers” perspective, who will play critical roles in shaping the future of the university.
Participants will engage in a year-long, blended learning experience that includes synchronous and asynchronous sessions, applied assignments, and meaningful peer discussions. The program emphasizes leadership competencies aligned with the future of work and higher education, tailored to Rutgers' institutional context and values.
Through HILP, leaders will strengthen their ability to advance impact, amplify innovation, build cross-functional networks, and apply their leadership strengths to help cultivate a more connected and resilient university community. This initiative directly supports Rutgers' strategic goals and long-term institutional success.
Why Participate?
Participants will have access to:
- A Network of High Potential Leaders – Strengthen university connections and collaboration
- Executive Coaching – Maximize personal and professional potential
- Leadership Assessments, Tools, and Resources – Increase self-awareness, gain insight into leadership styles and strengths, and enhance leadership development plan
- Enhanced Leadership Skills – Improve development and expansion of leadership abilities
Program Goals
Strategic program goals include developing a network of leaders who will:
- Shape the strategic direction, success, and sustained growth of Rutgers
- Operate with a university-wide, One Rutgers perspective
- Build a network of support and trust with each other over their careers
- Increase cross-collaboration and efficiencies across the University
- Build the leadership competencies that Rutgers has identified which define the qualities of exemplary leaders
- Play key roles in talent development, ensuring focus on the future growth and success of Rutgers
Program Time Commitment
The program offers a blend of asynchronous and synchronous learning sessions, assignments, activities, and meaningful conversations.
- In-person and virtual sessions delivered over 6 modules
- 1 Capstone project
- An average of 4 hours per week is required during the first 6 months, and up to 4 hours per month for program content and additional time for project work after the modules end.
Program Sponsors
Vivian Fernández
Senior Vice President, Human Resources
SVP Fernández oversees all facets of University Human Resources, which provides the leadership, service, expertise, policies, and standards necessary to support Rutgers University as an employer of choice.
- Program Modules
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Module 1: Leading Through Ambiguity, Chaos, and Disruption
This opening module starts with a high-level view of leading through ambiguity, chaos, and disruption. As leaders, how do we adapt and respond to disruption? How can we shift to hold a positive perspective of disruption?
Module 2: Purpose-Driven Leadership: Understanding Personal and Team Strength
A clearly defined leadership style supports you in leading a cohesive team, building community, and having a lasting impact. This module explores the Rutgers leadership competencies, and insights gained from the 360 feedback, behavioral, communications, and strengths assessments. Explore how to use this information to define your leadership style.
Module 3: Total Talent Development: Building High-Performance Teams and Growing the Next Generation
Module 3 concentrates on the team. As a leader, how do you develop, engage, and improve the performance of the team regardless of whether they are remote or in-person, aligned or non-aligned? What communication styles are you employing to lead your team through various situations?
Module 4: Courageous Conversations: Leading Through Conflict with Confidence
As leaders, we play a pivotal role in navigating conflict and cultivating a respectful, thriving workplace culture. The module introduces simple, effective strategies for naming and navigating conflict, giving and receiving feedback, and establishing stronger communication norms within teams.
Module 5: Envisioning a Scarlet Future: Leading Rutgers Through Change
The first module explored a type of change, disruption. In this penultimate module, participants will explore additional aspects of change that affect the individual leader and the university, and develop skills to embrace change.
Module 6: Transforming the Rutgers Experience: Designing Change for the Next 250 Years
Module 6 marks the last moderated component of the program and focuses on the methodology of Design Thinking, a human-centered approach to generating innovative solutions to challenges and opportunities. This module will prepare participants to effectively design solutions that will impact the strategic direction, success, and future of the university.
Action Learning Phase
Throughout the moderator-led portion of the program, participants have learned about their personal and team leadership styles, about empathy and what actions to take to foster a positive workplace culture, and also about leading effectively through change. The cohort will enter into the action learning phase of the program and work on implementing their leadership action plan and generating solutions for their capstone project. This portion of the program will celebrate the achievements of the participants thus far by asking them to commit to the individual and university-wide actions needed to continue the OneRutgers vision.
- Program Schedule
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The program is delivered through a blend of asynchronous and synchronous learning sessions, assignments, activities, and meaningful conversations. The tentative schedule for the September 2026 cohort is listed below. Typically, in-person sessions for the program modules will take place from 9:30 AM-3:30 PM. All following virtual sessions will meet from 12:00-2:00 PM.
Module In-Person Session Dates Virtual Session Dates Program Orientation and Networking Event: Foundations of OneRED High Impact Leadership Program Success 09/17/2026 Module 1. Leading Through Ambiguity, Chaos, and Disruption 10/08/2026 10/22/2026 Module 2. Purpose-Driven Leadership: Defining Your Leadership Style 11/05/2026 11/19/2026 Module 3. Total Talent Development: Building High-Performance Teams and Growing the Next Generation of Leaders 12/03/2026 12/17/2026 Module 4. Courageous Conversations: Leading Through Conflict with Confidence 01/07/2027 01/21/2027 Module 5. Envisioning a Scarlet Future: Leading Rutgers Through Change 02/04/2027 02/18/2027 Module 6. Transforming the Rutgers Experience: Designing Change for the Next 250 Years 03/07/2027 03/18/2027 Implementing What You Learned Starting April 2027
Support and Contact
For further assistance or additional support, please reach out to the Organizational and Talent Development team.