After years as a teacher, head basketball coach, assistant principal, principal, educational consultant and eventually as a superintendent in three different states, Assistant Professor Robert Neu found his way to WNMU, where he is teaching in and leading the Educational Leadership Program. While he has only been at WNMU since last January, Neu has already been instrumental in revamping the program’s curriculum to center it on “futures literacy.”
Futures literacy is “the skill that allows people to better understand the role of the future in what they see and do,” according to the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). “Being futures literate,” says UNESCO, “empowers the imagination, enhances our ability to prepare, recover and invent as changes occur.” Neu provided an example from recent history to explain the concept further. “When you think about the pandemic,” he said, “no one was prepared for that. But those that managed the best already had processes, systems, and protocols in place where they could be more agile and flexible.”
Neu believes that futures literacy is essential for everyone, which is why he sees it as central to the Educational Leadership Program. Said Neu, “We have to get marginalized voices to the table,” he said. By embedding futures literacy into the educational system, Neu hopes to move away from top-down models of leadership. “We have to get away from hierarchy,” he said, “Really, it’s about leading from the middle and bringing more voices to the table.” The WNMU Futures Literate Educational Leadership Program is set to launch this fall semester.
While planning for the newly reimagined program, Neu has also been teaching online graduate courses. For him, the most enjoyable part of teaching is getting to know the students and helping them to grow personally and professionally. “In developing this next generation of [educational] leaders,” he said, “I really enjoy getting to know our students—who they are, what makes them tick—and getting them to realize who their authentic self is.” This is what the course he is currently teaching, EDL 501, is about. According to Neu, it focuses on “authentic voice—who are you as a leader, what is your educational philosophy about, and how are you going to engage stakeholders in where you are going in leading your school or your school district.” He teaches in a seminar format, rather than lecturing. “Our classes are designed around the conversations and [are] generative in nature. [Students] learn as much from each other as they do from me,” he said.
Neu feels a strong impetus to succeed in making futures literacy central to education. Citing climate change as an example of what is at stake, he said, “We have to develop the next generation of thinkers to solve some really complex issues . . . This is a generational investment.”
Neu is a strong addition to the university, indicated Professor Debra Dirksen, former Dean of the College of Education, who is pleased to have Neu teaching here and serving as Director of the Educational Leadership program. “Mr. Neu brings a breadth of experience as a former principal, and a superintendent in three diverse districts,” she said, “He has a broad understanding of the role of the principalship and the impact that a strong academic leader can have on student success and performance. His personal research and experience in building school culture will allow WNMU to increase its positive impact on preparation of New Mexico school leaders, and allow us to build a program that will lead the state and the nation in impacting pre-K-12 student learning.”