Music 0:04
(upbeat music)

Kelly 0:04
Welcome to the HigherEdJobs Podcast. I am Kelly Cherwin, the director of editorial strategy. My usual co-host, Andy Hibel, is out today, so we are lucky to have Matt Trainum joining me today. Thank you, Matt.

Matt Trainum 0:16
Kelly, it is always so much fun to be here. Thank you for having me.

Kelly 0:19
Today our conversation is surrounding the idea of what it means to be a scholar. We are talking with Dr. Jeni Hart. Dr. Hart serves as the dean of the Graduate School and vice provost for graduate studies at the University of Missouri, where she is also a professor of higher education. Her research explores faculty work, gender and feminisms, and campus climate, focusing on how academic structures shape professional experiences and inclusion across higher education. Thank you so much, Dr. Hart, for being here today.

Dr. Jeni Hart 0:47
It is my pleasure. Thank you.

Kelly 0:49
I want to start with you explaining your journey. I listened to your presentation last year at the ASHE Conference, where you talked about your professional and personal experience with being a scholar. Earlier in your career, you experienced how institutional prestige influenced who was seen as credible. Can you tell us a little bit about that and what lessons that taught you about professional respect and recognition in academia?

Dr. Jeni Hart 1:19
Yes. The first time I went to my scholarly association, ASHE, I was a graduate student at the University of Arizona. Once I graduated, which was considered a respectable higher education program, I felt like people knew who my advisors were and the people I worked with. I felt I was in a good space as a graduate student there. My first job was at a regional institution in Missouri. When I went to ASHE and introduced myself, I would say where I worked, because that is always the first question. When I said I was at Southeast Missouri State, people would discount me and walk away. A year later, I was an assistant professor at the University of Missouri. I recall a palpable difference in how people approached me, accepted me into conversations, and allowed me to feel legitimate as a scholar. I hadn't changed that much in one year, and my pedagogy hadn't changed. It really struck me, and it called into question whether I belonged. That experience has stuck with me throughout my career.

Matt Trainum 2:56
Jeni, that is pulling on my heartstrings. Where did you take that experience? That was the start of your career, and now we just talked about you giving an address at ASHE. Can you connect those two points?

Dr. Jeni Hart 3:11
It has remained a part of who I am. It made me think deeply about the relationships I have with others in the field and with students. Their roles as knowledge producers are critical. I worked hard. I think I ended up in my current position because of that work and because I care about others’ success. I would like to believe my work would stand on its own regardless of institutional affiliation, but the imprint of that early experience remains. I have used it to help advance others in the profession, and that matters.

Matt Trainum 4:31
You have said “I am a scholar” is not just a theme, but a mindset. How has this mindset shaped the way you lead and collaborate in higher ed?

Dr. Jeni Hart 4:44
For me, it signals equity and the value of every collaborator. It does not matter if it is an undergraduate, a full-time student affairs professional, a provost, or a president. While power dynamics exist, everyone has value and contributes to advancing the field. Expertise is developed in many ways. It is not only through a Ph.D. program. I wanted to reflect that and celebrate it.

Kelly 5:56
You also said there is not just one way to be a scholar. How can faculty and staff showcase meaningful impact beyond publications?

Dr. Jeni Hart 6:19
One way is altmetrics -- media citations, public engagement, podcast discussions. For example, the podcast Student Affairs Now had 120,000 downloads and 50,000 YouTube views within three years. That is impact. Another example: when colleagues use your work in their classrooms. A colleague told me they assigned my presidential address to their graduate students. That is impact. These should be recognized as legitimate scholarly contributions.

Kelly 8:14
What a compliment. And I agree, it resonated with so many of us in that room.

Dr. Jeni Hart 8:29
Thank you.

Matt Trainum 8:30
You have described scholarship as an act of connection. What makes an academic community genuinely supportive?

Dr. Jeni Hart 8:54
Being willing to be vulnerable. In my address, I openly shared that I did not receive a unanimous tenure vote. People do not often reveal that. Vulnerability allows walls to come down. It creates space for respect and challenge within supportive relationships. Celebrating contributions is critical. We often assume people are being praised in their work environments, but that is not always true.

Matt Trainum 10:36
You are balancing the academic and the community aspects beautifully.

Kelly 10:46
You also note that many professionals outside the faculty track are scholars too. How can campuses better recognize that?

Dr. Jeni Hart 11:36
Invite those experts into the conversation. Many answers we seek are held by colleagues already on our campuses -- student affairs, general counsel, advising, institutional research. Acknowledge their expertise publicly and regularly.

Matt Trainum 12:54
You mentioned vulnerability earlier. How do you stay confident while being vulnerable?

Dr. Jeni Hart 13:29
It is part of who I am. I wanted to bring the realities of power and politics to light for students entering the profession. To do that, I needed to be honest about my own experiences. Authenticity has helped me be successful.

Kelly 15:03
You balance administrative leadership with scholarly work. How have you sustained that?

Dr. Jeni Hart 15:26
Balance is a misnomer. It is more about harmony. Some parts will be louder at times. Remaining engaged in my scholarly association, reviewing articles, and integrating scholarship into my administrative talks keeps me grounded. Being co-editor of a journal helped me stay connected to the literature. I also integrate higher education history into commencement remarks, which connects my roles.

Kelly 17:55
We may need to do a follow-up piece on the history of commencement.

Matt Trainum 18:20
That would be fantastic.

Dr. Jeni Hart 18:21
Yes.

Matt Trainum 18:48
What gets you excited about the future of scholarly work and leadership?

Dr. Jeni Hart 18:53
It is a hard time to feel excited about higher ed broadly, but focusing on my sphere of influence helps. I work with graduate students every day. They are the future. Their contributions inspire me.

Kelly 19:46
That is one of my favorite parts of the ASHE conference too.

Matt Trainum 20:06
You connected this conversation with community beautifully. Thank you.

Dr. Jeni Hart 20:27
Thank you.

Kelly 20:28
Yeah, thank you so much, Jenny, this was a great conversation, and I, I hope people listening are able to see, you know, what we're talking about through different, different lenses of what a scholar can be. So if anyone has questions for Dr Hart, please feel free to email us at podcast@higheredjobs. com or direct message us on X @higheredcareers. Thank you again, Jenny, for joining us, thank you again, Matt for being the co-host today, today, this was a wonderful conversation. We look forward to talking with you soon.