More than 20 years after leaving college to raise her family, O’Neill Lecturer Liz Wager went back to complete her degree.
“The concept that higher education is not for everyone presents an ideology of inequity,” she says. “I initially failed at college as a first-generation student because I simply did not know what questions to ask. But returning to IUPUI changed my life’s trajectory.”
The second go-around was different for Wager. She had 10 years of management experience and 10 years of entrepreneurship experience under her belt, providing a new perspective she says exposed gaps for nontraditional students, like herself.
“Higher education needs to be reimagined to recognize the value of experiential learning for both traditional and transitional students,” she explains.
Addressing that issue was one of the driving forces behind Wager’s shift from student to faculty.
After spending several years teaching and leading undergraduate programs in another school, Wager joined the O’Neill School as its director of undergraduate leadership programs. In addition to teaching some of O’Neill’s existing leadership courses, she’s also heading up the launch of a new O’Neill degree path that focuses on community and organizational leadership.
The degree was approved by the IU Board of Trustees in March and is heading to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education for the final greenlight in May. Once approved, the new course of study will offer a bachelor’s degree, a minor, and a certificate beginning in fall 2024.
The program will build on Wager’s three key areas of applied research: peer mentoring and student success, evidence-based credit for prior learning (CPL), and transfer or transitional student experiences.
She hopes her work in those spaces will help spur universities to develop strategies that meet students’ current learning needs even while coping with fewer resources.
“By developing new partnerships across institutions and with local organizations, we can increase the number of affordable, accessible, and value-added educational opportunities for all students,” she adds.
Doing that, she says, will improve career readiness for traditional students while also creating advancement opportunities for transitional students looking to change or expand their careers—an approach that supports success for students from every walk and stage of life.
What do you enjoy about working with students?
“From the classroom to advising to providing learning opportunities through student involvement or employment, one of the most fulfilling parts of working in higher education is helping students find their vision and create strategies to achieve their goals. Our responsibility is to remove obstacles and open doors for our students to do the work of learning and building character.”
What do you enjoy about teaching in the classroom?
“Teaching is learning. Whether it’s during in-person or hybrid classes, the ability to engage students in activities to reinforce concepts and practice is exponentially improved by building relationships, both between the teacher and students and among the students. In teaching across the curriculum, one of the most fulfilling moments is when I see students making connections with other students—building a network of learning partners that carries from one course into the next.”
Why should potential students consider enrolling at O’Neill?
“O’Neill programs are interdisciplinary and taught by a blend of research faculty and practitioners with experiences in law, public policy, and management that prepare students for a broad array of entry-level positions in local business, government, or administrative roles.”
Why is it important to involve students in your work?
“A single reward of researching with students comes from seeing their pride in disseminating their work and learning at a conference or campus event. My role is to coach and provide resources that open their minds and ignite their interests. Since most of my scholarship involves improving student success – having the students participate is essential to understanding their perceptions and experiences.
