Michael Lincoln is currently the Director of Graduate Studies Admissions at Berkeley College. Prior to this role, he was Head Coach of Berkeley’s Cross County team from 2012 to 2020. He had experience working in various television and feature film roles. At the same time, he also served various senior-level positions in the corporate space as a regional sales director and director of sales and marketing. He pursued a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from California State University and a master’s degree in American Politics from Rutgers University.
Please give some insight into your journey so far and mention your daily roles and responsibilities in your organization.
I have joined forces with Berkeley for 13 years now. Prior to this institute, I gained experience in the corporate world and engaged myself in textiles and gray market fragrances, where I used to handle companies like Chanel. Despite every perk and benefit, I did not acquire job satisfaction as I was keenly interested in serving society for its welfare. Eventually, I got a job at Berkeley as graduate director for the largest campus, Woodland Park Campus. I was excited and happy for this transition to experience a whole new market, sharing knowledge to raise all boats in society.
At Berkeley College, we have our own niche, where students are remarkable in their performance and daring to overcome challenges. I was looking for this kind of working environment where I can learn and share wisdom simultaneously. I was appointed to oversee their first graduate program, the MBA, which was completely new for me and had a different approach. It started in 2015; today, we have grown the program slowly and steadily. Although we deal with a minimal number of students, this attracts the students and professors as well. Sitting in a classroom with 15 to 20 students is an intimate feeling where we build a strong bond with every student, knowing their concerns particularly.
“We aim to enhance our students’ academic endeavors through a personalized teaching approach. We are committed to providing close attention and constant support throughout their educational journey in both personal and professional space.”
We have professors who have doctorate degrees and have been working here for 10 to 20 years. They bring valuable real-world experience by working in various prominent fields in the corporate world before joining the teaching profession. We mainly focus on instant teaching rather than prolonged research, where professors are keenly dedicated to supporting students in their academic endeavors.
What strategies do you believe would be most effective in attracting a diverse pool of talent for graduate programs?
We have effective talent acquisition strategies where we don’t rush; we take ample time to hire the right staff for long-term retention. We provide all kinds of support to our students, including tutors and advisors, and this has brought us a huge advantage over large schools. The other important aspect of cultivating a diverse talent pool is prioritizing our alumni. Recruiting becomes even easier and more effective when you return to your alumni since you already know their performance and dedication. Also, maintaining a relationship with alumni creates a positive impression for academic institutions. For instance, we have alumni now as CEOs and CFOs who keep visiting our college to inspire and encourage our students. They share their valuable insights in various sessions and their experience in Berkeley, bringing them to their current position. Therefore, I maintain the relationship with our alumni, if not in person but on social media platforms like LinkedIn. It is just a matter of investing some time, like sending birthday wishes or congratulating them on their job promotion. This invokes a kind of interest in them to participate in the sessions and enhance our teaching programs.
What do you think would be the role of technology in the admission process for graduate programs in the future?
When it comes to technology, the more we learn, the more we feel ignorant because changes rapidly occur in the tech space. So, it is crucial to keep academic programs up-to-date, especially in supply chain and marketing. Accordingly, the course material needs to be updated to ensure relevance. The pace at which technology is advancing in AI has a potential impact on education regarding admission procedures. Moreover, AI has significant implications in education, such as removing the personal touch from the classroom. No matter how far the world has adapted to these recent changes, I still prefer the traditional classroom setting and the active interaction between students and professors, which loses the essence of digital platforms. Although it is impossible to detach ourselves from technological proliferation completely, we can still value a personal approach to education, fostering passion and enthusiasm among students.
What would be your piece of advice to your fellow peers and aspiring professionals on navigating this changing space?
The only advice that I would give in an educational context is to know your students before adapting to new changes. It is inevitable to incorporate changes in today’s world, but we must keep in mind our students’ development and progress. If something works well for you, sticking to that style is not harmful. For instance, our students prefer a personal touch, unlike the large state schools with huge MBA programs. So, handling a large group of students with extensive programs is acceptable for an impersonal experience, but not for us.
