Dr. Carolyn Smith Goings of Dyersburg, Tennessee has been awarded a PhD in Leadership and Change from Antioch University.
Dr. Carolyn Smith Goings of Dyersburg, Tennessee has been awarded a PhD in Leadership and Change from Antioch University.
Dr. Goings’ dissertation titled, Racial Integration in One Cumberland Presbyterian Congregation: Intentionality and Reflection in Small Group, is focused on racial integration in Christian congregations in the United States. Using Participatory Action Research, Rev. Dr. Goings’ study explored ways to improve racial integration and race relations in Christian congregations utilizing volunteers in a 30-day exploration. Data from observations, interviews, racially integrated events, reflection sessions and participant journaling were collected and analyzed. Findings revealed that adaptive, proactive leadership enabled cross-racial dialogue, leading to increases in transformative relations and learning.
Rev. Dr. Goings has been an ordained minister for more than 30 years and is the founding pastor of The Well of Dyersburg - a new church plant in Dyersburg, Tennessee that is centered on inclusivity, diversity, and justice issues. In addition to earning a Master of Divinity degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts, Rev. Dr. Goings also completed a year residency in Clinical Pastoral Education at the Kettering Medical Center in Kettering, Ohio, a year post-residency fellowship in Chaplaincy Development at Clarian Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana, a Master of Fine Arts in Writing at Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont and a baccalaureate in English and Secondary Education also at Goddard College. She has served in cross-racial pastorates in northern Vermont, upstate New York, and northern Indiana and has held chaplaincy positions in a prison, long-term care facility, hospice care service and on a college campus.
Dr. Goings’ dissertation can be found here.
Antioch University's PhD in Leadership and Change program incorporates a challenging interdisciplinary core-curriculum that focuses on leading change coupled with faculty-mentored, self-paced individualized learning, and is designed for experienced professionals who are committed to studying and leading change that improves the well-being of those they serve.
The PhD in Leadership and Change program is part of Antioch University, which is founded on principles of rigorous liberal arts education and innovative experiential learning. Antioch University provides learner-centered education to empower students with the knowledge and skills to lead meaningful lives and to advance social, economic, and environmental justice. With locations in Keene New Hampshire, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Seattle, and Yellow Springs, Ohio, Antioch University is a bold and enduring source of innovation in higher education. Inspired by the work of pioneering educator Horace Mann, Antioch University's mission is to provide learner-centered education to empower students with the knowledge and skills to lead meaningful lives and to advance social, economic, and environmental justice. The University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
