'An Absolute Delight': Media Studies Professor Walks the Lawn as a Graduating Student

Arts & Sciences faculty are accustomed to wearing their regalia when they participate in the academic processions associated with Final Exercises. Media Studies professor Robin Means Coleman already holds a Ph.D. in media and communication, but two weekends ago, she participated again as a graduating student, celebrating her completion of a Master of Education from UVA. 

In this Q&A, Coleman discusses what it felt like walking down the Lawn during Final Exercises and her decision to pursue a new graduate degree while balancing a full teaching load and her research commitments.

Q: What is your new master’s degree in?

A: I now proudly hold a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Higher Education with a concentration in Education Policy and Leadership from the School of Education and Human Development. Few academic environments are as rigorous as UVA’s. The School of Education is consistently ranked in the top ten. Completing the degree in such a space of excellence was both demanding and profoundly rewarding.

Q: You already held a Ph.D. in media and communication. What inspired you to pursue another degree?

A: Two interconnected reasons. First, pedagogy has always been my foremost intellectual and professional passion. I came to UVA from Northwestern University in 2024, where I served as a Vice President and Associate Provost. Although I have been deeply engaged in higher education leadership throughout my career, I recognized that I wanted a more sustained and theoretically grounded understanding of pedagogy, the learning process, student success, and leadership.

Coming through the door here at UVA, I thought it was really important to understand the pedagogical environment. Each campus has its unique history, culture and learning environment that shapes instruction. Add to that, higher education is going through rapid and dramatic changes. As such, I sought to refine my pedagogy. I thought it important to better understand the current educational environment. Certainly, I could have gathered some of that information from the front of my own classroom as a professor. However, being a full-time student gave me an immersive experience of student life in 2026. I refined my pedagogical practice based on new insights into everything from institutional and policy structures to the lived experiences of students navigating the classroom. For example, I altered my instructional design to include more explicit structures for inclusivity and accessibility, and I reconsidered participation models to create a more intellectually dynamic, student-centered learning environment—all of this with an eye toward student success and positive learning outcomes.

Professionally, I have long resisted the notion of ‘natural born leaders.’ Instead, I have delivered several keynotes and workshops about leadership, emphasizing my belief that leadership is a discipline. Higher education administration is a field of study with its own theories, methods, and intellectual traditions. I am a firm believer that leaders should be steeped in such. I believe it is important to practice what I preach. The master’s program honed critical leadership skills such as strategic planning, organizational management, and data-informed decision-making. The program has thus served as both a continuation and a formalization of my long-standing commitment to leadership development.

Q: Many graduate students are familiar with the challenge of balancing studies with professional and personal responsibilities. What was the most challenging part for you this time?

A: Entering a master’s program at this advanced stage of my academic career introduced some challenges. Chief among them was whether I could sustain the dual demands of full-time faculty work and full-time graduate study. During the program, I maintained a full teaching load, advanced my research agenda — including co-authoring a book and publishing articles — and fulfilled my service commitments. The logistics of graduate coursework were difficult, as keeping up with readings, assignments, and group projects often extended late into the night. Despite these pressures, I remained fully committed to the program, even foregoing some professional travel to ensure I did not miss a single class meeting. Indeed, I enjoyed my School of Education classes very much.

Q; How will this new degree inform your teaching and research?

A: I was introduced to classic and cutting-edge theories, models, and practices regarding student success outcomes. That has been a game-changer for me as a teacher, advisor and mentor. I have already been able to convert some of my classwork into an op-ed for Insight Into Academia.

This degree has also provided me with the disciplinary grounding needed to continue my higher education work with greater credibility. I feel more equipped to partner with higher education and student affairs professionals. This degree has also strengthened my ability to move across institutional and disciplinary contexts. In fact, I hope to propose a class and sit on thesis and dissertation committees in the school.

Q: How did it feel experiencing graduation ceremonies again as a student?

A: I am so glad that I participated in Final Exercises! I think every faculty and staff member should fully participate at least once. It really changes your relationship to the university, as Final Exercises is a pointed reminder of our shared mission.

I also attended Valedictory Exercises. I had been at UVA a short time when Jim Ryan was forced to resign. As such, I did not have an opportunity to interact with him. It was terrific to hear him deliver the Valedictory keynote. However, what impacted me most was hearing about the late Carrie Heilman, who earned the Rainey, Jr. Award for Vigilance to the Student Experience. Learning about her commitment to UVA students affirmed for me that the work we are doing on behalf of our students is righteous work. If earning this degree makes me even a fraction like Heilman in supporting UVA students, then I will be happy.

Speaking of happy — walking the Lawn was an absolute delight.