Today’s higher education landscape requires leaders
who are adept at navigating the array of challenging and evolving
demographic, economic and cultural transitions confronting colleges and
universities.
In order to do so, according to a new report released today by ACE,
professional leadership development needs to prepare individuals to
operate from a positional and collective approach that benefits the
individual, the institution, and ultimately the enterprise.
The report, “Looking Back and Looking Forward: A Review of the ACE Fellows Program,”
shares select findings from a comprehensive review of the Council’s
signature leadership development program to promote dialogue on a
collective investment in the future of college and university
leadership. The report also reinforces that contemporary institutions
require leadership development offerings for diverse institutions and
individuals, recognizing that a multi-sector approach to higher
education leadership is incredibly powerful and necessary.
In addition, it recommends that institutions promote internal succession planning and the strategic deployment of human resources.
Since its inception in 1965, the ACE Fellows Program has strengthened
institutions and leadership in American higher education by identifying
and preparing nearly 1,900 faculty, staff and administrators for senior
positions in college and university leadership through its distinctive
and intensive nominator-driven, cohort-based mentorship model. Fellows
are nominated from the ranks of faculty, academic affairs leadership,
campus or system leadership, and other executive campus positions.
“The storied history of the ACE Fellows Program is embedded in the
very fiber of the leadership of higher education today, and this report
reinforces the need for strong leadership development in a time of great
change,” said ACE President Molly Corbett Broad. “I am confident that
the Fellows Program will continue to cultivate diverse and talented
leaders and remain a vital contributor to expanding the leadership
pipeline for our colleges and universities.”
The report affirms the value of the program itself: Over 92 percent
of Fellows, mentors and nominators surveyed said they would recommend
the program to aspiring senior leaders, and 98 percent of Fellows agreed
that that the program prepared them for a senior leadership position.
To see the full report, click here.