The Executive Leadership Academy (ELA) is a yearlong program cosponsored by the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC), the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), and the American Academic Leadership Institute (AALI) to prepare experienced provosts and vice presidents to become successful presidents or move up to positions of greater responsibility. By completing the program, participants will have acquired considerable knowledge, skills, and experiences that are germane to the portfolio of responsibilities and activities central to the work of a president or other senior leader. Participants remain in their current positions during the program.

The Need for Highly Qualified Presidential Candidates

The ELA program was incredibly helpful to me in reaching my career goals. I believe my ascendency to the presidency is a direct result of learning about what gaps in experience I had along with encouragement and practical ways to fill those gaps. We can’t know what we don’t know when walking into these complex positions, yet the ELA enabled me to think about the presidency in realistic ways.”—Richanne C. Mankey, ELA 2012–2013, President, Defiance College

​​Approximately 40 cabinet officers, drawn from all divisions of the institution, were selected for the 2018–2019 program—half from Council of Independent Colleges member institutions and half from American Association of State Colleges and Universities institutions. The closing seminar will be held June 17–19, 2019, in Washington, DC.

(Results as of October 2018)

From 2010 to 2018, 78 ELA participants have become presidents or chancellors.

The experience and tutelage I received in the ELA was indispensable. I was afforded the opportunity to connect with educators across various platforms of academia…. At the completion of the program, I felt confident that I had gained extensive knowledge and understanding to pursue the presidency of Virginia State University.”—Makola A. Abdullah, ELA 2011–2012, President, Virginia State University

CIC recently learned that the American Academic Leadership Institute (AALI), which generously supports CIC’s Executive Leadership Academy and Senior Leadership Academy, has decided to add special support for CIC’s efforts to increase the gender and racial and ethnic diversity of well-prepared leaders of independent colleges and universities. AALI will provide an AALI Diversity Fellowship to several participants in the Executive Leadership Academy, with preference being given to nominees from under-resourced institutions that otherwise might not be able to support a participant in CIC’s leadership development programs.

CIC will be able to provide the following support for several ELA participants:

• A fellowship of $2,650 that covers the full fee for participation; and
• $350 toward the reimbursement of the cost of travel and/or lodging for the two national seminars.

Presidents who have nominated a candidate for the 2019–2020 Executive Leadership Academy who is a woman or a person of color and now would like him or her to be considered for this award should send a message to Barbara Hetrick, CIC senior advisor, at bhetrick@cic.nche.edu. Those who would like to nominate an additional participant who meets the criteria for ELA and the award should complete a nomination packet for the additional candidate by Friday, February 1, 2019. Presidents who have not yet nominated someone for this program should consider nominating more than one candidate—both those who are eligible for the AALI award and others. Please indicate in your letter of nomination if you wish a candidate to be considered for the AALI award.

​Two seminars will be held in Washington, DC, led by current and former presidents and chancellors as well as experts in key areas of presidential responsibility, on July 15–17, 2019, and June 15–17, 2020.

The program fee for the 2019–2020 academic year is $2,650. The fee includes all program costs as well as most meals during the two seminars. The participant or his or her institution is responsible for travel and lodging expenses. Support to offset some of these costs is available to a small number of participants at institutions with limited funding for professional development.

For questions about the nomination process, selection process, or program logistics, contact Barbara Hetrick, senior advisor, CIC, at bhetrick@cic.nche.edu or (202) 466-7230.

For questions about program content, contact Linda Bleicken, president, AALI, at linda@americanali.org or (202) 263-7488.