The Opening Seminar for the 2023–2024 Executive Leadership Academy (ELA) took place on June 26–28, 2023, in Washington, DC. ELA is a yearlong program jointly sponsored by CIC, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), and the American Academic Leadership Institute (AALI), led by Javier Cevallos.
This year, 36 higher education leaders participated in the selective program that prepares experienced provosts and vice presidents to take on positions of greater responsibility—including college presidencies. From a competitive pool of applicants, CIC selected 19 ELA participants from its membership and AASCU selected 17 participants.
Since 2009, more than 100 of the participants who completed the ELA program have been appointed as presidents or chancellors, and many more have advanced to other senior positions. The ELA program develops the wide-ranging skills that new presidents and senior executives need to meet the challenges of today’s educational environment.
“CIC is deeply committed to developing talented leaders for our diverse campuses,” said CIC president Marjorie Hass. “The ELA program meets these challenges by bringing together engaged and emerging leaders and providing them with the community, network, skills, and knowledge they need to transform higher education in ways that serve students and communities.”
Some highlights of the ELA program include an individualized professional experience plan designed to fill gaps in the participant’s skills and experience; mentorship by the participant’s current president and the ELA program director; individualized executive coaching; and peer-to-peer participant-led webinars, regional gatherings, and activities. ELA participants will return to Washington, DC, in June 2024 for a second seminar.
“It is more essential than ever that future leaders are well-equipped to serve our growing diverse student population,” said AASCU president Mildred García. “The Executive Leadership Academy offers a critical opportunity to strengthen higher education’s leadership pipeline by bringing together equity-minded, purpose-driven leaders who share a common goal of being in service to students.”
CIC, AASCU, and AALI also sponsor the Senior Leadership Academy (SLA). Both ELA and SLA had a Closing Seminar for the 2022–2023 cohort in Washington, DC in June 2023. The 2023–2024 cohort of SLA will have an Opening Seminar on November 3–5, 2023, prior to CIC’s Institute for Chief Academic Officers.
