What Is the Faculty Leadership Academy?
The Faculty Leadership Academy (FLA) is designed to support faculty members at CIC member colleges and universities who aspire to assume leadership roles in higher education—particularly those who have demonstrated a commitment to inclusive leadership. This innovative program is for full-time faculty members (tenure track, tenured, or multi-year contracts) who have started to consider a pathway to higher education leadership and have gained some initial informal or formal leadership experience, such as:
- Leading or influencing a strategic initiative
- Leading or influencing institution-wide committees
- Participating in faculty governance, especially in a leadership role
- Serving in an administrative position, such as faculty fellow, chair, director, or associate dean
The FLA represents CIC’s commitment to supporting inclusive pathways to academic leadership and building the next generation of higher education leaders.
Program Structure
The centerpiece of the program will be an intensive three-day convening in Baltimore, Maryland, on July 27–29, 2026. Selected participants will:
- Meet with experienced mentors (virtually) to develop a leadership pathway plan prior to the convening.
- Learn from experienced practitioners and peers through interactive sessions and small group exercises during the convening.
- Join an exclusive online community of practice for ongoing support and networking.
- Be encouraged to continue their leadership journeys by applying to CIC’s other leadership development programs.
Up to 30 participants will be chosen through a competitive selection process.
Costs
There is no registration fee for this program in 2026. Thanks to the generous support of the Mellon Foundation, CIC will cover the cost of all meeting materials, lodging, and most meals; participants will receive a stipend to subsidize travel costs.
Program Features
The FLA offers a fresh approach to leadership development that goes beyond traditional academic pathways. The program features:
- Leadership Trajectory Planning: Mentorship in advance of in-person meetings to help participants establish leadership goals, identify strengths and gaps, and reflect on their leadership journeys
- Practical Tools and Resources: Sessions on using data effectively, building campus and external relationships, managing interpersonal relationships, and understanding the key challenges facing their institutions and the independent higher education sector
- Inclusive Leadership Pathways: An introduction to the various routes that lead to academic leadership positions, including non-academic backgrounds in business, government, and the nonprofit sectors
- Self-Reflection: Opportunities to explore vocations as higher education leaders and identify roles and leadership styles that best fit individual strengths and goals
- Change Leadership: Sessions on meeting challenges of leadership in institutions and communities that may be resistant to change and supporting colleagues during times of dynamic change
- Network Building: Extensive opportunities to collaborate and build a nationwide community with presenters, mentors, and peers
Leadership
Katherine Clay Bassard (FLA Co-Director) is a professor of Africana Studies and English at Rhodes College (TN), where she previously served as provost and vice president for academic affairs (2020–23). Bassard has also taught African American literature and culture at the University of California, Berkeley, and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). She is a recipient of VCU’s Distinguished Scholar Award, among many other awards as a teacher and scholar.
Andrew Prall (FLA Co-Director) is a professor of English at Aurora University (IL), where he previously served as vice president for academic affairs (2021–25). Prall has also served as provost of St. Edward’s University (TX) and vice president for academic affairs at the University of Saint Francis (IN). Prall is former chair of the CIC Chief Academic Officers Task Force and a past participant in CIC’s Executive Leadership Academy and the Franciscan Leadership Enhancement Program.
Justin Rose (FLA Faculty Fellow) is dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Redlands (CA). He previously served as dean for faculty recruitment, development, and diversity at Rhodes College (TN), where he also chaired the department of politics and law. Before his time at Rhodes, Rose served as an administrative fellow in the offices of enrollment and diversity, inclusion, and belonging at the Harvard Kennedy School (MA), where he supported the school’s recruitment of underrepresented groups.
Nomination Details
Interested faculty members should discuss possible participation in the program with a senior administrator at their institution (such as a dean or the chief academic officer). Presidents and other senior administrators are encouraged to identify leaders on campus whose service to the institution would be enhanced by mentoring and formal leadership training.
Each CIC member institution may nominate one faculty member. Nominations must come from the president or chief academic officer and include a nomination letter that addresses both the individual and institutional benefits of a nominee’s participation. The nomination deadline is Friday, February 6, 2026.
Nominations must be submitted through the online application portal. A complete nomination will include:
- A statement of interest from the nominee (1–3 pages). The statement should address the personal and institutional benefits of participating in the program.
- The nominee’s curriculum vitae.
- A formal nomination letter signed by the institution’s president or chief academic officer. The nomination letter should also address the benefits of participation for both the nominee and the institution.
Questions?
Contact Titi Ufomata, senior vice president for academic programs (tufomata@cic.edu), or Philip M. Katz, senior director of projects (pkatz@cic.edu).