Looking for the 2025–2026 Academy?
Learn MoreAbout the Academy
The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) and the American Academic Leadership Institute (AALI) are pleased to announce the 2024–2025 Senior Leadership Academy (SLA), a yearlong program for administrators in higher education who aspire to cabinet-level positions in independent colleges or universities. Participants will acquire knowledge, skills, and experience germane to the responsibilities and activities central to the work of a vice president or cabinet officer.
Leaders for a New Era
The SLA fills a gap in the current leadership pipeline by preparing talented leaders with the skills needed to advance to a senior leadership position on campus. The SLA also helps participants broaden their understanding of the higher education ecosystem and of the full range of leadership roles needed for institutional success.
Program Details
The program for 2024-2025 consists of:
- Two seminars—one in Portland, Oregon, October 31- November 1, 2024, and the other in Washington, DC, June 10–11, 2025—led by current Presidents, Vice Presidents, and other senior leaders in higher education as well as experts in key areas;
- Readings in leadership theory and practice;
- Professional Experience Plan (PEP), a highly individualized plan to fill gaps in the participant’s expertise and experience;
- Mentorship by both the participant’s campus mentor and the program director;
- Individualized executive coaching throughout the program;
- Webinars, regional gatherings, book groups, campus visits, and other activities developed by participants.
Program Results
Since 2010, 153 of the participants in the ten cohorts that have completed the Senior Leadership Academy have experienced career advancement.
In addition to the professional advancement of participants, successful outcomes also occur when participants strengthen their leadership in their current positions.
Location and Costs
The opening seminar will be held in Portland (OR) October 31- November 2, 2024. The closing seminar will be held in Washington, DC, June 10–11, 2025.
The individual program fee for the 2024–2025 academic year is $2,850, which includes all program costs as well as meals during the two seminars. Participants or their institutions are responsible for travel and lodging expenses.
Contact Information
For questions about the nomination process, selection process, or program logistics, contact Marina Esteve Wagstaff, assistant to the Senior Vice President for Academic Programs and Program Coordinator, CIC, at mwagstaff@cic.edu or (202) 552-8986.
For questions about program content, contact Javier Cevallos, President, AALI, at javier@americanali.org or (202) 263-7488.