Western Academic Leadership Forum

Sharing ideas, best practices, and fresh perspectives

The Western Academic Leadership Forum (Forum) is a membership organization that serves as a collaborative network to exchange ideas and information, share resources and expertise among provosts, academic vice presidents, chief executives, and chief academic officers at WICHE-region public and private doctoral, master’s, and bachelor’s level institutions and related systems offices and state agencies.

What makes an institution’s message resonate with diverse stakeholders, ranging from legislators to donors to communities to students? How can universities better support wellness on their campuses? What features do diverse learning communities have in common, and how can academic leaders help incubate them?

These are just some of countless issues of distinct concern to provosts, but common to peer, four-year institutions across the Western United States. Together, Forum network participants seek solutions to these and other issues that are beyond the scope of a single institution or state on behalf of members.

JOIN THE FORUM

Forum activities include:

Professional Development

Team and Institutional Support

Leadership Network

Discounted member pricing for our flagship event, the Forum Annual Meeting

Past speakers include Rick Torres, National Student Clearinghouse and President and CEO Deborah Santiago, Excelencia in Education

Mentorship opportunities for your team/institution through the Western Academic Leadership Academy and the WICHE Academy for Leaders in the Humanities.

In AY 2024-25, 18 leaders from Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming invested time and energy into honing their skills and assuming the next level of campus leadership.

Exclusive access to WICHE’s leadership network, designed for chief academic officers at institutional, system, and state agency levels. Grow, connect, and learn from a network of leaders like you serving four-year institutions in the West via a Listserv, monthly newsletter, and in-person convening.

Attend quarterly webinars covering relevant and important topics in postsecondary education.

Past webinar topics included the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action, the discussion around administrative holds on student records, a leadership development fireside chat, and an update from the American Council on Education staff working on the new Carnegie Classifications.

Participate in WICHE projects and initiatives and contribute to best practices in higher education.

WICHE has facilitated grant-funded community of practice projects around technology and transfer as well as administrative holds.

Collaborate and problem solve with colleagues in the Western Alliance of Community College Academic Leaders (Alliance), a sister organization through WICHE for academic leaders at two-year institutions and their system office or state agencies.