Western Academic Leadership Academy

Professional development opportunity for aspiring provosts

The Western Academic Leadership Academy (Academy), launched in 2015, is a year-long professional development program for academic leaders aspiring to become chief academic officers in the WICHE region’s postsecondary four-year sector. The Academy, sponsored by the  Western Academic Leadership Forum (Forum), seeks to encourage the talents of the next generation of Western provosts by helping to build the knowledge and skills of academic leaders who are poised to move to that level. 

About the Program

The Academy’s faculty members share their expertise on the unique roles and responsibilities a provost assumes at a four-year institution and system. They focus specifically on developing practical skills within academic affairs, fiscal affairs, student affairs, and external relationships, with a special sensitivity to the culture and environment of the West’s higher education community.

The summer seminar is followed by opportunities for cohort members to meet with a faculty mentor as well as their cohort colleagues at national meetings or electronically throughout the year for individual consultation about career paths. The Academy’s program culminates in a session at the Western Academic Leadership Forum annual meeting the following spring.

Academy Faculty

• Are sitting campus provosts and system chief academic officers from the Western region 
• Share expertise on the unique roles and responsibilities a provost assumes at a four-year institution and system office  
• Specifically focus on developing practical skills within academic affairs, fiscal affairs, student affairs, and external relationships, with a special sensitivity to the culture and environment of the West’s higher education community 

Program Elements

• Intensive three-day, face-to-face seminar at WICHE’s headquarters in Boulder, CO 
• Cohort members meet with a faculty mentor as well as their cohort colleagues at national meetings or electronically throughout the year for individual consultation about career paths  
• Academy’s program culminates in a face-to-face session at the Western Academic Leadership Forum annual meeting the following spring  

Eligibility

To be considered for participation, candidates:

• must hold a position of dean or higher at one of the Forum member institutions or organizations  
• must have a letter of nomination submitted by their respective official representative participating in the Western Academic Leadership Forum along with a completed application form (download here).
• must submit a letter of interest and their CV  

All nomination materials should be submitted to Anna T. Galas, director of academic leadership initiatives, agalas@wiche.edu.  Candidates are selected by the Academy’s faculty.

Academy Cost: $2,500

Nomination Deadline for the 2021 Cohort: February 15, 2021

For more information, please contact: