8 Faculty Selected to Participate in WICHE Academy for Leaders in the Humanities
First Cohort to Explore Higher Education Administration through Fellowship
BOULDER, Colo. – Eight humanities faculty from postsecondary institutions within the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) region have been selected to participate in a leadership development program for aspiring academic leaders.
The WICHE Academy for Leaders in the Humanities program is supported by a grant from the Mellon Foundation and is centered on equity, justice, and intercultural communication, with a focus on three key competencies: career planning and development, project management, and organizational design and agility. Over the next two years, these fellows will work with higher education presidents, provosts, deans, and other experts as they expand their management, communications, and leadership skills and strengthen the core competencies needed to succeed as senior leaders.
Members of the 2023 cohort are:
- Tina Butterfield (Western Colorado University)
- Thomas Dunn (Colorado State University)
- Ian Hartman (University of Alaska Anchorage)
- Greg Wilson (College of Western Idaho)
- J O’Brien (Laramie County Community College)
- Stacey Berry (Dakota State University)
- Laura Decker (Nevada State College)
- Eric Wolfe (University of North Dakota)
“The goal of the WICHE Academy for Leaders in the Humanities is to allow institutions in the region to grow their own leadership and diversify their academic administration by preparing their humanities faculty to effectively and confidently take on and succeed in leadership roles,” said Camelia Naranjo, interim assistant director, academic partnerships, learning and development, in the WICHE Programs and Services unit. “There is a need for promoting humanities faculty into upper-level leadership roles at higher education institutions, and this program will bridge that gap.”
Fellows will attend a professional development seminar this fall at WICHE’s headquarters in Boulder, Colorado, and receive ongoing professional development throughout the two-year term. Each fellow will also assume an administrative role at their institution, reporting to a senior leader in academic affairs, and complete an extended project that advances an important institutional priority to practice the leadership skills. Additionally, each fellow will have two mentors: an institutional mentor who will serve as their supervisor and the primary liaison between the institution and WICHE, and an external mentor or advisor.
Applications for the 2024-2025 cohort will be available in January 2024. Learn more about the program: www.wiche.edu/collaboration-leadership/wiche-academy-for-leaders-in-the-humanities/.
Media Contact:
Melanie Sidwell, Director of Communications
Mobile: 303.834.5278 | msidwell@wiche.edu
www.wiche.edu
About WICHE
Since 1953, WICHE has worked collaboratively to expand educational access and excellence for all residents of the West. By promoting innovation, cooperation, resource sharing, and sound public policy, WICHE strengthens higher education’s contributions to the region’s social, economic, and civic life. Visit www.wiche.edu.
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