SUNY Brockport Vice President for Enrollment Management Dr. Sara Kelly has been selected to participate in the 2024-2025 Executive Leadership Academy (ELA) cohort. The program is jointly sponsored by the American Association of State Colleges and University (AASCU), the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC), and the American Academic Leadership Institute (AALI).
Thirty-seven higher education leaders will participate in the selective program that prepares experienced provosts and vice presidents to take on positions of greater responsibility.
The first of two seminars took place in June in Washington, DC, and was led by current and former college presidents and specialists in key areas related to higher education.
Since 2009, more than 100 of the participants who completed the ELA program have been appointed as presidents or chancellors, and many more have advanced to other senior administrative positions. The ELA program develops the wide-ranging skills that new presidents and senior executives need to meet the challenges of today’s educational environment.
“Preparing the next generation of leaders is essential. As we have seen, leadership requires a complex combination of skill, character, and vision,” said CIC President Marjorie Hass. “I’m proud that CIC has such wonderful partners in AASCU and AALI to continue offering the ELA program that encourages diversity in higher education leadership. The program has evolved over the past 15 years to ensure that new leaders from varied backgrounds will be equipped to serve all students.”
Some highlights of the ELA program include an individualized professional experience plan designed to fill gaps in each participant’s skills and experience; mentorship by the participant’s current president and the ELA program director; individualized executive coaching; and peer-to-peer participant-led webinars, regional gatherings, and activities. ELA participants will return to Washington, DC, in June 2025 for a second seminar.
“The need for strong leadership in higher education, amid the mounting pressures our institutions face, has never been more important than it is today,” said AASCU President and CEO Charles L. Welch. “AASCU’s long-standing commitment to identify, prepare, and mentor future leaders has been a cornerstone of the association, and the Executive Leadership Academy in partnership with CIC and AALI enables participants to develop the wide-ranging skills required to meet the challenges of today’s educational environment and serve today’s diverse student population.”
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