ACE Fellows Program: Participate as a Mentor

Senior administrators at any ACE member institution may serve as Mentors to ACE Fellows while hosting a Fellow on their campus.

In addition, grants from Lumina Foundation for Education are now available to support community colleges that nominate or host an ACE Fellow.

Become an ACE Fellow:
•	The Fellows Experience
•	Fellowship Components
•	Expectations
•	Program Costs

Participate:
•	As a Nominator
•	As a Fellow
•	As a Mentor
•	As Alumnae/i
•	2009–10 Class of Fellows

Download:
•	Fellows Brochure: The Proven Path to Leadership

How to Host an ACE Fellow

Any ACE member institution may serve as a host institution for an ACE Fellow. The nominating institution and the Fellow select the host placement(s), with guidance from the ACE Fellows Program staff. A candidate does not need to identify the institution at which he or she wishes to be placed in advance of being selected as a Fellow. Candidates and nominators should not contact senior administrators about a potential host placement until ACE has completed the selection process and has officially contacted the institution's president.

Mentor-Fellow Relationship

Fellows typically attend high-level decision-making meetings on both the host and home campuses to study leadership in action. The fellowship experience combines observation with active participation, and the senior administrators who serve as Mentors are encouraged to give Fellows meaningful tasks and projects that will both engage them in the life of the institution and enhance their knowledge and skills. Mentors should engage Fellows regularly in discussions of institutional challenges and potential solutions. These ongoing, informal discussions between the Fellows and the Mentors are pivotal in the Fellows' learning, providing personal and intellectual depth to the off-campus experience.

ACE encourages Mentors to attend a special session at the ACE Annual Meeting and invites them to participate in the ACE Fellows seminars as presenters and as members of the Fellows learning community.

Fellows contribute to their host institutions and Mentors by providing an "informed outsider's" perspective on challenges confronting the host institution, working on short- and long-term projects, and gathering information and data as needed. Fellows' recent contributions to their host institutions include:

Coordinating a mid-term accreditation report.
Conducting a space-utilization study.
Compiling multiple program reviews into a comprehensive report with recommendations.
Updating the sexual harassment policy.
Revising a faculty handbook.

Benefits to the Host Institution

[Our] institution benefited [in many ways]. First, we [got] an outsider's perspective; someone who could ask 'why?' even when we thought the answer was obvious. Second, we had a source of new and different ideas and perspectives. Third, we gained a new friend and colleague.

—Michael D. Murphy
President Emeritus
College of DuPage (IL)
Mentor, 1996–97
Nominator, 2000–01

The Fellows Program provides the host institution with the opportunity to:

Benefit from the Fellow's "informed outsider's" perspective and expertise.
Engage the Fellow in undertaking specific tasks that will benefit the college or university.
Develop linkages with the Fellow's nominating institution and other institutions.
Participate in a network of institutions working on similar critical strategic issues.
Access the Fellows' network for sharing resources and information.
Contribute to the development of effective leadership for the future.

Please direct questions about this page to:
fellows@ace.nche.edu
This page last updated on 04/02/2009