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Fellowship Components

Learning Plan

Fellows design an individualized Learning Plan for the year, based on issues jointly identified by the nominating institution and the Fellow. Some of the issues that Fellows have addressed in recent years include: internationalizing the campus; recruitment and retention of faculty of color; establishing and improving teaching and learning centers; and establishing policy and procedures for post-tenure review.

The plan includes immersing oneself in the off-campus experience, working on the issue(s) identified with the nominating institution, reading professional literature, visiting colleges and universities throughout the country and abroad, attending national meetings, and other activities.

Seminars

The ACE Fellows Program staff organizes three required seminars in August (Opening Seminar), January (Mid-year Seminar), and June (Closing Seminar) at various locations throughout the United States. These week-long sessions incorporate active-learning pedagogy (for example, case studies, simulations, problem-solving workshops, role-playing, lectures/small-group discussions, and pre-seminar readings) to address critical leadership issues in higher education.

Free-flowing dialogues among Fellows, national leaders, and other experts enrich the unique learning experiences at the seminars. The Fellows' Mentors from their host campuses are invited to attend and participate in the seminars.

To broaden and deepen the Fellows' perspectives on higher education, the three seminars address:

• Leadership and institutional change.
• Planning processes.
• Financial management and resource allocation.
• Academic programs and policies, including faculty, curricular, and student issues.
• Diversity on campus.
• Technology issues.
• Personal and interpersonal dimensions of leadership.
• Higher education policy.

The Off-Campus Learning Experience

Fellows work with their nominating institutions to design their off-campus learning experience at the host institution(s). This aspect of the program is intentionally designed to help the Fellow achieve concrete skills and information that they can then take back to their nominating institution upon their return. This experience enables Fellows to observe firsthand how another institution and its senior administrators lead the institution and deal with change. The Fellows are mentored by a team of experienced administrators—usually the president and vice presidents. The ACE Fellows Program is the only national, individualized, long-term professional development program in higher education to provide on-the-job learning.

Year-Long Placement
This component requires one academic year of off-campus placement at another institution.

Semester-Long Placement
This component requires one semester of off-campus placement at another institution.

Periodic Visits to Another Institution
These brief but intense visits enable the Fellow to remain on the nominating campus for most of the year. Ideally, visits to the host campus last for one month, three times per year.

ACE Fellows National Network

The ACE Fellows Program enables nominating and host institutions to participate in a national network of colleges and universities. ACE Fellows become a part of this prestigious network of highly talented and motivated individuals working in senior positions at public and private institutions across the country. This network gives the Fellows access to professional colleagues—presidents, provosts, vice presidents, and academic deans—who are willing to share their best ideas and perspectives, and to help former Fellows seek new career opportunities and challenges. Most importantly, the network enables Fellows to advance their leadership objectives in higher education.

National Association Meetings

Based on the belief that effective local leadership depends on knowledge of the national and international environments, ACE urges Fellows to attend national meetings, particularly the ACE Annual Meeting. At this meeting, Fellows learn how federal policy affects day-to-day campus life, and they gather information that helps their institutions strengthen campus policies and practices.

Other Visits

ACE encourages Fellows to visit other campuses to enhance their learning about a particular strategic issue and to broaden their perspectives. ACE also encourages Fellows to spend time in a corporate setting and/or a university abroad. These experiences offer unparalleled opportunities for Fellows to learn about different models of leadership and decision making, and to explore potential partnerships for the nominating institution.

Please direct questions about this page to:
fellows@ace.nche.edu
This page last updated on 03/18/2008