Learning how to pivot to startup mindset vital skill for higher education leaders confronting pandemic-related new normal
ACE is developing a microcredential designed to enable higher education administrators to apply entrepreneurial startup thinking to the higher education sector.
The Microcredential in Startup Thinking for Campus Administrators will be a one-of-a-kind program offered via ACE Engage®, the Council’s peer-to-peer professional learning platform, designed to help administrators from across all campus offices learn how to pivot to an entrepreneurial mindset necessary to confront constant change and the new normal growing out of the pandemic.
The program will be launched in early 2021, with registration for the credential available beginning in December. Its development is supported by a generous grant from the Charles Koch Foundation (CKF).
A key goal of the course will be to enable campus leaders to foster incremental and scalable change within higher education. In addition, those who gain the microcredential will be able to attend an experiential learning event focused on how “agile administrators” can adapt to changing conditions to serve students and their institutions and meet the demands that are still around the corner.
“It’s vital for higher education leaders to develop new ways of thinking and to act decisively and plan strategically in response to a wide range of challenges in ways that will help close attainment gaps, improve the quality of education, and drive innovation,” said ACE President Ted Mitchell. “We appreciate the support from the Charles Koch Foundation in helping us develop this cutting-edge microcredential, which will be designed to help administrators pivot to come up with scalable and affordable solutions that will both increase the value and effectiveness of higher education in the global economy and bolster the ability of institutions to meet student needs.”
“ACE’s new microcredential will help identify and develop the next generation of education leaders at all levels who are committed to and capable of leading transformation from the bottom up,” said CKF Executive Director Ryan Stowers. “Bottom-up solutions that come from the educators driven by their passion for helping students are most likely to lead to sustainable improvements in the quality of educational opportunities. We are excited to support this program.”
ACE is working with experts on innovation and institutional transformation from both higher education institutions and startups to develop the microcredential. It will include 10 courses organized around the competencies, processes, and concepts necessary to make the shift to entrepreneurial leadership. An ACE Engage conversation set for Oct. 19 will provide more information about the new microcredential and the experiential learning opportunity that will be available to those who earn the credential. In addition, ACE is seeking advisors, subject matter experts, and exemplary agile leaders who are
driving innovation on their campuses to contribute to Agile
Administrators. For more information on how to connect with this initiative, click here.