LAS EO Excellence in Academic Leadership

LAS EO Excellence in Academic Leadership initiative equips executive officers in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences with the problem-solving skills and tools necessary to navigate the unique challenges of the academic environment and fosters inclusive climates in their respective units. This program is a collaboration between LAS, Grainger College of Engineering, and the National Center for Principled Leadership & Research Ethics (NCPRE).

This well-established 10-month leadership development program offers a comprehensive curriculum that includes individual and group exercises, lectures, case studies, and discussions tailored specifically for EOs. By adopting a cohort model, with defined groups participating over an extended period, the program ensures ongoing opportunities for learning and practicing essential skills. The interactive sessions not only facilitate skill-building but also foster trust and connections among cohort members.

The (EAL) program not only gave me tools and strategies to be a better person at academic workplace but also at my home and other business endeavors that I am involved in.

This really helped remind me that to be put in a leadership position is both an honor and a chore, but it’s best to look at it as a responsibility and an opportunity. This course really helped me feel good about the leadership positions I am in. It reminded me how important the good leaders I have and have had in my life have been to me personally and has re-energized me to try and be a strong, trustworthy, reliable leader. This class has made me stand up straighter.

Program format

A cohort of 12-15 EOs will meet online for 90-120 minute sessions throughout the academic calendar. Experts from NCPRE will lead the workshops. Facilitators will include a range of experienced academic leaders, including NCPRE director C. K. Gunsalus, and President Emeritus Robert Easter.

Sessions

The component of this experience that will have lasting value is the relationships that I have built with a group of like-minded leaders who are developing the same skills that I am. They have become my friend and my support system.

Cohorts

The sessions I selected [as favorites] were not just practical for academic department head leadership, rather, have been very helpful to developing who I am as a leader in my research and project groups. I have found the philosophy of leading with intention: understanding the mission and keeping people focused on that.

Questions?

To learn more, contact:

Trina Wright-Dixon
Interim Assistant Dean for Inclusive Excellence,
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Ellen Wang Althaus
Associate Director for Faculty and Staff Engagement,
IDEA Institute Grainger College of Engineering Administration