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Academic Leadership Academy

Overview

Offered for the first time in 2015-2016, Faculty Excellence established the Academic Leadership Academy (ALA) with the primary objective of developing future academic leaders.

The program provides an introduction to academic leadership, an opportunity for faculty to interact with senior academic leaders, and the chance to build a mental model of university administration. Participants also develop a leadership network with peers from across multiple disciplines. The goals of the program are to build community and to instill the skills and attitudes of leaders, including a commitment to the role of diversity in achieving excellence. The program is not currently accepting applications.

Academy members will gain insight into UCF operations through monthly interactive seminars, discussions, and activities. In addition to the monthly structured meetings, you will also participate in pre-work before the monthly session and have assignments after the monthly session. This will include discussions to deepen your understanding of the concepts learned during the monthly meeting. These conversations will take place via small groups as well as on Webcourses. During this time you will be able to reflect on current practices, expand, refine, and build new skills, share ideas, teach one another, and solve problems.

Anticipated topics covered in ALA include the following:

  • Understanding Your Leadership Style, Strengths, and Weaknesses, and Developing a Career Roadmap
  • UCF Organizational Structure
  • Data for Leaders
  • UCF Budget
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Strategic Thinking
  • Leadership and the Changing Higher Education Landscape
  • Shared Governance
  • Next Steps in Your Career

This is a volunteer participation program. Course release is not provided for participation. Participants who engage in 80 percent of the sessions will be awarded a certificate of completion at the conclusion of the program.

Eligibility

All full-time (1.0 FTE), UCF faculty members are eligible to apply.  Faculty at the rank of assistant or associate must show evidence that they are making satisfactory progress toward promotion (e.g., recent CPE, annual evaluations).

*Please note that while all full-time UCF faculty are eligible to apply for the ALA, the number of participants is limited due to space and training personnel constraints.

**Please also note that successful completion of the ALA does not guarantee formal or informal leadership positions at UCF.

Application

Applications will be evaluated on:

  • The career aspirations and leadership interests of applicants
  • Approval from the applicant’s Chair/Director or Dean/Vice President

Applications should include the following:

  • Statement (maximum 500 words) describing why you are interested in the leadership program and how participation in ALA will assist you in meeting your career goals (entered in the Qualtrics application)
  • Current vita (uploaded in the Qualtrics application)
  • Support form signed by Chair/Director click here to download or Dean/Vice President (for faculty who do not report to a Chair or School Director) click here to download (uploaded in the Qualtrics application)