About the ACC Academic Leaders Network

Today’s top-tier universities recognize that future success requires bringing together resources from a broad variety of different sources in ways that leverage collaboration and innovation. The ability to continue to complete nationally and internationally requires broad networks and collaborations, diversity of ideas and approaches, and initiatives that go beyond the abilities of any one single institution. To that end, the ACC Academic Leaders Network (ALN) is designed to facilitate cross-institutional networking and collaboration among academic leaders while building leadership capacity for the participating institutions.

Each on-site session will begin with lunch at Noon on the first day, and conclude at Noon on the third day with a boxed to-go lunch. Meals will be provided throughout each session.

See the list of Academic Leaders Network Liaisons

2019-20 Program

October 3-5, 2019
University of Pittsburgh

February 20-22, 2020
Florida State University

May 12-14, 2020
NC State University

Former Hosts
Virginia Tech (September, 2018)
Georgia Tech (February, 2019)
Notre Dame (May, 2019)

The ACC Academic Leaders Network seeks to build upon existing campus programs to continue supporting leader development, but also to broaden awareness, create distinctive learning opportunities, and capitalize on networking and collaborative opportunities in ways that no single university can accomplish on its own.

Participant Objectives

  • Build leadership competency in a variety of relevant areas for seasoned academic leaders at various levels in the university
  • Facilitate relationship building, networking, and collaboration among participants in ways that leverage interinstitutional contacts for the benefit of all
  • Broaden academic leaders’ awareness of leadership, policies, practices, and models in place across an array of institutions of higher learning
  • Gain practical insight into emerging trends and the broader landscape of higher education
  • Build awareness of higher education leadership needs and challenges in a setting providing exposure to multiple disciplines, organizational roles, and organizational structures

Benefits to the University

  • Creating an additional level of leadership development for promising academic leaders, building from existing campus programs
  • Providing access to information, perspectives, people, and approaches that no one university can offer on its own
  • Building internal leadership capacity, diversifying the leadership pool, facilitating succession planning, and developing internal networks and collaborations
  • Sharing and studying best practices and benchmarking across a diverse range of institutions, creating an enhanced ability to build departments, programs, and approaches that can result in competitive advantages
  • Gaining access to resources, information, and people not readily available at a single university
  • Seeding additional inter-institutional collaborations that will strengthen participating universities as well as overall Academic Consortium

Target Audience

This program is geared to further inter-institutional networking and collaborations and provide leadership competency development for faculty who have already gained some experience in academic leadership roles. Specifically in the first year, the program will focus on Department Chairs or Heads, Assistant or Associate Deans, and Assistant or Associate Provosts (or similar titles as they may vary from institution to institution) – with at least 1-2 years of experience in their current role.

Program Structure

The program consists of three sessions over the course of the academic year, each hosted at a different participating university campus. These sessions are designed to provide information, build skills, and facilitate conversations over a range of topics that support leader development on interpersonal, institutional, and broad higher education context levels.

Leadership Foundations
October 3-5, 2019		 Implementing for Results
February 20-22, 2020		 Resources and Systems
May 12-14, 2020
Elements common to all sessions:

  • Intentional inter-institutional networking
  • Campus tour
  • Talk with President and Provost of host institution
  • “Swap and Share” – conversations about current challenges, sharing resources and approaches for best outcomes
Higher Education Context and Beyond
  • Topics and trends in higher education this year and into the future
  • Building and fostering your network
  • Interdisciplinary and interinstitutional opportunities
  • Globalization and the student experience
  • External collaborations, drivers, and timing
  • Human Resources topics and trends
  • Diversity of faculty types and roles, trends
  • The changing student body
  • Evolving types and styles of student learning
  • Inclusion and Diversity: building the pipeline, hiring, retention, climate
  • Accountability in the 21st century
Institutional Leadership
  • Strategic thinking
  • Collaborative leadership
  • Outcome-based planning, accountability, and assessment
  • Facilitating interdisciplinary work
  • Leadership in your institutional context (balancing heritage/tradition with a focus on the future)
  • Inclusion and Diversity: climate and conversations across difference
  • Institutional governance
  • Academic structures
  • Financial models and approaches (budget, hiring, space, philanthropy/advancement)
  • Managing compliance matters
  • Leading change
Interpersonal Leadership
  • Self-awareness and accountability
  • Inclusion and Diversity: transcending personal biases and facilitating inclusion
  • Leading from the middle
  • Coaching and mentoring a variety of roles
  • Mediation and conflict management
  • Courageous conversations
  • Faculty development
  • Delegation
  • Time Management and Wellness
  • Influencing and inspiring engagement