Leadership Fellows
Introduction
The Academic Leadership Fellows (ALF) program builds developmental partnerships between current administrators (serving as mentors) and selected fellows. Each fellow engages in a structured year-long experience that includes both administrative shadowing and completion of a collaborative project aligned with institutional priorities.
Fellows are paired with MSU administrators to gain first-hand insight into the operations, expectations, opportunities, and challenges of academic leadership. Throughout the year, fellows engage in guided reflection on their own strengths and career goals to determine whether administrative or other leadership roles are a good fit.
Program Goals
For Fellows:
- Gain direct exposure to academic administration, including day-to-day operations, decision-making processes, and leadership challenges.
- Reflect on personal leadership characteristics and long-term career goals to determine interest in administrative pathways.
For Mentors:
- Contribute to the development of future institutional leaders.
- Engage in self-reflection about their own leadership approaches.
For the Institution:
- Support innovation and positive change in areas of institutional priority.
Program Structure and Features
Fellow–mentor pairings are based on interests, experience, and developmental goals. Pairs may come from related or distant units, reflecting the program’s commitment to cross-college learning and the belief that diverse perspectives strengthen decision-making, creativity, and campus wide collaboration.
Stage 1: Goal Setting (Early Fall)
Fellows and mentors identify desired leadership development outcomes that will guide the year’s activities.
Stage 2: Fall Semester—Shadowing and Engagement
Fellows spend approximately five hours per week shadowing and meeting with their mentors. Activities may include:
• Observing day-to-day administrative operations
• Participating in key meetings
• Providing perspective on unit-level or institutional issues
• Debriefing regularly with the mentor
Stage 3: Spring Semester—Project and Continued Shadowing
Fellows undertake a jointly designed project that advances both the fellow’s learning goals and institutional priorities. Time commitment increases to approximately 10 hours per week as the project progresses.
Projects should align with the Office of Faculty and Academic Staff Affairs (FASA) priorities (including, but not limited to: mentoring, access/opportunity and excellence, support for academics outside of the tenure system, innovations related to teaching or evaluation of it, and enhancing interdisciplinary scholarship).
Resources, including those required to provide the fellow sufficient time to complete the project, will be negotiated between the mentor and FASA, contingent on the scope of the work and available funding.
Cohort Activities
Fellows and mentors participate in approximately six to seven required cohort meetings throughout the academic year. A fall reception welcomes the new cohort and allows the outgoing fellows an opportunity to present on their work from the past year.
ALF Qualifications
- Hold an appointment as a tenure-system, fixed-term, NSCL/FRIB, Library, or Health Programs faculty member, or as an academic specialist.
- Demonstrate a strong interest in learning about diverse leadership roles
- Have a minimum of 10 years of faculty-level experience.