The Faculty Leadership Exploration and Development (FacultyLEAD) program provides an extended opportunity to explore the challenges, complexities, and rewards of leadership. It is designed for faculty who are in, or are considering, leadership roles in a range of contexts (e.g., department chair or dean, center or institute, research group, committees, university governance, professional organizations, etc.)
In eight day-long sessions over the course of an academic year, participants will gain insight into their personal leadership style, enhance their leadership skills, develop a leadership philosophy, and gain a better understanding of the university structure and how things work—all aimed to enhance their ability to successfully take on a leadership role on campus or beyond. Participants will also develop connections with others on campus who are exploring what it means to be a leader in academia. As part of the program, participants will complete a leadership project to provide an opportunity to put their skills into practice.
The FacultyLEAD curriculum examines four levels of leadership mastery:
- Personal
- Interpersonal
- Teams
- Systems
Recognizing that leadership development is not linear and that leaders often draw on multiple levels of knowledge and skills to navigate complex situations, participants will engage in activities centered on one or more of these four levels during each session.
Participants will be required to fully engage in the eight-day program. A commitment to attend the sessions and engage deeply in the program activities is essential to both the participant’s own and others’ learning.
How To Apply
Applications for the first program cohort for the 2025-26 academic year are now being accepted. The program will accept up to 15 participants who are at the rank of associate professor or higher (either tenure or instructional track). To apply, please submit a document that includes the following information to Shari Stockero, Assistant Provost for Faculty Development, (stockero@mtu.edu) by Friday, January 10, 2025. Applicants will be notified by early February whether they will be accepted.
Application Requirements
Please include the following information in your documents.
Applicant Information
- Name and Email
- Department or College
- Current Role(s)
- Essays
- Letter of Endorsement
Essays
Please answer each of the following questions, limiting each response to no more than one page.
- What does leadership mean to you? What experiences have informed these understandings?
- What are your specific five-year career goals? Be as concrete as possible. How will participating in this program help you achieve these goals?
- Identify an important issue facing an organization to which you belong (e.g., Michigan Tech, your department, a professional organization). If you were the leader in charge, what steps would you take to address this issue?
- Identify a significant challenge in doing your job. What innovative approaches are you taking to meet this challenge?
Letter of Endorsement
Please provide a letter of endorsement from your department chair (or dean for units without a chair). The letter should include an acknowledgement that you will attend full-day sessions approximately once each month during the academic year and a commitment to make room in your work schedule to fully engage in the program.