The primary purpose of IAspire Leadership Academy is to develop and support the next generation of underrepresented (URG) leaders in STEM higher education. This program will equip these individuals with skills to lead more effectively in an educational environment and gain the confidence to influence institutional transformation either in their current position or as they rise to other positions of leadership. This program is open to academic leaders at both 2 and 4 year institutions
Enhance their leadership skills and knowledge in eight critical competencies.
Develop a peer leadership network in order to enhance personal leadership practice, collaboration, and diversity of perspective.
Prepare and implement an individual leadership development process and institutional action project to influence institutional change.
The IAspire Leadership Academy is a structured development experience over the course of two years; the first year focuses on core curriculum and the second year is an in-residence action project experience utilizing the new knowledge and skills gained. More information is below.
Year 1 - Core Personal Development
The first year includes three 1-week in-person sessions, peer coaching sessions, development assignments, and community building. Leadership competencies are enhanced using a combination of exposure, information, knowledge and practice.
Session I – Focus on Self. Utilizing a variety of self-assessments, participants will examine personal leadership strengths, weaknesses, and styles. Additionally, session I equips participants with various leadership skills and tools designed for practical application.
Session II – Focus on Groups/Teams. Participants will get a hands-on experience exploring group/team dynamics and interpersonal relations helping them enhance their leadership capabilities and influence.
Session III – Focus on Organization. This session focuses on understanding the broader educational system, public leadership, and institutional change.
Between sessions, fellows will meet institutional leaders, compare institutional cultures within their learning community, and work on conceptualizing their second-year institutional action projects that add value to their institution.
Year 2 - In-residence Institutional Action Project Execution
The fellow’s second year as an IAspire Fellow involves applying the concepts learned and skills gained during the first year in a project that adds value to their institution (developed in collaboration with institutional sponsors/dean/provost).
There are no travel requirements for the second year. Fellows will engage virtually with their IAspire community of fellows for support as they continue their personal growth as leaders.
This multi-year design allows the Fellow to apply leadership skills gained in the program and provide a tangible return to the supporting institution.
IAspire Leadership Academy values participants from a broad range of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives, roles, and institutions, to build an inclusive learning community within which they can learn from both their differences and similarities.
The selections team considers many characteristics of candidates, including professional aspiration, demonstration of leadership capacity, achievements and challenges along their pathways to leadership, underrepresented populations in academic STEM fields, and institutional characteristics such as geographic region, private/public status, and mission focus.