This week, Academic Leadership Fellows from the Associated Colleges of the South (ACS), the Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM), and the New York Six Liberal Arts Consortium (NY6) gathered in Chicago for the 2025 Academic Leadership Fellows Summer Institute, a dynamic, cross-consortial experience designed to support the transition to academic leadership for a diverse cohort of faculty across humanities disciplines. The institute officially begins our ACS fellows’ two-year cohort experience.
L-R: ACS Academic Fellows Lucas Morel (Washington & Lee), Dania Abreu-Torres (Trinity), Melissa M. González (Davidson), Genny Ballard (Centre), Garbiñe Vidal Torreira (Hendrix) and Kimberly Dennis (Rollins). Not pictured: Miriam Clinton (Rhodes), Olivier Delers (Richmond), and Mimi Hanaoka (Richmond).
Fellows participated in interactive sessions on topics including values-based leadership, navigating complexity in decision-making, and balancing budgets. We welcomed an outstanding group of facilitators including Dr. Kimberly Griffin (University of Maryland), Dr. Marjorie Hass (Council of Independent Colleges), Dr. Brian Casey (Colgate University), Dr. Lena Hill (Washington and Lee University), Justin Sipher (Justin Sipher Consulting), Dr. Eric Runestad (Carleton College), and Dr. Jamie Thompson (Trinity University).
Dr. Lena Hill spoke on the complexities of navigating institutional context and culture.
Dr. Marjorie Hass spoke on navigating identity, power, and change in academic leadership.
Dr. Kimberly Griffin spoke on how values and mentorship shape effective academic leadership.
Special thanks to the Mellon Foundation for their generous support, and to all our facilitators, fellows, and consortia leaders for making this gathering such a meaningful and enriching experience.