ACS Associate Dean Leadership Lab

What is the ACS Associate Dean Leadership Lab?
The Associate Dean Leadership Lab is an opportunity to learn important leadership skills for associate deans in a supportive network of peers from ACS schools. It will consist of interactive online sessions on a monthly basis from September to December. These sessions will include both instruction, case-study applications, and the opportunity to learn from and with your associate dean peers.

There is a $600 registration fee for this program. Please contact your provost or dean if you have questions about participation or the professional development funds available to you. 

Facilitators

Jim Sloat is Senior Associate Provost at Colby College (Waterville, ME) where he has served for 14 years. His responsibilities have included strategic planning, curriculum, faculty development, SIS implementation, accreditation, and the Colby Liberal Arts Symposium. Jim is a board member of the American Conference of Academic Deans (ACAD) where he has led over a dozen workshops on associate deaning. Prior to joining Colby, Jim was Associate Dean for Assessment and New Initiatives at Washington & Jefferson College (Washington, PA). He has served as founding director of the Center for Learning & Teaching (at W&J) and also the Center for Public Speaking (at Dickinson College). His academic field is political philosophy, with a focus on Christian political thought. Jim enjoys time with his family, sports, photography, painting, and pickleball.

Nick Metz is Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs and Development at Hobart and William Smith Colleges (Geneva, NY). He has served in this role for 4 years. His responsibilities include new faculty hiring/training, department chairs, grants, advancement/admissions liaison, development of new science building, intersessions, summer research program, budgets, and endowments. Nick’s academic field is meteorology, and his research has included storm chasing. He enjoys time with his wife and two kids, traveling, and cheering for his beloved Buffalo Bills.

Kim Specht is Senior Associate Provost at Denison University (Granville, OH). She has served in this role for 8 years. Her primary responsibilities include data, budgets, space, and new initiatives. As a faculty leader and administrator, Kim has designed and implemented new student programs, created and led faculty development workshops, led multiple successful grant writing efforts, managed academic facilities design efforts, and managed the implementation of new technology platforms, including serving as a division lead on our current full ERP conversion to Workday. Her academic field is biochemistry. She enjoys time with her husband and three underfoot cats. They enjoy traveling to see their two daughters–on opposite coasts.

Session Topics
Fridays, 12:30 pm- 2:00 pm EST on Zoom

The topics are designed both for those who are new to the associate dean role as well as those who have experience in the role.

September 11 – Welcome to Administration!
October 9 – Navigating New Landscapes and Working Across Boundaries
November 13 – Managing “Ordinary” Business — Projects and Meetings
December 4 – Remember the People — Strategies for Interpersonal Success

Who sponsors the Associate Dean Leadership Lab?

The Associate Dean Leadership Lab is cosponsored by the Associated Colleges of the South (ACS) and the Associate Dean Leadership Accelerator (ADLA). ADLA was founded in 2025 in order to provide leadership training and support to associate deans across the country. The ADLA facilitators have over 30 years of associate dean experience and have led numerous workshops both to share leadership skills and also connect associate deans into networks of support.

How Do I Register?
The Associate Dean Leadership Lab is open to people with a variety of titles (Associate Provost, Assistant Dean, etc.) who work in between faculty and senior leadership.

Please use the form below to register.