The American Council of Education Fellowship: A Pathway to Higher Education Leadership

Abstract

When considering the opportunities for service in higher education's most visible leadership roles, such as the presidency, multiple pathways internal to higher education exist, including academic affairs, advancement, business administration, student affairs, government relations, and less often, leadership roles originating outside academia. While most institutional leaders do not answer to shareholders, according to the American Council on Education (2023), they are “among the most important leaders in the country.” No matter which pathway to a senior leadership role, opportunities for serving higher education's diverse stakeholders, including but not limited to students, faculty, staff, families, and communities, abound. At the center of academic leadership, 86% of provosts, according to the 2022 Inside Higher Education Survey of College and University Chief Academic Officers (CAOs), agree that “healthy undergraduate education requires healthy departments.”