The Office of the Provost works with the schools and colleges to provide faculty administrators with resources and training programs that will assist them in their work. Several of the schools and colleges also have their own programs, focused specifically on their policies and processes.
University of Michigan Programs
Provost’s Campus Leadership Program
This program, organized jointly by the Office of the Provost and the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching, meets periodically during the academic year and is intended for faculty administrators serving as chairs, directors, and associate deans on the Ann Arbor campus. The program includes two parts: an orientation for new leaders and an ongoing series of professional development roundtables.
The orientation session takes place over two days early in the fall term. It provides an opportunity for participants to hear from the Provost and other experienced academic leaders, to develop relationships with each other, and to learn about initiatives, resources, and other information to support them in their new roles. The remaining roundtable sessions are offered in both fall and winter, and focus on topics of general relevance to these leadership roles, including the University budget, creating and implementing a vision for the department/school, handling difficult conversations, and other areas of broader interest to the University.
Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) Leadership Programs
Academic Leadership Program
The BTAA institutions that participate in the annual Academic Leadership Program (ALP) each select a “class” of about 5-7 ALP Fellows, who attend a number of seminars (generally two (2) multi-day in-person seminars at BTAA institution, and a series shorter remote sessions over the academic year). As part of this annual selection process, the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs seeks nominations from the deans and then selects up to 6 ALP Fellows. Nominated faculty typically include associate deans, department chairs, and other faculty who have shown leadership ability. With an eye toward preparing future faculty leaders, the seminars focus on “big picture” concerns and opportunities covering “Contemporary Issues in Higher Education,” Internal and External Relationships,” and “Strategic Thinking,” (link to the BTAA/ALP site).
Departmental Executive Officers Program
The DEO program is a hybrid program with three online synchronous sessions and one in-person workshop. Topics range from conflict resolution and mentoring to faculty development, performance reviews, and group problem-solving.The University of Michigan sends 4-6 faculty members who are department chairs or program directors to the program each year. Faculty members are nominated by their deans, with the provost’s office selecting the participants each year.
Dean’s Leadership Program
The Big Ten Academic Alliance Deans Leadership Program (DLP) is designed specifically for deans who have been appointed to their roles within the past 36 months and focuses on critical issues that occur in the initial months and years of the dean’s role.
This learning experience will include dean-led sessions and discussion groups while also building a trusted professional network within and beyond your institution. Additionally, time is devoted to reflecting and consulting with peers about your various challenging scenarios, allowing for the development of action steps to address these situations.