Leadership Opportunities and Development Programs
The Provost’s Office is committed to developing current and future academic leaders through intentional career development and experiential learning opportunities. To that end, the Office of the Provost offers a variety of leadership development opportunities for faculty who currently serve in leadership roles and those interested in pursuing future leadership opportunities. Additionally, we are committed to creating fair and equitable access to leadership opportunities for all faculty, so opportunities for leadership positions will be posted here regularly.
Leadership Development Programs
Provost Leadership Fellows
The Provost Leadership Fellows (PLF) program is designed to nurture the next generation of academic leaders at UMass Dartmouth by providing a distinctive, immersive experience in university governance and strategic academic administration.
Recognizing the critical need for informed, visionary leadership across all institutional levels—including but not limited to department chairs, directors, and faculty senators—this initiative offers Fellows a unique platform to engage meaningfully with institutional priorities while expanding their administrative acumen and developing a leadership portfolio.
Working in close collaboration with senior academic leaders, each Fellow will coordinate a cross-campus initiative that aligns with the university’s strategic goals. Fellows will be mentored by members of the Provost’s leadership team and integrated into the daily operations of Academic Affairs, where they will gain first-hand exposure to the complex dynamics of academic governance, strategic planning, budgeting, and the evolving landscape of higher education.
This opportunity is open to all full-time faculty at the university who are at the associate professor/associate teaching professor level or beyond and have accrued a minimum of 5 years of full-time service at UMass Dartmouth by the beginning of the academic year of their Fellow appointment.
Provost Leadership Development Series
The Leadership Development Series (LDS) provides a confidential and positive learning environment to discuss topics associated with academic leadership and develop skills through readings, applied exercises, and discussion. Leadership development sessions focus on topics such as budgeting, personnel management, facilitating meetings, and more. Participants in the LDS also meet with leaders from across campus to hear about their pathways to leadership and advice for those who aspire to leadership positions.
LDS events will be held in person on the second Monday of every month during the academic year from 3:30-5:00. Faculty and staff who participate in the LDS must commit to attending the majority of these events. Participation is open to all full-time faculty and staff in Academic Affairs. If space permits, participation may be extended to part-time faculty and staff.
Department Chair Training
The Provost’s office regularly supports external training opportunities for department chairs. Over the past few years, we have offered support for chairs to attend:
- AASCU’s Department Chair Leadership Institute
- Academic Impression’s Essential Leadership Program for Department Chairs
- Chronicle of Higher Education’s Strategic Leadership Program for Department Chairs
Information about Provost office support for chair training is sent out to chairs annually, at the end of the Spring semester. However, department chairs who are interested in chair training are encourage to contact the Provost’s office to discuss.