The Office of the Provost sponsors tenured faculty to participate in two Big Ten Academic Alliance professional development programs: Academic Leadership Program and Department Executive Officers Program.
Academic Leadership Program
Academic Leadership Program (ALP) is a year-long fellowship for tenured professors who demonstrate interest in and potential for senior leadership positions. The program provides structured exposure to executive leadership across the Big Ten, opportunities for institutional learning, and individualized leadership development that helps fellows clarify how and where they are best positioned to lead.
Some ALP fellows go on to become deans, provosts, and chancellors. Others deepen their leadership impact within their departments or disciplines.
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Program Structure
1. Big Ten seminars
At three multi-day seminars hosted by Big Ten Institutions, fellows will hear from chancellors, presidents, provosts, and other senior leaders. They will also work in small groups and connect with peers across institutions. Seminars often feature campus tours and evening entertainment.
2. Campus programming
Bi-weekly meetings, including confidential conversations with UW–Madison leaders, focused on institutional strategy and contemporary issues in higher education.
3. Coaching
Monthly individual coaching, and at least one group coaching session per semester, allows fellows to integrate program learning with their leadership goals. Coaching is provided by the program facilitator, Kelly Conforti Rupp, who is a certified leadership coach through the International Coaching Federation.
Ideal Candidates
Ideal candidates are those who:
- Are at least three years post tenure
- Have at least two years of departmental leadership experience (formal or service); or at least one year of school or college leadership experience
We anticipate selecting five fellows.
2026-2027 Schedule
- UW–Madison welcome session, May 2026, in person or Zoom
- UW–Madison individual coaching, July 2026–July 2027*, in person or Zoom
- Big Ten welcome session, September 18, 2026, 10-11:15 am, Zoom
- UW–Madison campus programming and group coaching, September 2026–May 2027, in person
- Seminar 1, October 21-24, 2026, including travel, Michigan State University
- Seminar 2, February 11-13, 2027, including travel, Northwestern University
- Seminar 3, April 7-10, 2027, including travel, University of Michigan
*Start and end dates are flexible based on summer schedules.
Department Executive Officers Program
Department Executive Officers (DEO) is a fall-semester program for department chairs. It strengthens leadership practice through peer consultation, engagement with senior leaders, and facilitated departmental planning exercises.
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Program Structure
DEO is highly participatory. Fellows will:
- Present a current leadership challenge for peer consultation (Critical Friends)
- Provide substantive feedback to peers (Critical Friends)
- Develop action plans for professional development and departmental strategy (Workshop)
Ideal Candidates
Ideal candidates are those who:
- Are in the second year of the chair role during the fellowship
- Intend to remain chair for at least two years after the fellowship
We anticipate selecting five fellows.
2026-2027 Schedule
- UW–Madison welcome session, September 2026, in person on campus
- Big Ten welcome session, October 8, 2026, 2:30-4 pm, Zoom
- Critical Friends A, October 15, 2026, 2:30-4 pm, Zoom
- Critical Friends B, October 29, 2026, 2:30-4 pm, Zoom
- Critical Friends C, November 5, 2026, 2:30-4 pm, Zoom
- UW–Madison action plan session, November 2026, in person on campus
- Workshop, November 11-13, including travel, Big Ten Conference Center, Rosemont, IL
- UW–Madison final session, March 2027, in person on campus
Eligibility Requirements of All Nominees
- Tenured professor or associate professor
- Completion of at least one Fully Prepared to Lead course by the start of the fellowship
- Current supervisors are up to date on annual and mid-point reviews by the start of the fellowship
- Availability to attend all program dates without distraction. These fellowships require full engagement. During multi-day seminars and workshops, participants are expected to be fully present and unavailable for routine university responsibilities. Nominees must have the flexibility to disengage completely from day-to-day duties during these periods.
Nomination Process
Deans are invited to nominate tenured faculty in their schools, colleges, or divisions. Nominations for both programs must include:
- A dean’s statement about why and how this nominee was selected
- A nominee’s statement about their leadership goals and how this program would advance those goals
Nominations for both programs must be submitted via Qualtrics and are due Friday, April 10, 2026 at 5:00 pm. Nominees will be notified of their status by the end of April.
Questions may be directed to vpfsa@provost.wisc.edu.