The Academic Leadership Fellows (ALF) program builds developmental partnerships between current administrators (serving as mentors) and selected fellows. Each fellow engages in a structured year-long experience that includes both administrative shadowing and completion of a collaborative project aligned with institutional priorities.
Fellows are paired with MSU administrators to gain first-hand insight into the operations, expectations, opportunities, and challenges of academic leadership. Throughout the year, fellows engage in guided reflection on their own strengths and career goals to determine whether administrative or other leadership roles are a good fit.
Applicants must:
Applications for the 2026-27 cohort of leadership fellows are now closed.
Applications will be reviewed by a committee of potential mentors, and those selected to move forward in the process will be invited to interview with potential mentors. Interviews will be scheduled during April, with a final selection made by the end of the spring semester.
Fellow–mentor pairings are based on interests, experience, and developmental goals. Pairs may come from related or distant units, reflecting the program’s commitment to cross-college learning and the belief that diverse perspectives strengthen decision-making, creativity, and campus-wide collaboration.
Fellows and mentors identify desired leadership development outcomes that will guide the year’s activities.
Fellows spend approximately five hours per week shadowing and meeting with their mentors. Activities may include:
Fellows undertake a jointly designed project that advances both the fellows’ learning goals and institutional priorities. Time commitment increases to approximately 10 hours per week as the project progresses.
Projects should align with FASA priorities, including, but not limited to: mentoring, access/opportunity and excellence, support for academics outside of the tenure system, innovations related to teaching or evaluation of it, and enhancing interdisciplinary scholarship.
Resources, including those required to provide the fellow sufficient time to complete the project, will be negotiated between the mentor and FASA, contingent on the scope of the work and available funding.
Fellows and mentors participate in approximately six to seven required cohort meetings throughout the academic year. A fall reception welcomes the new cohort and allows the outgoing fellows an opportunity to present on their work from the past year.
A list of the 2026 Fellows will be coming soon.
A list of the 2026 Mentors will be coming soon.
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