The Student Affairs Leadership Academy is a training initiative for select Student Affairs staff, training a cohort of participants each year. Participants are nominated by their Assistant Vice Chancellor or equivalent. Each cohort meets once a month for approximately six months for informational sessions and real-world challenges. Several professionals from across UA Little Rock and the Little Rock community offer their time to present a series of educational programs that highlight important topics in personal and professional development. Participants have the opportunity to expand their professional networks by interacting with these experts and others within the division.
Participants work together in teams to craft proposals on ways to improve the campus community. Each team is given access to senior leadership members, who provide feedback about their proposals while they are in development. Each team presents its final draft to the rest of the participants, and all final proposals will be reviewed for potential implementation. The goal of the Leadership Academy is to build up our staff, help employees develop professional goals, learn and employ the skills necessary to accomplish their goals and build upon their relationships within the Division and beyond. This investment of time and resources into our staff is one way we are working to increase long-term employee satisfaction and success.
Comments from previous participants:
The guest speaker lineup has been world-class. Thank you!
This is well run. I like the goal setting to come up with ideas to improve the campus. I would like to see it continue with other people getting involved.
I think the Leadership Academy has been a great opportunity. It has provided me with more tools and an opportunity for introspection and reflection.
I have appreciated the thought-provoking content and discussion on diversity and equity and how crucial they are to the success of organizations as a whole. It’s so easy to focus on leadership as a monolith that everyone responds to in the same way.
I find the Leadership Academy sessions insightful and inspiring. I am excited to engage with leaders and for the opportunity to be involved with improvements in the campus community.
