Home   //  Current Leadership Academies

Current Leadership Academies

While the CEC contributes to regional educational quality in a variety of ways, perhaps its most significant activity is its Leadership Academy. The CEC Board of Directors (the school superintendents and the college and university presidents) annually selects Academy participants to begin the two-year experience. The number of participants is dependent upon the size of the individual institution, with about 30 new members currently beginning the program each year. Since this is a leadership development program that can help to prepare faculty, administrators, and staff for further responsibility, it is viewed as an honor to be selected by one’s CEO to participate. As a result, most of the Academy class members are chosen through a competitive process within their system.

The first academy year is a year of preparation and networking. Academy members participate in and experience a variety of seminars, speeches, retreats, school visits, governmental activities, guided readings, and interaction with the CEOs. Members often cite the value of the networking that takes place alone as worth the entire experience.

Having completed this preparatory year, Academy members participate in important educational projects (under the guidance of committees chaired by a CEO and managed by an Academy member "project director"). The work of these committees has been recognized for excellence, and all projects have led to improvements at various levels within the systems.

Academy members typically receive so many professional benefits and so enjoy the experience that they choose to remain active as alumni. All of the committees have some alumni members in addition to the current Academy group. The alumni bring an important perspective to the activities and serve as role models for those coming into the program.

The entire Consortium, based on its reputation for improving educational opportunity and quality for the citizens, has been held up as a model for the state and has been an active participant in shaping statewide educational policy.