Senior administrators and deans of all UGA schools and colleges are invited to nominate individuals for the Administrative Fellows Program, which provides a unique opportunity for faculty to work closely with select senior administrators at the university to gain knowledge and experience in the area of academic leadership.
Up to three fellows will be selected for 2009-2010, the third year of the program at UGA. Lonnie Brown, an associate professor in the School of Law, served as the inaugural fellow in 2007-2008, working with Provost Arnett C. Mace Jr.
This academic year, William Vencill, a professor in the department of crop and soil sciences, has served as an Administrative Fellow in the provost’s office, while Zhen Fu, a professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine, worked with David Lee, vice president for research.
“For anyone interested in administration or in experiencing the full breadth of the University of Georgia, this is an excellent experience,” said Vencill. “I have had the opportunity to work with faculty and administrators from across campus and to work with many of the senior administrators and their staff this year on initiatives that will move UGA forward, even in a difficult economic environment.”
The Administrative Fellows program is part of a broader initiative of the Southeastern Conference Academic Consortium, known as the Academic Leadership Development Program.
In addition to working with senior administrators at UGA, fellows participate in two workshops hosted by different SECAC participating schools.
In 2009-2010, workshops will be held in October at the University of Mississippi in Oxford and in February at the University of Alabama and will address such topics as conflict resolution, emergency preparedness, structure and operations, budgeting, accreditation and accountability.
“The goal of this program is to expose faculty interested in administration to the challenges and rewards of such institutional service and to prepare them for potential leadership positions,” said Mace, who served as the first SECAC chair when the organization was created in 2005 to bolster academic programs at the 12 SEC member schools.
Nominees must be tenured faculty members or have a standing appointment as service or administrative faculty. They are expected to possess strong leadership experience, outstanding records of achievement in current and past positions and a sincere interest in administrative service.
Selected fellows will be placed on a one-year leave of absence from their faculty appointments and will be relieved of all teaching, research, committee or other assignments related to those appointments.
Fellows will continue to receive their regular salaries plus an administrative supplement.
The deadline for submitting nomination letters and applications is Feb. 27. The application form and additional information about the program can be found online at www.uga.edu/administrativefellows/.
Materials should be sent to the Administrative Fellows Selection Committee, in care of the Provost’s Office in the Administration Building.
Questions regarding the program or the selection process can be addressed to Vencill at (706) 542-5806 or wvencill@uga.edu.