The University of Oregon Leadership Academy is getting ready to embark on its seventh year of training and inspiring the next cadre of campus leaders. 

The academy is a participatory leadership development program for mid-level administrative and academic faculty and staff members at the UO, offered by the Office of the Provost.

A diverse group of 30 participants will be selected to participate through an application process. Deadline for applications for the 2024-25 cohort is Jan. 22.

“What really excites me about the UO Leadership Academy is the unique opportunity for faculty and staff from every corner of campus to engage together, both learning from and with one another,” said Sierra Dawson, associate vice provost for faculty and leadership development and co-facilitator of the Leadership Academy. “This results in a greater sense of community and belonging while developing a crucial skill set for leading ourselves and others, regardless of titles or job descriptions.”

The program is designed to support the leadership development of diverse and talented faculty and staff members, as well as to enhance the culture of collaboration and connection among participants, who are chosen from different backgrounds, identity characteristics, beliefs and experiences to enhance group effectiveness and learning. 

Brad Garner, professor of dance in the School of Music and Dance, was part of the 2022-23 group. He said he gained insight into leadership styles that allowed him to be his “authentic self,” rather than trying to imitate how others might approach leadership. 

“One of the coolest and most unexpected things I gained from the Leadership Academy was bonding with faculty and staff from across the entire UO campus,” he said. “Those connections and perspectives are invaluable to me.”

Mariko Lin is a senior staff psychologist, assistant director, and education and prevention outreach director in Counseling Services. Now in her 13th year at the UO, she said she applied after realizing she needed a refresher “to put myself in a place where I was learning again. 

“Also, I felt a little bit stuck in my career,” she said. “I wanted an opportunity to learn concepts and hear experiences across campus to feel inspired and validated.

“For me there is something to be said for taking yourself out of your department for a full day and getting a fresh perspective, and taking a breather from the work to reflect on how you can improve things.”

After completing the program, she said, “I feel empowered in my role that I can make change at this university in a meaningful way.” 

Mike Urbancic is a senior instructor of economics and president of United Academics of the University of Oregon, the faculty union. Since arriving at the UO in 2012, he held different service positions, but hadn’t aspired to leadership, leery of the responsibilities and skills such positions would require. 

He had served in an ancillary support role for the faculty union, and when the previous president, Avinnash Tiwari, retired, he urged Urbancic to serve as president. About the same time, he saw that the Leadership Academy was seeking applications. 

“I thought, oh this is an area where I need more growth and more strength,” he said. 

He said the experience of reflecting on who he was and what he wanted to do was “fantastic.”

“There aren’t as many moments as perhaps there should be for people to carefully think through what they want to accomplish and what their role should be,” he said. “The core part of it was doing that introspective work – doing an inventory of some strengths and some weaknesses and to learn how to approach working in teams, where we can lean into our strengths and encourage others to do the same.”

The 2024-25 academy includes a kickoff event in June, followed by nine Fridays between September 2024 and June 2025. 

Participants must be full-time, permanent UO employees whose work focuses on the academic or administrative mission, such as professor, senior instructor or lecturer, professor of practice, librarian, assistant or associate dean or vice provost, unit head, directors, assistant or associate director, program manager, although there is no specific title or rank required to apply.

“The Leadership Academy experience and community is inspiring,” said Jennifer Espinola, dean of students in the School of Law and co-facilitator of the Leadership Academy. “It’s a unique space that allows for deeper connection to colleagues who all aspire to make our teams and shared work better.”