Harvard University is partnering with Clark Atlanta University to help cultivate and empower the next generation of leaders at historically Black colleges and universities through its Harvard Seminar for New Presidents.
Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative has committed to increasing access to professional development for HBCUs Executive Leadership Institute (ELI) at Clark Atlanta.
ELI recruits, develops, and nurtures top-tier talent for more than 100 HBCUs nationwide, enhancing the pool of qualified candidates to fill vacant spots.
The institute seeks to immerse some 50 new leaders in hands-on experiences to hone their skills and readiness for executive positions. The immersion includes the in-person Harvard Seminar for New Presidents, comprising ELI Presidential Fellows.
The July 19-24 seminar is designed for first-time college and university presidents from across the higher education sector, who have been in office for a year or less. Fellows are expected to gain a practical orientation to college and university presidency, as well as the ability to familiarize themselves with opportunities and hazards they will likely face.
“Although we’ve had many HBCU presidents attend the Seminar, we’ve never had a cohort of this size, and this will be wonderful for the presidents and the program,” said Dr. Judith Block McLaughlin, faculty chair of the Harvard Seminar for New Presidents. “New presidents benefit from opportunities to talk with counterparts at like institutions and learn greatly from conversations with presidents of institutions different from their own.”