The University of Utah (The U) plans to expand its Presidential Leadership Fellows pilot program to three other schools using a $1.3 million grant from the Mellon Foundation.
The schools are Salt Lake Community College, Utah State University, and Weber State University. The program, which launched in April 2019 with a three-year grant from the foundation, aims at increasing the number of academic leaders from the arts and humanities, specifically those historically excluded and underrepresented from the ranks of chairs, deans, and university presidents.
The program seeks faculty with track records of promoting justice, equity, diversity, and inclusivity – the applicant pool consists of all associate and full-level faculty with a professional background in the arts and humanities.
Fellows take part in professional and development activities and mentoring from the president, cabinet members, and other higher ed leaders.
“We are excited to deepen this project and expand it to three campuses across the state as we have already seen its benefits here at The U,” said Dr. Taylor Randall, president of The U. “I believe our collective commitment to this program will shine a national spotlight on the importance of the arts and humanities in academia — not just as its soul and spirit, but also as the source of gifted leaders and administrators.”
