Swarthmore College is pleased to offer a leadership development program for faculty in the humanities and humanistic social sciences. Made possible through a generous grant from the Mellon Foundation, Swarthmore President Valerie Smith and faculty leaders in the Swarthmore administration have created a program designed for faculty members from Philadelphia-area colleges and universities.
Participating institutions are invited to select faculty members for this opportunity. The program’s primary goal is to provide participants with a deeper understanding of the pathways and possibilities available to faculty who wish to explore or pursue leadership roles. Through guided conversations with senior leaders in higher education and collaborative exchanges with peers across diverse institutions, participants will gain valuable insights into both the opportunities and the challenges of leadership in higher education. The program aims to equip faculty with the knowledge, perspective, and confidence to envision and pursue meaningful leadership opportunities within their own institutions and the broader higher education landscape.
Participants include members of the faculty from: Bryn Mawr College, Bucknell University, Community College of Philadelphia, Delaware County Community College, Haverford College, Lincoln University, Muhlenberg College, Swarthmore College, Temple University, University of Delaware, Villanova University, and Widener University. All participants are early-to mid-career faculty members from the humanities and humanistic social sciences.
Sessions explore topics such as:
- Why choose academic leadership?
- Leadership with a humanistic background
- Challenges and difficulties of higher ed leadership
- Academic leadership cultures, positions, and contexts
- Thinking about one’s own teaching, research, and service career path
