AAC&U Launches New Fellowship Initiative to Prepare Humanities Faculty for Academic Leadership

Inaugural cohort brings together 15 faculty leaders from five institutions

Washington, DC—The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) today announced the launch of Leading with Humanity: A Multi-Institutional Fellowship for Academic Leadership Transformation, a new initiative designed to prepare humanities faculty for expanded leadership roles in higher education.

Hosted by AAC&U’s New Leadership Academy (NLA) and supported by the Mellon Foundation, the four-year initiative brings together five institutions in a consortium focused on developing academic leaders grounded in the humanities. Two cohorts of faculty will participate in the program, which combines leadership development with opportunities for fellows to apply their learning in leadership roles at their home institutions.

“At a moment of profound change for higher education, colleges and universities need leaders who can navigate complexity without losing sight of the people and purposes at the heart of our institutions,” said Lynn Pasquerella, president of AAC&U. “Leading with Humanity recognizes the distinctive contribution humanities faculty can make to academic leadership. We are delighted to welcome this inaugural cohort and to support their development as leaders.”

The initiative reflects the premise that humanistic perspectives can strengthen institutional leadership by enriching decision-making, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and helping academic communities navigate complex challenges. It builds on the NLA’s work preparing higher education professionals with the knowledge, tools, and courage to step into institutional leadership roles.

The inaugural cohort will participate from September 2026 through September 2028. Over two years, fellows will engage in executive coaching, mentorship, cross-institutional learning, leadership development programming, and an in-person leadership institute. In the second year, they will put that learning into practice through embedded leadership roles or projects at their institutions.

The inaugural cohort includes 15 faculty members from five institutions.

• Bethel College: Rachel E. Buller, Professor of Visual Arts and Design; Christine E. Crouse-Dick, Professor of Communication Arts; and Christina T. Liu, Associate Professor of Music and Music Department Chair
• Colby College: Alicia E. Ellis, Associate Professor of German; Nicolás Ramos Flores, Associate Professor of Spanish; and Arnout van der Meer, Associate Professor of History
• Delaware State University: James Peterson, Professor and Chair, Department of Languages and Literatures; Ordner W. Taylor III, Director of General Education; and Yi Zhang, Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)
• University of Alabama at Birmingham: Valerie Accetta, Head of Musical Theatre and Full Professor; Matt King, Professor of Philosophy; and Lilian Mina, Professor of English and Director of Institutional Assessment
• University of Vermont: Jean Bessette, Associate Professor of English; Helen Morgan Parmett, Associate Professor; and Rob B. Shimko, Program Head, Theatre and Dance, and Associate Director, School of the Arts

Together, the fellows represent disciplines spanning literature, languages, history, philosophy, communication, visual arts, music, theatre, rhetoric and composition, media studies, and cultural studies.

Learn more about Leading with Humanity.

About AAC&U

The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) is a global membership organization dedicated to advancing the democratic purposes of higher education by promoting equity, innovation, and excellence in liberal education. Through our programs and events, publications and research, public advocacy, and campus-based projects, AAC&U serves as a catalyst and facilitator for innovations that improve educational quality and equity and that support the success of all students. In addition to accredited public and private, two-year and four-year colleges and universities, and state higher education systems and agencies throughout the United States, our membership includes degree-granting higher education institutions around the world as well as other organizations and individuals. To learn more, visit www.aacu.org.