Jerlena Griffin-Desta selected as an ACE Fellow for 2017-18
April 10, 2017 •
UCOP congratulates Jerlena Griffin-Desta, deputy to the vice president for Student Affairs and executive director, Student Services & Engagement, on being selected by the American Council on Education (ACE) as an ACE Fellow for 2017-18. One of 46 select college and university leaders in her class, Griffin-Desta will join the leadership development program this fall as ACE celebrates its 100th anniversary.
“Fulfilling higher education’s 21st century mission depends upon a visionary, bold and diverse global community of institutional leaders, and the ACE Fellows Program plays a key role in cultivating these leaders,” said ACE President Molly Corbett Broad. “The diverse and talented 2017-18 Fellows Class demonstrates why the program has made such a vital contribution for more than a half century to expanding the leadership pipeline for our colleges and universities.”
The program combines retreats, interactive learning opportunities, visits to campuses and other higher education-related organizations, and placement at another higher education institution to condense years of on-the-job experience and skills development into a single year.
During the placement, Fellows observe and work with the president and other senior officers at their host institution, attend decision-making meetings and focus on issues of interest. Fellows also conduct projects of pressing concern for their home institution and seek to implement their findings upon completion of the fellowship placement. Projects have included developing an internationalization process, designing a post-tenure review policy, creating a teaching-learning center and crafting an initiative to support the academic success of first-generation college students.
At the conclusion of the fellowship year, Fellows return to their home institution with new knowledge and skills that contribute to capacity-building efforts, along with a network of peers across the country and abroad.
ACE recently released a report, “Looking Back and Looking Forward: A Review of the ACE Fellows Program,” which shares select findings from a comprehensive review of the program to promote dialogue on the future of college and university leadership.
Find out more about the ACE Fellows Program.
See the full list of ACE Fellows for 2017-18.
