ADEA Council of Deans Fellowship Program
2025-26 ADEA Council of Deans Fellowship Program
Started in 2023, the ADEA Council of Deans Fellowship (ADEA CDF) is a year-long, part-time fellowship aimed at creating a diverse pipeline of future leaders who will assume roles as dental school deans and other senior university leadership positions. What sets this program apart from other leadership programs is the intense mentoring that Fellows engage in; components of this are a faculty to Fellow ratio of 1:1 or 1:2, a two-week site visit to external institutions with mentoring from the Dean and a commitment to mentoring from the Dean of the Fellow’s home institution. The ADEA CDF will increase the number of qualified candidates for deanships and equip them with the skills and experiences to help them succeed. Fellows’ career goals should include leadership at the dean or higher administrative level in the near future.
Applicants are self-nominated and must have the support and agreement from their Dean (or equivalent) to attend this program. A committee comprised of senior leaders from dental and higher education will review and rank each applicant. ADEA strongly encourages applications from individuals of diverse backgrounds and graduates of ADEA leadership or equivalent programs. The ADEA CDF is not intended for new deans. Individuals who have served as an interim or acting dean for less than one year may apply.
The ADEA CDF application process simulates applying for the position of dean at a dental school. Tuition for 2025–26 is $15,000. This includes three modules of in-person learning, and registration for the ADEA Deans’ Conference and the ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition. The tuition does not cover travel, hotel and meals.
As the first step, applicants must read the “Candidate Application Guide (PDF)” and “The University of Tomorrow School of Dental Medicine” (PDF) documents in their entirety before beginning the application.
For more information about the program, please visit the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.
Sponsoring deans agree to support and monitor the Fellow throughout the year-long program.
All program details are in the “Guide for Sponsoring Deans (PDF) document.
| Important Dates for Applicants | |
| July 15 – Oct. 9, 2024 | Applications can be submitted. |
| Sept. 26 – Oct. 29, 2024 | Selection of candidates for interview and interviews are conducted. |
| Nov. 1 – Dec. 1, 2024 | Final Selection: The committee will confer and select the cohort of Fellows and notify the Fellows. Written feedback will be provided to candidates who were interviewed. |
| Program Dates In Brief | ||
| Date(s) | Venue | Activity |
| March 7, 2025 | In person | 2025 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition: Orientation and assignment of career development plan |
| April 4, 2025 | Submit to LMS | Career development plan and Project Plan draft submission |
| April 6–9, 2025 | In person | Module I: Fundamentals of Administrative Leadership ADEA office, Washington, DC |
| May 1, 2025 – Feb. 13, 2026 | Online | Individual (x3) and group (x3) meetings with coach |
| May 1, 2025 – March 2, 2026 | Online | Council of Deans, one-hour program each month |
| May 1– Aug. 31, 2025 | In person | Site Visit 1 |
| Sept. 1 – Dec. 18, 2025 | In person | Site Visit 2 |
| November 2025 | In person | Module II: Practicing the Fundamentals of Administrative Leadership
ADEA Deans’ Conference (TBA) |
| Feb. 15, 2026 | Submit to LMS | Capstone project completion submission |
| March 7, 2026 | In person | Module III and Graduation Luncheon: 2026 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition |
If you have questions about program content, please contact CDF@adea.org.
March 7, 2025 - March 7, 2026
ADEA Headquarters
Washington, DC
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