Council of Deans Fellowship

Who should apply?

Ideal candidate attributes:

• A minimum of seven years of experience in dental education,
• Have attained or be eligible for promotion to professor,
• Served in a designated senior administrative leadership role for three years or more,
• Shown progressive leadership growth across time, within and external to dental education,
• Contributed to their institution’s mission,
• Served on a university-level committee,
• Chaired a committee outside of a dental school (university, state or national organization),
• A breadth of knowledge and experience in one or more areas (e.g., curriculum assessment, accreditation, alumni relations, dental societies, public health and policy),
• Led substantial change projects in dental education or dental-related organizations,
• Supervised direct reports and
• Managed a budget for an organization, department or other academic or administrative unit.

Why should you apply?

During the ADEA Council of Deans Fellowship you will:

• Develop the skills, knowledge and experience needed to be a dean or higher-level role in academia,
• Develop or reinforce existing skills, for example, strategic planning, fundraising, budgeting and working with HR,
• Receive high-level mentoring from your ADEA CDF coach (each coach has 2–3 fellows in total), the ADEA CDF program director, your own dean and the site visit dean and
• Become prepared to successfully apply to a deanship or higher-level role in academia.

What is the cost?

ADEA is committed to supporting this important program and subsidizes a significant portion of the actual cost—allowing us to keep tuition costs at $15,000 for the past several years.

Expenses that are not covered:

• Hotel and airfare to modules, site visits and the ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition for Module III and graduation.

What is the program content?

The ADEA Council of Deans Fellowship experience consists of an orientation, three modules, two site visits, and multiple online coaching sessions.

Orientation

Orientation takes place on the day prior to the ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition. (Tuition includes the cost of registration for the orientation session for new Fellows). New Fellows attend the graduating Fellows’ presentations of their Capstone Projects, showing their focus during the year.

They are invited to the graduation luncheon and attend an orientation where the ADEA CDF faculty get to know and understand more about each Fellow and the Fellows meet and get to know each other. The program is reviewed for Fellows, and the online resource (in ADEA eLearn) is provided to each Fellow.

The Fellows are provided with instructions to prepare a draft Capstone Project and develop a Career Development Plan. These will be uploaded to the eLearn portal before Module I. (The Capstone Project will be further developed during the modules and site visits, with feedback from the assigned coach).

Coaches are assigned to each Fellow prior to Module I.

Site visits are assigned after Module I. The site visits are selected for the Fellows based on capstone project goals and identified areas for development for each Fellow.

Module I: Fundamentals of Administrative Leadership

Module I is an intensive three-day program:

• Case-based learning in HR issues, organizational management, communication, finance, negotiation and conflict resolution.
• External presentations from deans and higher-level academicians on topics such as budgeting, outcomes planning, developing faculty at your future institution, fundraising and other topics.
• Mentoring from your coach and program director.
• Role-playing the application to a deanship.
• Advice on applying to deanships, including interviewing.

Module II: Practicing the Fundamentals of Administrative Leadership and ADEA Council of Deans Conference 

Fellows will:

• Practice their skills in working with HR, budgeting and strategic planning.
• Network with deans and other ADEA members at the ADEA Deans’ Conference.

Module III: Moving Forward as a Leader

Module III takes place the day prior to the ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition. Registration for the ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition is not included in tuition.  

Fellows will:

• Present their Capstone Project and receive feedback from the ADEA CDF coaches and director, new Fellows, and ADEA CDF alumni.
• Attend the ADEA CDF Alumni Association meeting.
• Attend the graduation luncheon with their co-Fellows, ADEA principal officers, invited deans and members of the ADEA CDF Alumni Association.
• Attend the ADEA Council of Deans Business Meeting and Caucus Meeting.