Who Should Attend the Advanced Academy

The Advanced Academy is intended for mid-to-senior level leaders and administrators in higher education, with a focus on building leadership credibility and capacity within teams and throughout the organization. Program content and case studies are designed for established and experienced leaders looking for their next step in professional development. Participants are challenged to think big, reframe situations, adapt quickly, execute strategy, and make critical decisions. Learning and development extends prior knowledge and skill sets and provides specialized training for those who may aspire to executive-level positions in higher education settings.

The Advanced Program does not require completion of the Foundation Program as a prerequisite, but it does build on its content, competencies, and principles.

Features and Outcomes

Advanced Academy sessions integrate leadership competencies and professional experiences with practical application for participant engagement. Each program includes two, three-day sessions scheduled a year apart. Participants reflect on assessment feedback and session topics to then create their personal and team alignment plans. They identify a current or upcoming team project, challenge, or change process and implement specific action items designed to influence team clarity, alignment, cohesion, creativity, and communication. The goal of the practicum project is to build a timeline for putting learning into action by incorporating program strategies, resources, and feedback to engage team members. Participants work through their projects and plan with the support of their facilitator coach and self-selected mentor.

The Academy schedules follow-up meetings throughout the year to reconnect the cohort and program participants submit reflective reports to document growth and progression. With completion of the Advanced Academy, participants are recognized with the Academy’s certificate and program pin to celebrate their development as transformational leaders and accomplishment of program competencies.

Program Outcomes:

1. Apply theoretical knowledge, practical experience, defined contributions, and collective stories and case studies to accelerate credibility as a leader and build confidence in leadership capacity.
2. Implement the 4 Essential Roles of Leadership: create conditions that inspire trust, craft a compelling vision and strategy, align core systems to execute strategy, and help team members reach their full potential through regular coaching and feedback.
3. Live and lead with integrity by establishing leadership values that align with organizational values, address unconscious bias, and understand emotional intelligence mindsets.
4. Intentionally establish an engaged culture, focused on meaningful teamwork in an environment of trust.
5. Explore and develop innovative and optimistic perspectives and techniques that help leaders reframe situations to find clarity and meaning amid intricate and perplexing issues within their teams and higher education organizations.
6. Examine the variables associated with decision making and evaluate the environmental factors that influence our decisions and team decisions. 

Advanced Academy Practicum Elements

The Advanced Academy is comprised of two, 3-day residential sessions, scheduled a year apart and referred to as Program Session 1 and Session 2.  An independent practicum project follows and progresses through the Academy year. Participants are guided and supported by their Academy facilitators, self-selected mentors, and Academy liaison.

The Practicum includes:
Practicum Project
Participants develop personal and team alignment plans, addressing leadership practices, behaviors, and competencies. Team projects and/or change processes specific to the leader’s role and responsibilities are identified, with detailed actions items implemented to influence leadership effectiveness and impact team success. Measurable outcomes are revealed to illustrate progress, accomplishment, and challenge during this development process. The goal of the practicum plan and team project is to put learning into action and create ongoing opportunities for discovery and growth.

Assessments, Documents, and Reports
The program includes a series of assessments, documents, and reports to help participants identify their strengths, goals, and opportunities for improvement. Feedback from colleagues, peers, and program participants support the learning process.

Mentoring and Coaching 
Participants self-select an internal and/or external mentor who will provide support, guidance, and feedback during the practicum year. The Academy provides a mentor guidebook for review and reflection. Academy facilitators serve as coaches during the Academy year. Coaching conversations and check-ins are scheduled to meet to the needs of participants.

Reflective Practice
During the practicum experience, participants are encouraged to actively reflect on their leadership journey. Reflective practice establishes a benchmark and provides insight into what is learned from experiences, achievements, and failures. The information gained helps leaders focus on and plan for what they will do moving forward.

Engagement and Resources
Participants are encouraged to remain engaged with the Academy’s leadership community and social media platforms. A virtual, midyear meeting will be scheduled by the program’s facilitators to reconnect the cohort, support progress, and prepare for reflection reports and coaching conversations. The Academy provides ongoing learning and support through their blog, whataboutleadership, and the FranklinCovey All Access Pass.

Advanced Academy Certificate of Completion 
Participants who complete all program requirements are presented with a framed “Certificate of Completion” and Advanced Academy pin. This recognition celebrates intentional and successful attainment of the Advanced Program curriculum, practicum, and competencies.

Academy Costs

The Advanced Academy’s in-person program is $4,000 (USD), split into two annual payments of $2,000 (USD). Participants are required to pay each $2,000 (USD) fee when they register for their program sessions. All fees are inclusive of program materials, assessments, and specified food package. Refer to each Academy Program registration page for all fee information. Note: Program fees are subject to change based on location. Additional fees for travel, lodging, and food are the responsibility of each participant.

Program Topics

Session 1:

1. How to Become a More Effective Leader
2. Leading with Integrity
3. Inspire Trust
4. Create Vision
5. Reframing Organizations
6. Art of Decision Making
7. Practicum Project and Expectations 

Session 2:

1. The Agile Mindset
2. Unconscious Bias
3. Executing Strategy
4. Build a Culture of Leadership
5. Coach Potential
6. Celebrate Excellence

Program Competencies

The Advanced Academy is aligned with the Competencies for Community College Leaders developed by the American Association of Community Colleges and the Association of Canadian Community Colleges.

1. Recognize the unique talents of team members and work to align roles, responsibilities, and expectations so that they can use their talents in pursuit of individual, team, and organizational goals.
2. Create a spirit of community by celebrating the values and victories of individuals and the team.
3. Inspire others by relating to them in ways which energize and uplift them.
4. Identify, equip, coach, and mentor fellow leaders for sustained success and succession planning.
5. Understand, appreciate, and value diversity and inclusion.
6. Engage in constructive dialogue.
7. Challenge assumptions.
8. Create and maintain a climate of teamwork and trust through open and honest communication.
9. Resolve difficult moral dilemmas by understanding and considering varying perspectives.
10. Engage in ethical behavior.
11. Respect and value differences.
12. Foster collaboration by promoting cooperative goals and building trust.
13. Engage in reflective practice to better learn and grow as a leader.
14. Strengthen others by sharing power, discretion, authority, and information.
15. Look to the future regarding the potential benefits and uses of technology to connect individuals and teams for increased access, engagement, and assessment of organizational and learning outcomes.
16. Identify, access, and manage risks and opportunities individually and throughout the  organization to use its resources efficiently and effectively.
17. Recognize leadership at all levels and constituencies within the organization, and work to develop leaders within the organization.
18. Make teamwork, trust, and empowerment essential elements of leadership.
19. Explore the enterprise of education.
20. Develop employees and staff through succession planning and professional development opportunities.
21. Embrace change.
22. Enhance the opportunity for personal and professional growth to facilitate success.