Overview
The mission of the MAC ALDP is to identify, develop, prepare and advance faculty as academic leaders in the Mid-American Conference universities. The program provides an opportunity for WMU faculty to gain valuable knowledge and experience in academic leadership by working closely with select administrators from other colleges and universities in the MAC.
Key outcomes of the program include:
- Articulate the complexity of the structure and operations within an institution and across institutions;
- Describe the impact of the external influences on the role of leaders in a higher institution. This should include, but is not limited to, federal/state regulations and mandates, accreditation, and community influence;
- Identify best practices in academic leadership;
- Assess one’s own leadership potential, including strengths and weaknesses, and identify leadership pathways;
- Communicate the importance of inclusive excellence.
Up to four outstanding individuals are selected each year to serve as Western Michigan ALDP Fellows under the mentorship of the Associate Vice President for Teaching and Learning. The program has three basic, required elements: (i) a university-level development program led by the associate vice president for the selected WMU fellows, (ii) participation in multiple MAC-wide workshops for all program participants that will include up to two in-person meetings on other MAC campuses (as conditions allow), with the remainder to be held virtually; and (iii) completion of a portfolio that documents and allows for reflection of the experience. The workshops will address topics such as conflict resolution, budgeting, accreditation and accountability.
The goal of this program is to expose faculty who are interested in administration and those who have recently moved into an administrative role as chair or associate dean (within the last three years) to the challenges and rewards of institutional service and to prepare them for potential leadership positions within the academy. Whether or not a Fellow ultimately chooses to pursue an administrative position in the future, the program will, at a minimum, provide them with a better appreciation for and understanding of how universities operate.
Selection Process
May 24
Academic Deans and the Executive Board of the Faculty Senate are invited to nominate up to two individuals for an ADLP Fellowship. To be eligible, a nominee must be a tenured faculty member. Master Faculty Specialists are eligible. Nominees are expected to possess strong leadership capacities as well as an outstanding record of achievement in their current and past positions, along with an expressed interest in administrative service.
The nomination must take the form of a letter no more than two pages in length that describes the leadership qualities of the nominee and elaborates upon their contributions to the academic department, unit or division. Each nomination should be accompanied by an application completed by the nominee.
Deans and the Executive Board of the Faculty Senate are responsible for getting the following application material to the candidates they select.
The nominating letter and application should be submitted electronically:
The application deadline is May 24, 2024, and decisions will be announced shortly after.
Fellowship Year
Throughout the year, the Fellow will have the opportunity to meet with the other Western Michigan Fellows and the Associate Vice President for Teaching and Learning to discuss relevant professional literature and to design a leadership portfolio to be completed during the spring semester. The portfolio will include several leadership artifacts, including leadership philosophy, CV and leadership goals. The goal of the portfolio is to assist the Fellow to reflect and gain insight on their future leadership goals. The MAC-ALDP Liaisons (who are upper level administrators in other MAC institutions) will provide input on the Fellows’ portfolios.
In addition, all Fellows are required to attend the MAC ALDP Workshops scheduled during the year. These workshops are hosted by MAC institutions and will follow a format designed to maximize interaction among the Fellows. Case studies, group discussions and other group activities will be incorporated into the workshops. All expenses for the workshops are covered by either the MAC or WMU.
Questions regarding the Academic Leadership Development Program should be directed to Dr. Jason Glass, Associate Vice President for Teaching and Learning, at jason.glass@wmich.edu.
2024-25 MAC ALDP Fellows
Alan Rea
Dr. Alan Rea is a professor in the Business Information Systems Department in the Haworth College of Business at Western Michigan University. He holds a secondary appointment in the Computer Science Department in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Rea is a Co-Director of WMU’s Cybersecurity Programs. In this role he works with faculty from two colleges (Business and Engineering) to develop, deploy, and manage curricula and course offerings for completely online and in-person MS and BS degrees. Rea also works with WMU’s Professional Programs offering Cybersecurity training to businesses and local educators. Rea regularly teaches courses in information assurance, risk management, system security, and digital forensics. In his courses, he implements free and open-source software whenever possible to emphasize the plethora of essential tools and approaches within information systems. Rea’s research concentrates on secure system development, organizational information assurance, and risk management approaches. In particular, he has examined security implications associated with developing, deploying, and managing cloud services and web applications. Rea's research has been published in the Journal of Information Systems Education, Journal of Information Systems Security, Journal of Information Privacy and Security, Journal of Computer Information Systems, Communications of the ACM, Industrial Management & Data Systems, and Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law. Rea is frequently featured as a media expert and serves on various academic and industry security working groups.
Amy E. Heath
Dr. Amy Heath is an Associate Professor and Chair in the Department of Physical Therapy and Director for the Doctor of Physical Therapy program (2023). Heath was appointed to serve as the Treasurer for the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy in 2024. In 2023, Heath completed the Excellence in Academic Leadership program developed by the National Center for Principled Leadership & Research Ethics, part of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Prior to arriving at WMU in 2019, Heath was the Chair and DPT Program Director at Simmons University (2014- 2019) and Director of Clinical Education at Temple University (2009- 2014). While at Temple University, Heath completed her PhD in Education Research (2013) and graduated from the American Physical Therapy Association’s Fellowship in Higher Education Leadership (2014). Heath received her BS in Health Students and Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Simmons University.
Regina Garza Mitchell
Dr. Regina Garza Mitchell is a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership, Research, and Technology at Western Michigan University where she teaches primarily in the Evaluation, Measurement, and Research program. Her specialty areas include qualitative inquiry and higher education leadership. Her research interests include culturally relevant qualitative methodologies, teaching qualitative research, and higher education leadership and governance, with a focus on the community college context. Garza Mitchell has edited several books and is co-author of Developing Tomorrow’s Leaders: Context, Challenges, and Capabilities (The Futures Series on Community Colleges). Her work has been funded by the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education and Improving Undergraduate STEM Education programs. She earned the 2015 WMU College of Education and Human Development Tate Center Emerging Scholar Award and the Council for the Study of Community Colleges Barbara K. Townsend Emerging Scholar Award in 2019. She is past president of the Council for the Study of Community Colleges and serves on several editorial boards. She is also a founding member of the WMU Latinx Employee Association. Prior to joining WMU, Regina served in a variety of faculty, administrative, and leadership positions in university and community college settings.
German Zarate-Sandez
Dr. Germán Zárate-Sández is an associate professor and director of the introductory Spanish program in the Department of Spanish at Western Michigan University (WMU). He joined WMU in 2015 after obtaining his Ph.D. in applied Spanish linguistics from Georgetown University. His research and teaching address topics in applied linguistics, teacher training, second language pronunciation development, and social justice in language education. His research has been funded by the Language Learning Journal and by the Modern Language Association/Mellon Foundation (Pathways Step Grant) to support his curricular project aimed at better understanding and enhancing the academic experiences of Black students enrolled in language courses. Dr. Zárate-Sández is a three-time recipient of Fulbright recognitions: a Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) award to teach Spanish at the University of Scranton (2005-2006); a Fulbright U.S. scholar award at the Federal University of Santa Catarina in Brazil (2022), and an appointment by the U.S. Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs as an Alumni Ambassador to represent and promote the Fulbright Program at campuses and conferences in the United States (2024-2026). In addition to giving numerous conference presentations, he has been invited to give keynote and plenary presentations in the U.S., Argentina, and Brazil. His work regularly appears in high-impact edited volumes and journals such as the Modern Language Journal and Language Teaching Research. In recognition of his scholarly accomplishments, Dr. Zárate-Sández was the 2024 recipient of WMU’s “Faculty Achievement Award in Research and Creative Activities” from the College of Arts and Sciences.