Mid-level staff professionals can have a profoundly positive impact on the student experience, employee retention, and campus operations. The Associated Colleges of the Midwest’s Leading from the Middle certificate program is designed to prepare and equip mid-level staff to identify their personal leadership style and strengths, deepen their knowledge of campus offices and programs, align operations with strategy, lead institutional projects, and evaluate and empower their direct reports.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Through virtual sessions and an in-person workshop, participants will identify an unmet need on their campus and develop a proposal to address it. To inform their proposal, participants will draw on best practices from change management theory, consider relevant research, and incorporate feedback from consortial peers and campus partners. To complete their certificate, participants will attend all required sessions and present their plan to campus leaders.
This program kicks off with an in-person, two-day workshop in September 2026, followed by 90-minute virtual meetings every other month from November 2026 to September 2027.
PARTICIPATION CRITERIA
This certificate program is designed for mid-career higher education professionals seeking to develop and refine their leadership skills. Each ACM member college may select up to three (3) participants for the 2026-2027 program.
All participants must meet the following criteria:
- Be designated as a member of the staff (faculty may explore other ACM opportunities);
- Report to a Vice President or a member of the President’s senior staff/cabinet; and
- Supervise at least one direct report.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Participants will:
- Enhance their ability to manage change and lead departments, projects, and people.
- Leverage campus and cross-institution perspectives to promote a spirit of innovation, collaboration, community, and creative problem-solving.
- Be empowered to reflect on their leadership skills, align their work to the broader mission of their college, and design a plan to implement a new initiative or improve existing processes.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION & PROGRAM DATES
Eligible staff seeking to be nominated for participation should contact their supervising Vice President for information on registration. The priority registration date is June 30, 2026. Before registering, participants must confirm that they are able to attend the required in-person workshop.
In-Person Workshop: September 24 (9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m CT) – September 25 (8:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. CT), 2026, at an ACM member campus (TBD).
Virtual Workshops: November 6, 2026; January 29, 2027; March 5, 2027; May 28, 2027; July 16, 2027; and September 29, 2027 (all virtual sessions are from 9:30-11:00 a.m. CT).
PROGRAM COSTS
ACM will cover all programming costs, lodging, and meals during the in-person workshop. ACM will provide some travel subsidies for participants traveling more than 100 miles to attend the in-person workshop. Nominating campuses agree to provide participants with sufficient release time to attend required events and complete associated assignments.
Please contact [email protected] with questions.
