Provost’s Faculty Fellows Program and Application

About the Program

In the Provost’s Faculty Fellows Program, current NC State faculty interested in learning more about academic affairs administration can build awareness of challenges and issues in higher education at the university, national, and global levels, build skills to address those challenges and issues, build collaborative relationships while working in interdisciplinary groups to solve problems and engage in opportunities to demonstrate leadership potential.

The home departments of the faculty members selected as Faculty Fellows will be provided with 25 percent salary release funds to cover the time commitment required for participation. Fellowships are for a full academic year.

Selected applicants will work in teams of three to address an assigned theme or issue relating to higher education leadership. All fellows will participate in a cohort-based, academic-year-long training program structured around strategy, leadership, and cultural competence. They will work closely with one another and with staff of the Shelton Leadership Center, Office for Faculty Excellence, and Office of Global Engagement. They will have the opportunity to meet, learn from, and be coached by leaders and subject matter experts from across NC State. The fellows will work towards the completion of a proposal that addresses their assigned theme or issue and advances NC State’s strategic plan.

2025-26 Fellows will apply for one of two tracks:

Working with Provost Arden, in conjunction with the Office of Global Engagement, the Office for Faculty Excellence and the Shelton Leadership Center, the 2025-26 Faculty Fellows program will be split into two tracks.

University Leadership Fellows
Up to six (6) fellows will be selected for this track and placed in two teams. Each team will be assigned a theme or issue that university leadership is seeking to develop strategies to address across campus. The proposed strategies will be presented to Provost Arden and other senior leaders at the end of the fellowship. Together with the Global Leadership Fellows, they will participate in an academic-year-long training program structured around strategy, leadership, and cultural competence.

Global Leadership Fellow
Up to three (3) fellows will be selected for this track and will work as a team. They will be assigned a project developed by the Office of Global Engagement and will work to address a broad theme or issue relating to global academic leadership, with the intent of presenting their findings and recommendations to Provost Arden and other senior leaders at the end of the fellowship. The fellows will participate with the six fellows from the University Leadership Track in an academic-year-long training program structured around strategy, leadership, and cultural competence The fellows will also work closely with a mentor from the Office of Global Engagement. Much of the global fellows’ work will be completed remotely, but they will travel to the campus of an NC State strategic international partner university for a visit centered on best practices in administrative leadership in global affairs.

Who may apply?

Applicants must be full-time (.75 FTE or greater) faculty at the rank of associate or full professor in any track. Applicants should have a demonstrated interest in academic leadership, be that at the department, college, or university level. Applicants must have the written support of their department head and dean to apply and must be willing to commit approximately 25% time over the course of the fellowship period to fellowship activities, including their project. Applicants to the Global Leadership track must be able to travel internationally during NC State’s spring break.

What will the fellowship entail?

All selected fellows will participate in an academic-year-long training program structured around strategy, leadership, and cultural competence. These training sessions will entail approximately eight hours per month. The training program will allow participants to refine their personal leadership philosophy, work with their assigned team on their theme or issue, and improve their knowledge and skills in areas including:

• Emotional Intelligence
• Strategy Analysis
• Organizational Culture
• Theory of Change
• Conflict Management
• Crisis Leadership
• Situational Leadership
• Cultural Competency

In addition to time spent in training sessions, the Provost’s Faculty Fellows will connect with relevant NC State leaders and subject matter experts, and work independently with their team members to develop their proposal.

Fellows may also have the opportunity to meet with the Provost or other NC State leaders in meetings or other activities that are relevant to the Fellows’ areas of interest or to their project area and will have the opportunity to participate in individual leadership coaching conversations with select senior leaders if desired.

What are the expectations for selected Fellows?

Fellows will be expected to:

• Attend all training sessions (approximately 8 hours per month)
• Devote .25 FTE effort to working on their projects (including time spent in training sessions)
• Be collegial teammates
• Complete project deliverables on time
• Travel to a partner university for 1-2 weeks (Global Leadership Fellow only)
• Attend leadership cohort dinners and meetings with other Fellows to facilitate active co-learning among the cohort
• Participate in other optional leadership development opportunities as appropriate/desired

What is the 2025-26 application process?

Applicants should submit a single file (Word, PDF, or Google Docs files are all acceptable) via email to Jonathan Holloway (jphollow@ncsu.edu) by 5:00 p.m. on March 17, 2025. The application file should contain the following:

• Contact information (name, title/faculty rank, department, email, phone)
• Which track you are applying to (University Leadership or Global Leadership)
• Statement of career goals and interest in academic leadership (limited to one page)
• Statement of previous formal and informal leadership experience (limited to one page)
• Statement of personal leadership philosophy (limited to one page)
• Statement of interest and experience with global academic leadership (only if applying to Global Leadership track)
• Brief letters from the department head and dean indicating support for the applicant’s participation in the program, including acknowledgement that participation may require course release or temporary reassignment of other duties.

Program Timeline

• Applications are due via email to Jonathan Holloway by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 17, 2025.
• Selected Fellows will be notified by the mid-April 2025.
• Fellowships will begin in August 2025.