Strengthening the Higher Education Leadership Pipeline

With generous support from the Mellon Foundation, CUNY is piloting The CUNY Leadership Institute (TCLI) for Urban-Serving Institutions with the goal of strengthening the higher education leadership pipeline for the nation’s urban serving institutions by developing diverse higher education leaders, with a particular emphasis on those with a background in the Arts and Humanities.

CUNY Campus in NYC map graphic

Over the course of 7 months, TCLI provides participants with a combination of experiential learning and project-based and case-study approaches.

TCLI is offered in a hybrid format. The in-person components include opening and closing weekends and a two-week placement at one of CUNY’s 25 colleges or the CUNY system office.  Between the opening and closing weekends, monthly virtual meetings allow for deep discussions of issues facing higher education leaders.

CUNY Presidents and Provosts serve as mentors to TCLI participants.

The inaugural TCLI program ran from September 30, 2021 to April 10, 2022.

Testimonials

Learn, collaborate, reflect, grow, transform–the The CUNY Leadership Institute offered an insightful and challenging framework for educating me about my leadership journey. 

Irena Praitis, TCLI Inaugural Cohort

Professor and Chair, Dept. of English, Comparative Literature, and Linguistics, California State University, Fullerton

TCLI gave me greater clarity around my leadership strengths and helped me identify areas of growth in service of  the goal of being a more authentic, effective leader.

Dionne Miller, TCLI Inaugural Cohort

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, LaGuardia Community College

TCLI provides a great opportunity to learn more about academic leadership and making your own path while building community with other faculty and administrators.

Rosamond King, TCLI Inaugural Cohort

Interim Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Brooklyn College

three student consulting, one with a laptop computer

TCLI Curriculum

  1. Student success with an emphasis on closing equity gaps
  2. Building partnerships for curriculum renewal and quality
  3. Shared governance and shared leadership
  4. Resource optimization
  5. Planning, data, change and crisis management
  6. Nurturing faculty and staff
  7. Communicating change and progress
  8. Working in a system and with boards and other stakeholders
  9. Diversity, equity, and inclusion
  10. Financing higher education
  11. Institutional effectiveness and accreditation

FAQs

Yes. Your institution’s president/chancellor, chief academic officer, or another cabinet-level officer must write a letter nominating you for TCLI and you must submit that letter of nomination as part of your application.

Yes. All TCLI participants will be responsible for transportation and lodging during the on-site/in-person components of the Institute.

Yes. There is a $1500 registration fee, due upon notification of acceptance to the Institute.

Scholarships are available for applicants for whom the registration fee would be a burden.  Applicants interested in a scholarship should submit a half-page statement of need as part of their application.

Please contact Dr. Annemarie Nicols-Grinenko, University Dean for Faculty Affairs and Leadership Developement and TCLI Program Director at Annemarie.Nicols-Grinenko@cuny.edu or 646-664-8068

student on a laptop showing distance learning

Leadership

Principal Investigator

Wendy Hensel

Wendy F. Hensel
Executive Vice Chancellor & University Provost
The City University of New York

Program Directors

Lehman College Provost Peter Nwosu

Peter O. Nwosu, Ph.D.
Provost & Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs &
Student Success
Herbert H. Lehman College, The City University of New York

Annemarie Nicols-Grinenko, CUNY Office of Academic Affairs

Annemarie Nicols-Grinenko, Ph.D.
University Dean for Faculty Affairs and Leadership Development
The City University of New York