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Academic Leadership Fellows Program

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The Academic Leadership Fellows Program (ALFP) goal is to develop and supports leaders in the Academy that contribute to the advancement of pharmacy education, higher education, and the pharmacy profession. The program provides an opportunity for Fellows to expand networking relationships with peers and colleagues in other institutions, as well as within their own college and university. The ALFP curriculum is reviewed annually to ensure content is contemporary and appropriate to the programs leadership objectives.

ALFP Digital Album

ALFP 20th Anniversary Yearbook

ALFP Learning Objectives:

Develop leadership skills through the process of self-discovery and reflection.
Cultivate a network of colleagues for support and mentorship.
Apply leadership concepts and theories within academic pharmacy.
Enhance leadership and management skills to build an executive presence.
Create a leadership philosophy that can guide your leadership journey.

Applicant Criteria:

An experienced faculty (typically at associate or full professor rank) or staff member who has demonstrated leadership at the college/university level and through national leadership and engagement. They are ready to explore advanced leadership concepts to take on new leadership challenges as their career advances.
The cohort is limited to 35 fellows
Applications are evaluated on (1) demonstration of leadership and need for further development (2) Depth and breadth of academic and professional experience (3) strong letter of intent - including plans for application of material to local context or career plan (4) strong letter of support from dean - including leadership potential of the candidate and a solid local mentoring plan (see Evaluation Rubric at bottom of this page)

Completed applications must include the following three documents combined in a single PDF document:

Nominee's letter of intent for completing the program, initialed by the Dean Mentor (limit 2 pages)
Current curriculum vitae
Letter of recommendation from the Dean Mentor (limit one page). The letter should address the three points provided below:
1. Describe the nominee's competencies/talents and potential for leadership.
2. Why you believe the nominee should be an Academic Leadership Fellow.
3. Describe the mentoring plan (the more details the better) you and the nominee have developed.

The year-long program includes four in-person sessions supplemented with periodic virtual sessions:

In-depth leadership development
Team-building and networking
Exploration of issues critical to pharmacy and higher education
Self assessment of leadership style and strengths
Assigned readings and discussions from top-tier leadership books and the Harvard Business Review
Exposure to practical management and administrative issues and tips for success
Access to national and international leaders in pharmacy and higher education
Team project concerning current issues in academic pharmacy
Individualized plan for additional mentoring, development, and application of knowledge learned during the four sessions at home institution
All sessions are interactive and application based!

Session I: Leadership and Self: Discovery and Teamwork

The objective of this session is for Fellows to look within and focus on the self-discovery of leadership strengths and weaknesses; understand leadership theories and frameworks; apply soft skill development, develop a leadership philosophy, and maximize personal strengths to develop effective teams. Fellows practice effective team building in a camp-like atmosphere and develop strong bonds with other cohort members to build a leadership network.

Session II: Leadership Potpourri: Constructing Skills, Historical Perspectives and Higher Education

The second session involves further leadership skills building. Including critical leadership skills such as inclusive leadership, emotional intelligence, change management, and conflict management. Fellows visit a museum in the DC area to use the arts as a conversation starter regarding the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in leadership styles. Additionally, a trip to Mt. Vernon and the George Washington Presidential Library for presentations on leadership from a historical perspective is a highlight of this session.

Session III: Current Topics in Leadership

This session includes an emphasis on current topics in leadership within the Academy. Session III is held in conjunction with the AACP INterim Meeting where a a variety of contemporary topics are discussed. Leadership case studies allow for application of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes developed during Session 1-2 to be applied. The fellows demonstrate the skills learned during session 1 about professional debates during the INterim programming where the teams debate a controversial topic within academic pharmacy.

Session IV: Refining Leadership Skills and Graduation

Session IV is the final session and programming includes a session on refining your executive presence and round tables on current topics covering both leadership and management skills. Fellows and their local deans participate in a graduation ceremony and dinner to celebrate a successful year. Then Fellows attend the AACP Annual meeting programming and present a poster showcasing their debate topic.

2024-25 ALFP Cohort 21 Calendar

Fellows must complete all requirements and attend all sessions to complete the program (plan on travel the day before and travel out the evening of the last day of each session)

Session I: September 9-13, 2024
Session II: October 27-31, 2024
Session III: February 14-17, 2025
Session IV: July 19-22, 2025 in conjunction with AACP Annual Meeting

There will be 4-6 additional dates scheduled for virtual programs/discussions (1-hour in length) throughout the year. Additional time will be set by the fellow to complete the local mentoring plan. Please find the current dates for the virtual programs/discussions below:

ALFP Journal Club: November 13th, 2024
ALFP Journal Club and Crucial Conversations Curriculum Wrap-Up: January 17th, 2025
ALFP Journal Club: April 9th, 2025

More detailed information and FAQs are included below! If you have Questions please contact Sarah Shrader, Sr. Director of Academic Programs and Professional Development.

Fee for ALFP Program

The fee for the Academic Leadership Fellows Program is $10,600 for the year-long program. The program fee includes program tuition, curriculum, speakers, leadership books, some meals, a one-year subscription to the Harvard Business Review, a team-building "ropes course", Gallup Clifton Strengths exercises, Crucial Conversations curriculum and certificate, trips to DC-based museums and registration for the AACP INterim and Annual Meetings. Travel, lodging and most meal costs are the responsibility of the Fellow and/or college or school. Prior to the start of the program, AACP will email the Fellow their registration invoice in May with full payment requested by mid-July prior to the Annual Meeting.