In response to the recognized need for new community college leaders due to the expected retirement of current leaders in the next five to seven years, several leadership opportunities have been developed in Illinois . One such initiative is the Illinois Academy for Leadership and Development, modeled after the Academy for Leadership and Development located in Mesa , Arizona . The Arizona academy has worked with numerous statewide community college organizations and has provided training to more than 4,000 leaders over the past 12 years. The Academy agreed to customize their year-long leadership program to prepare future community college leaders in Illinois . The Illinois Leadership Academy is designed to provide the leadership theories, practices, and skills needed to support current leaders and prepare prospective leaders for effective leadership at Illinois community colleges.

Mary Kay Kickels, President, Paradise Valley Community College in Arizona (formerly Senior Vice President, Academic Affairs at Moraine Valley Community College ) along with Geoffrey Obrzut, President and CEO, Illinois Community College Board provided the leadership to bring this program to Illinois . Thirty-five individuals from community colleges across Illinois attended the first week of the year long program in June 2004. This skills-based leadership program includes two weeks of intensive training that surround a year-long practicum. Topics covered as part of the Academy include organizational leadership, strategic and scenario planning, appreciating diversity, managing conflict, leading change, and hiring for excellence.

The Academy program provides prospective leaders with the opportunity to develop leadership skills and apply these skills while working in their current positions. An individual professional development plan (IPDP) was written by participants at the end of their first week experience. This plan connects an individual's work goals in his or her current environment to the leadership concepts that were presented during the first week of the program. During this academic year, Academy participants will read, reflect, and journal about their progress toward meeting their goals at their community college as outlined in their IPDP.

Mentoring is another component of the leadership practicum. Participants are linked to both a mentor from the Academy and a local mentor. During the year-long practicum, participants meet or correspond with mentors to discuss challenges and opportunities within their work environment. Participants also select a colleague from the program to provide peer support. In addition to this formal mentoring component, the cohort nature of the program, and the fact that all participants work at Illinois community colleges provide connections to colleagues at other community colleges. The Academy listserv provides a network to facilitate the program as well as serve as a valuable resource for many years as friendships are made and problems shared with others at community colleges across the state. When an issue arises at one college, a quick email can provide information about practice at other colleges.

The Academy program will conclude in June 2005 with a second week of training designed to further develop and enhance the leadership skills of participants. This final week will allow current and prospective leaders to reflect on what they learned during the year-long experience and share with Academy instructors and colleagues both the successes and challenges they encountered. Additional sessions will be offered to build on these experiences and make connections between theory and practice.

All individuals who participate in the full Academy program and complete all requirements will receive a framed certificate in recognition of their training and skill development. Graduate credit is also available for those who wish to apply. Although these credentials will serve as evidence of individual accomplishments, the true evidence of the effectiveness of this and other professional development opportunities to prepare future community college leaders in Illinois will be the continuation of effective leadership at Illinois community colleges during the expected period of high turnover in leadership positions during the next several years.

Community college leadership is a simultaneous exercise in art, science, politics, and morality. It is a change-oriented process of visioning and building relationships that requires hard work, time commitment, and a skill set based on both theory and practice. The Illinois Leadership Academy provides one example of a comprehensive statewide training and development effort for emerging leaders at Illinois community colleges. These individuals, representing community colleges across Illinois , learn together, share ideas and best practices, build community, and develop relationships that will ensure the Illinois community college system remains one of the best in the nation.

Dr. Marwick is the Assistant Vice President of Academic Programs at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, Illinois . She can be reached via phone at 708-974-5290 or e-mail at marwick@morainevalley.edu.