Applications open to KU faculty to be a 2026-2027 Senior Administrative Fellow

LAWRENCE — Nominations for the Office of Faculty Affairs Senior Administrative Fellows Program are now open for the 2026-27 academic year. 

Senior Administrative Fellows have the opportunity to meet face-to-face and learn from those with administrative roles at KU, develop their personal leadership skills and understanding, engage with challenges that leaders face in academia and consider leadership pathways in higher education.  

For the third year in a row, Mary Banwart, associate vice provost for faculty development, mentoring & growth, will lead the Senior Administrative Fellows cohort in twice-monthly meetings to learn about the landscape of higher education, discuss major issues in academic leadership and apply a leadership framework to a yearlong project. 

“Senior Administrative Fellows is designed to help us meet our mission of growing faculty leadership in the development of an exceptional learning community,” Banwart said. “By hearing from administrators, applying a leadership framework to develop their leadership skills and capacities, and networking and developing connections across the university, SAFs prepare our faculty leaders to make a meaningful impact in their departments, units and across KU.”  

William Collins, associate professor of civil, environmental & architectural engineering and recent Senior Administrative Fellow, said the program provided an opportunity to connect and interact with a variety of colleagues.

“Programs like Senior Administrative Fellows provide opportunities to get outside of your home unit, facilitating interdisciplinary relationships across the university and introducing you to different perspectives,” Collins said. “Conversations within these groups help reveal the variety of work being undertaken at the university and provide context for the challenges and opportunities that exist at a large, diverse institution.” 

The deadline to apply for next year's Senior Administrative Fellows program is April 6. 

More information on the program, application process and time commitment can be found on the Senior Administrative Fellows page.