The American Council on Education (ACE) announced that Dr. Lenford Sutton, professor and past chair of the Department of Educational Administration and Foundations (EAF) at Illinois State University has been named an ACE Fellow for academic year 2023-24. Following nomination by the senior administration of their institutions and a rigorous application process, 36 Fellows were selected this year.
Since its inception in 1965, the ACE Fellows Program has strengthened institutions in American higher education by identifying and preparing over 2,500 faculty, staff, and administrators for senior positions in college and university leadership through its distinctive and intensive cohort-based mentorship model. Of the Fellows who have participated to date, more than 80 percent have gone on after their fellowship to serve as chief executive officers, chief academic officers, other cabinet-level positions, and deans.
“The ACE Fellows Program has a proven track record of developing agile leaders, and it fuels the expansion of a talented and diverse higher education leadership pipeline,” said ACE President Ted Mitchell. “ACE Fellows engage in unique learning experiences before returning to their home campuses armed with a fresh outlook and distinct skillset. I am excited to see all that this class accomplishes.”
During eight years as EAF chair and professor, Sutton collaborated with faculty and staff to prioritize student outcomes and diverse enrollment. As a graduate department with no undergraduate programs, students and alumni often go on to serve in leadership positions in Prek-20 schools, education thinktanks, and nonprofit and private organizations.
Sutton also worked with faculty, particularly Dr. Dianne Renn, to transform its P-12 administration Ph.D. sequence into one that aligned with the Carnegie Project for the Education Doctorate program. The changes transformed the program into one that is steeped in social justice and is practitioner-based.
In addition, he collaborated with EAF faculty, especially Dr. Linsay DeMartino, to strengthen its relationship with the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA). Part of this work was to nominate and mentor UCEA Jackson Scholars. The program provides doctoral students of color with a system of support as they work toward roles in higher education professorial and administrative roles in higher education. In 2022, Sutton was honored with UCEA’s Linda C. Tillman Social and Racial Justice Award.
Over the past eight years, ahead of the forecasted “enrollment cliff,” Sutton and EAF faculty have leveraged partnerships with universities and districts in Chicago, Peoria, Charleston, and Bloomington-Normal to recruit and support diverse, top-level cadres of new students. This often involved traveling to candidates’ own backyards.
Through 2021, more than 40 percent of EAF students were from diverse backgrounds, up from about 30 percent in 2017. Over the same period, enrollment was up 13 percent. And in 2022, education-focused graduate programs at Illinois State, of which EAF represents a significant stake, moved to number 71 in the rankings by US News & World Report, the highest spot it has achieved in about a decade. Also, all EAF doctoral programs were reviewed by the Univerisity in 2019, receiving the highest rating possible, and are in good standing until 2027.
Having led the department during the pandemic, Sutton is turning to his interest in the unique challenges facing higher education institutions in 2023 and beyond. The subject will drive much of his research and service during his ACE Fellowship.
“In the current ‘new-normal,’ the governing structures of colleges and universities will require leaders to educate the faculty more about university finances and ways to prioritize programs,” he said. “Fiscal constraints are compelling colleges and universities to think more strategically about tuition pressures and the revenue sources that enable us to do the work of the academy.
“During the current upheaval, I believe a collectivist approach to innovation is warranted. Innovation lies at the intersection of faculty, campus academic disciplines, and institutional partnerships to create unexplored opportunities, something I spent a lot of time doing in my role as department chair. I am interested in collaborating with colleagues to develop new areas of study and new programs that respond to student interest, societal needs, and build on the areas of excellence across institutions. More specifically, learning how that work is done at other colleges and universities.”
Sutton said that changes to the higher education business model have created an imperative to honor governance and speak openly with faculty about how to adapt and thrive as an education community.
“When faculty understand how resources follow students and how it all works together, we can collaborate to make the best decisions to identify priorities and fund them,” he said. “For that to happen, there must be total transparency about budget realities which recognizes non-negotiable items, all we desire to do, and feasibility when examining the critical financial needs of the institution. I look forward to learning how other postsecondary units build the needed capacity via values-centered leadership, stakeholder maps, and logic models to transform their learning communities.”
The program combines retreats, interactive learning opportunities, visits to campuses and other higher education-related organizations, and placement at another higher education institution to condense years of on-the-job experience and skills development into a single year.
During the placement, Fellows observe and work with the president and other senior officers at their host institutions, attend decision-making meetings, and focus on issues of interest. Fellows also conduct projects of pressing concern for their home institutions and seek to implement their findings upon completion of the fellowship placement. At the conclusion of the fellowship year, Fellows return to their home institutions with new knowledge and skills that contribute to capacity-building efforts, along with a network of peers across the country and abroad.
ACE CONTACT: Jack Nicholson, 202-939-9352, jnicholson@acenet.edu
About ACE
ACE is a membership organization that mobilizes the higher education community to shape effective public policy and foster innovative, high-quality practice. As the major coordinating body for all the nation’s higher education institutions, ACE represents more than 1,700 college and university presidents and related associations. For more information, please visit www.acenet.edu or follow ACE on Twitter @ACEducation.
