Unity College Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Amy Knisley Selected for New National Leadership Program

WASHINGTON, DC – April 26, 2010 – Unity College announced today that Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Amy Knisley is one of only 25 chief academic officers nationwide selected to participate in a seminar on "Leadership for the 21st Century for Chief Academic Officers (CAO)" that will be held July 12–16 in Annapolis, Maryland.

     This highly competitive leadership development program is intended to foster the perspectives and skills of college and university chief academic officers that can lead to success in unpredictable times.

     The program is offered by the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC), a national association of more than 600 independent, liberal arts colleges and universities, and the American Academic Leadership Institute (AALI), which provides leadership identification and development programs across all sectors of public and private higher education.

Senior Vice President Amy Knisley

     “Amy Knisley has a wonderful blend of collaborative spirit, administrative depth, and scholarly versatility,” said Unity College President Mitchell Thomashow.  “She uses her philosophy background brilliantly – as a means to bring rigor, compassion, and virtue to leadership and change.  The CIC workshop will give her the means to reflect more deeply on philosophy and leadership.”

     The five-day seminar will focus on the topic of Administrative Wisdom for Chief Academic Officers: Classic and Contemporary Readings on Leadership and Responsibility and will be led by John Churchill, Secretary of the Phi Beta Kappa Society. Educated at Rhodes College, the University of Oxford, and Yale University, Churchill brings to the seminar years in the small college classroom, decades of senior academic administration, and eight years at the helm of the nation’s oldest academic honorary society. He said of the seminar, “I relish the prospect of engaging these texts and these issues with academic leaders who are committed to wringing practical leadership value from the process.”

     Applicants were selected from private colleges and universities nationwide.  Participants will have the opportunity to read, reflect on, and discuss key issues of leadership and responsibility with colleagues. In announcing the program, CIC President Richard Ekman noted that “the high level of interest indicates this is a valuable approach toward developing the capacities of leadership in the nation’s colleges and universities. We were pleased with the exceptionally high quality of the applications and intend to offer similar programs to meet the need for leadership development.

     AALI President Ann Die Hasselmo described the seminar as a rare opportunity for CAOs to engage with colleagues nationwide in a rich and substantive exploration of the issues facing academic leaders in today’s challenging times. She said, “We can get so immersed in the dilemmas of the day that we neglect to remember that serious leadership issues and challenges have always surrounded the leader—regardless of the place, situation, decade, or century. This seminar offers the opportunity to read and reflect on the writings of current and historical leaders and scholars and to bring those leadership lessons into the present to provide guidance and counsel.”

     The Council of Independent Colleges is an association of more than 600 independent, liberal arts colleges and universities and higher education affiliates and organizations that work together to strengthen college and university leadership, sustain high-quality education, and enhance private higher education’s contributions to society. To fulfill this mission, CIC provides its members with skills, tools, and knowledge that address aspects of leadership, financial management and performance, academic quality, and institutional visibility. The Council is headquartered at One Dupont Circle in Washington, DC.

     The American Academic Leadership Institute provides leadership identification and development programs across all sectors of public and private higher education. AALI creates and implements programs and assistance for academic leaders in various administrative positions enabling them to be successful in their roles and to advance the institutions they serve. In addition, AALI supports research and publications and consults with academic leaders and boards of trustees concerning traditional and emerging issues facing higher education and its governance. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AALI and its predecessor organizations have participated in the advancement of higher education for over 30 years.

     Unity College is a small private college in rural Maine that provides dedicated, engaged students with a liberal arts education which emphasizes the environment and natural resources. Unity College graduates are prepared to be environmental stewards, effective leaders, and responsible citizens through active learning experiences within a supportive community.