Adrian College dean of academic affairs selected as American Council on Education fellow

ADRIAN — An Adrian College administrator has been selected as one of more than 40 education professionals to serve as an American Council on Education fellow for the 2022-23 academic year.

Andrea Milner, vice president and dean of academic affairs, is one of 46 individuals who were selected as fellows this year after a rigorous application process, a news release from Adrian College said. Prospective fellows were nominated by the senior administration of their institutions. In the news release, Milner said Adrian College President Jeffrey Docking expressed his “full and unwavering support” of the fellowship.

“I am so deeply honored and profoundly grateful for this incredible opportunity,” Milner said in the release. “This moment is a direct result of so many amazing mentors in my life who have supported me throughout my academic and professional journey. I am thoroughly excited to be granted the occasion to learn alongside other leaders looking to advance, and, most importantly, to learn from other professionals who have diverse and relevant experiences to share with me.”

The ACE fellows 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. The institution Milner attends will be decided in a few weeks, according to the release.

During the placement, fellows observe and work with the president and other senior officers at their host institution, attend decision-making meetings, and focus on issues of interest. Fellows also conduct projects of pressing concern for their home institution and seek to implement their findings upon completion of the fellowship placement.

ACE President Ted Mitchell said the fellowship program strives to create “agile leaders to problem-solve and innovate” while fueling the expansion of a “talented and diverse higher education leadership pipeline.” Fellows are brought together from institutions across the United States and globally.

The program was established in 1965 and was designed to strengthen institutions and leadership in U.S. higher education by “identifying and preparing faculty and staff for senior positions in college and university administration through its distinctive and intensive nominator-driven, cohort-based mentorship model,” the release said. Approximately 2,500 higher education leaders have participated in the ACE fellows program over the past five decades, with more than 80% of fellows having gone on to serve as senior leaders of colleges and universities.

At the conclusion of the fellowship year, fellows return to their home institution with new knowledge and skills that contribute to capacity-building efforts, along with a network of peers across the country and abroad.

Milner said she will be off campus for one semester and attend additional meetings throughout the year. In her absence, Adrian College Dean of Graduate Studies Christine Knaggs will take the lead for academic affairs.

“I look forward to the opportunity to learn from and work with other leaders and mentors as we all work together to solve difficult problems,” Milner said. “I am most excited about the chance to meet national and global leaders with diverse experiences and backgrounds. These experiences will provide me with the occasion to broaden my knowledge base.

“My interest in this professional development opportunity lies first and foremost in my desire and passion to use what I learn to further support, enhance, and provide opportunities to students that will enable them to improve their own life and the lives of their loved ones, and, as a result, the local, as well as the global community.”

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Adrian College dean selected as American Council on Education fellow