Kansas State University

2025 leadership/management institutes application process open

Submitted by Tanya González

The Office of the Provost invites applications from faculty members or administrators to attend leadership/management development programs during either summer 2025 or the 2025-2026 academic year, depending on the program dates.

The level of support provided by the Office of the Provost to a particular nominee will depend both on the number of nominees selected and any additional support that can be provided by the nominee's unit or college. Sources of additional funding should be identified and included in the application and will need to be confirmed once a nominee has been selected. Fees for each program range from approximately $1,500 to $6,000, not including travel.

Opportunities for 2025 are listed below. It should be noted that all the following programs require that applicants be officially sponsored by K-State's Office of the Provost. Deadline for submission is Oct. 15.

HERS Institute Programs 

The HERS Leadership Institute is a transformational leadership development program for higher education professionals. The HERS Leadership Institute is designed for faculty and staff who generally hold mid-to-senior level positions in higher education and have a desire to emerge as more dynamic leaders for themselves and their institutions. The HERS Leadership Institute is an inclusive program, with a focus on women and people who are gender diverse. HERS programs and services are open to all regardless of gender identity.

• Summer Intensive HERS Leadership Institute 2025: June 9-18, 2025, at Colorado School of Mines, and July 22-31, 2025, at Butler University. Application deadline: November 22, 2024. 
• Weekend HERS Leadership Institute, 2026 dates TBD.
• Next Stages Next Steps, fall 2025 dates TBD. 
• Executive Coaching Circles, fall 2025 dates TBD.
• Leading from the Middle: Virtual, five-part workshop series, fall 2025 dates TBD. 
• Equity-Minded Leadership Series: Virtual, five-part workshop series, fall 2025 dates TBD.

For more information on these institutes, please visit the HERS Network website or call 303-871-6866.

 Harvard Institute

• Institute for Management and Leadership in Education, or MLE, Harvard University, June 8-14, 2025. Application deadline: April 21, 2025. 

MLE is designed for skilled, experienced administrators — deans and directors, provosts and vice presidents — who will help their institutions adapt to a changing future. The program is designed to increase one's capacity to lead and manage change; develop effective strategies; and evaluate the impact of new initiatives. Additional information can be found at Harvard's MLE website.

• Management Development Program, or MDP, Harvard University, June 1-6, 2025. Application deadline: April 21, 2025.

MDP is designed for deans, directors and other administrators who are good at leading their units — and who want to get even better. The program is designed to help participants gain useful ideas about critical management issues, including budgeting, human resource management, planning, and effective leadership. Additional information can be found at Harvard's MDP website.

We encourage both nominations and individual applications from all university units. If you have previously applied to attend one of these programs and wish to apply again this year, you will need to submit a new internal application. A list of past participants in these programs is available on the Provost's Summer Institute Recipients webpage.

The deadline for application submission to the provost's office is Oct. 15. Applications should be submitted electronically in PDF format to Provost's Office University Awards. A small, internal selection committee of faculty and administrators will review the applications and will recommend up to three finalists for the university to endorse for participation in these programs. The committee will consider such factors as the match of the applicant's position with the program selected; benefits for the applicant's professional development; longevity at K-State; and potential for return contributions to an individual's unit and to Kansas State University. 

Applications for our internal selection process should contain the following information:

1. Vita.
2. Cover letter describing professional objectives and a brief assessment of how participation in one of these institutes would help achieve those objectives.
3. Letter(s) of support from immediate supervisor and dean, where applicable.

Those selected as nominees by the university will be notified as soon as possible after the selection process is completed and will be provided with the formal application materials for the program they wish to attend. Submission of an application does not guarantee acceptance into any of the programs. Applicants will be notified by each program director as to whether they have been accepted to attend.