Participants in the American Council on Education (ACE) Fellows Program will visit DePaul University on Aug. 27 to explore how an institution uses its long-term planning process as a tool to meet institutional mission goals.

The Fellows Program’s 2012-13 class of 55 college and university senior faculty and administrators will spend the day learning about DePaul’s new strategic plan, “Vision 2018: Dedication to Excellence, Commitment to Community,” which will kick off in September.

The Fellows will delve into the ways DePaul can deepen its distinctive connection to the global city of Chicago. DePaul seeks to leverage Chicago’s international diversity and extend its linkages into the business, civic and cultural communities to enrich students’ learning experiences, according to Jay Braatz, vice president for Planning and Presidential Administration. The Fellows will undertake a research project to identify the nation’s best practices on these topics and develop recommendations that will advance the university’s efforts in measurable ways.

The Rev. Dennis Holtschneider, C.M., DePaul president, will be on hand to work with the Fellows that day.  

“Because DePaul is the nation’s largest Catholic university, we have a vested interest in preparing presidents, provosts, vice presidents and deans who are well-qualified to lead America’s public and private universities in the future,” he said. “DePaul is honored to invite these senior-level administrators to apply their creativity to help us achieve our academic aspirations.”    

The “live institution case study” visit to DePaul comes as the 2012-13 Fellows class embarks on the leadership development program’s year-long schedule combining retreats, interactive learning opportunities, campus visits and placement at another higher education institution. Established in 1965, the ACE Fellows Program—the longest running leadership development program in the United States serving all institutional sectors and function areas—focuses on identifying and preparing senior leadership for the nation’s colleges and universities.

“The work the Fellows will do at DePaul is a prime example of the benefits of the program to both the Fellows and the institutions they visit as a group and individually,” said Sharon A. McDade, director of the ACE Fellows Program. “This group of senior academic leaders from around the country will learn from the work being done by a great institution, and then combine their own diverse sets of expertise and knowledge to try to enhance that work further.”

About DePaul

With more than 25,000 students, DePaul University is the largest Catholic university in the United States and the largest private, nonprofit university in the Midwest. The university offers approximately 275 graduate and undergraduate programs of study on three Chicago and three suburban campuses. Founded in 1898, DePaul remains committed to providing a quality education through personal attention to students from a wide range of backgrounds.

About American Council on Education

Founded in 1918, ACE is the major coordinating body for all the nation's higher education institutions, representing more than 1,600 college and university presidents, and more than 200 related associations, nationwide. It provides leadership on key higher education issues and influences public policy through advocacy. For more information, please visit www.acenet.edu or follow ACE on Twitter @ACEducation.