WKU News

The American Council on Education (ACE) announced Wednesday (March 21) that Dr. Craig T. Cobane, Executive Director of the Mahurin Honors College at WKU and the Jacque and John Jarve Endowed Professor, has been named an ACE Fellow for academic year 2018-19.

Established in 1965, the ACE Fellows Program is designed to strengthen institutions and leadership in American 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. Following nomination by the senior administration of their institutions and a rigorous application process, 45 Fellows were selected this year.

More than 2,000 higher education leaders have participated in the ACE Fellows Program over the past five decades, with more than 80 percent of Fellows having gone on to serve as senior leaders of colleges and universities.

“For more than a half-century, the ACE Fellows Program has been a powerful engine fueling the expansion of a talented and diverse higher education leadership pipeline,” said ACE President Ted Mitchell. “We are excited to welcome this new class of Fellows and look forward to each enjoying a transformative experience that will help advance individual leadership readiness while also enriching the capacity of institutions to innovate and thrive.”

Cobane is the founding executive director of the Dixie and Peter Mahurin Honors College and holds the Jacque and John Jarve Endowed Professorship in Honors. During his time at WKU, the Mahurin Honors College has experienced substantial growth in both size and quality. Cobane has also created new student focused programs and offices, such as the Office of Scholar Development and the National Security Education Program funded Chinese Language Flagship Program. Between 2012-17, Cobane served concurrently as Chief International Officer, a period that saw dramatic expansion in education abroad participation and led to WKU’s receiving the “2018 Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion in International Education Award.”

“I am humbled at the opportunity to serve as an ACE Fellow,” Cobane said, “and I am looking forward to growing as an academic leader and returning to WKU with new ideas and perspectives to address the many challenges facing higher education today.”

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 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.

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.

About ACE: Celebrating its centennial in 2018, ACE is the major coordinating body for all the nation's higher education institutions, representing nearly 1,800 college and university presidents and related associations. It provides leadership on key higher education issues and influences public policy through advocacy. For information, visit www.acenet.edu or follow ACE on Twitter @ACEducation.

Contact: Bob Skipper, (270) 745-4295