WKU News

Marko Dumancic, Director of WKU’s Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning, is one of 35 higher education professionals selected by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) for its 2021 Emerging Leaders Program (ELP).

AASCU created the leadership development program in 2015 to prepare early- to mid-career academic and administrative staff to advance to administrative roles with greater responsibility and oversight. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 ELP will be held virtually. It will feature one faculty-led webinar per month from April to November and include smaller group sessions for reflection, networking and case studies.

“I am excited to join this program because it presents a unique opportunity to learn from seasoned experts in various fields of higher education and then use these lessons to advance WKU’s mission,” Dumancic said. “I am also eager to learn from this year’s cohort since the range of experiences and expertise is as deep as it is varied.”

Dumancic leads a CITL team that provides WKU faculty and staff with training, resources, professional development activities and individualized consultations to optimize their teaching careers. In 2019-2020 CITL reached more than 200 faculty members through individualized consultations and interacted with more than 500 faculty members from all colleges and the majority of departments. CITL is also actively involved in university-level programs, such as the Living Learning Community Fellows Program, the Gateway Initiative, and DEI Community of Practice Fellows. 

ELP participants will develop an on-campus project or initiative to strengthen their leadership skills and positively impact their institutions and communities. Cohort members will work with a leader on their campus to develop and execute their project.

“My AASCU project is intended to examine the factors that influence academic success of first-year students,” Dumancic said. “In partnership with colleagues in academic departments, advising, and student support services, the aim is to highlight best practices in courses that WKU students take in their first two semesters. Academic achievement in the first two semesters is so crucial for student progression; crowdsourcing existing and emerging best practices on our campus will ensure that we continue to intentionally set up our first-year students for success.”

• More: AASCU news release; 2021 ELP cohort

Contact: Marko Dumancic, marko.dumancic@wku.edu