From: Heather Boon, Vice-Provost, Faculty & Academic Life
Date: September 18, 2025
Re: Invitation to Apply — Provost’s Leadership Academy

Background

The Provost’s Leadership Academy is a program intended to identify, engage, and support mid-career faculty members in the tenure stream and continuing stream teaching stream with interests and capacities for future University leadership.

The program offers a cohort-based leadership curriculum to approximately 24 Fellows selected from across the six Multi-Department and eleven Single Department Faculties.

Applications for the 2026 Provost’s Leadership Academy cohort are now being accepted. The deadline to apply is October 31, 2025.

More information about the program is available below and on the Provost’s Leadership Academy webpage.

Key Learning Outcomes

• To develop an awareness of your personal values and strengths, how you might use them in a leadership role, and how they may inform the leadership opportunities you pursue
• To deepen your understanding of the University’s governance and structure and where you can make an impact
• To learn practical tips for navigating an administrative role
• To engage with senior university leaders and hear about why and how they moved from traditional faculty roles into leadership positions
• To connect with Fellows from across the University in collegial and social contexts, to allow for shared reflection on what you are learning and on your career plans

Eligibility

This program is intended for faculty in the tenure stream and continuing stream teaching stream who are mid-career (i.e., post-tenure or post-continuing status) who have yet to hold an academic administrative appointment under the Policy on Appointment of Academic Administrators (i.e., not yet served as Chair, Director, or Dean). We are seeking candidates who are interested in learning more about the University while exploring pathways to various forms of academic leadership.

This program is intended to further the University’s goal to support and increase recruitment of a wide range of faculty and academic leadership candidates. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, Black and racialized persons, women, persons with disabilities, and people of diverse sexual and gender identities.

Time Commitment

Fellows are appointed for one year and will meet in-person four times over the course of 2026 (tentatively January, March, May, and October).

How to Submit Your Application

We are now seeking expressions of interest to participate in the 2026 Provost’s Leadership Academy cohort.

Submission materials should include:

• CV
• Brief statement of interest (approximately one page)
• Letter of support from the candidate’s Chair or Dean

Materials are due to Office of the Vice-Provost, Faculty & Academic Life (vpfal.prof.dev@utoronto.ca) by October 31, 2025 at 5:00pm. Please use the subject line: “LastName_LeadershipAcademy”.