In October, a skilled group of 14 community college administrators gathered in Baltimore to begin their journey as Lakin Fellows with the Thomas Lakin Institute for Mentored Leadership.
Sponsored by the Presidents’ Round Table — an entity of the National Council on Black American Affairs and an affiliate of the American Association of Community Colleges — the Lakin Institute for Mentored Leadership was founded to prepare Black senior-level community college executives for positions as chief executive officers. This was the 24th annual Lakin Institute gathering.
Named in honor of Dr. Thomas Lakin, who was a longtime president and community college chancellor and visionary, the institute has had tremendous success in producing the highest number of African-Americans who have gone on to assume CEO positions over any other leadership institute in the United States.
Of the 333 participants who have gone through the weeklong program, two have become chancellors, 86 have become community college presidents and about 13 have become provosts.
At this year’s gathering, veteran community college leaders like Dr. Belle S. Wheelan, president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and the former president of Northern Virginia Community College, and Dr. Walter Bumphus, the president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges, mentored the participants. The Fellows participated in mock interviews, received assistance on how to prepare their curriculum vitae and cover letter, and learned about the various aspects of running an institution. About one-third of these Fellows will go on to become college presidents within the first three years of completing the institute.
“With the complex leadership challenges we are experiencing now, and in the future, this group will be able to demonstrate that community colleges are in good hands,” says Dr. Kirk A. Nooks, dean of the Lakin Institute and president of Metropolitan Community College-Longview located in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. “The American Council on Education’s 2017 American College President Study indicates that African-American leaders account for about 8 percent of the college presidency. Based on a historical rate of change, racial parity within the college presidency will occur in 2050. This Institute will endeavor to accelerate this timeframe.”
While diversifying the leadership of community colleges remains a daunting task, the Lakin Institute is providing future college presidents with a briefcase of strategies and knowledge that will ensure their success. And that is why we are putting a spotlight on this year’s fellows. Anyone who is deeply concerned about diversity and the future of the community college should support this laudable mission.
