Clark Atlanta and Harvard Support Future HBCU Presidents

Harvard University is partnering with Clark Atlanta University to help educate and empower the next generation of leaders at historically Black colleges and universities through its Harvard Seminar for New Presidents.

Dr. Judith Block McLaughlinThe Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative are committed to increasing access to professional development for the HBCU Executive Leadership Institute (ELI) at Clark Atlanta.

ELI recruits, develops and nurtures top talent for more than 100 HBCUs across the country, enhancing the pipeline of qualified candidates to fill vacancies.

The institute aims to immerse approximately 50 emerging leaders in hands-on experiences to hone their skills and prepare them for leadership positions. This immersion includes the in-person Harvard Seminar for New Presidents, which ELI Presidential Fellows participate in.

The July 19-24 seminar is designed for new presidents of higher education institutions, who have been in office for one year or less. Fellows are expected to gain a practical orientation to the presidency of a higher education institution, as well as the ability to familiarize themselves with the opportunities and dangers they are likely to face.

“While many HBCU presidents have attended the seminar, we have never had a cohort of this size, and it will be wonderful for the presidents and the program,” said Dr. Judith Block McLaughlin, chair of the Harvard Seminar for New Presidents. “New presidents benefit from opportunities to engage with their counterparts at similar institutions and learn a lot from conversations with presidents from institutions different from their own.”