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The HERS Leadership Institute is a transformational, leadership development program for higher education professionals, founded to fill leadership pipelines across the United States with dynamic leaders, each capable of ushering their respective institutions into a more inclusive and equitable future.
Participants are asked to share their vision of leadership and what they hope to contribute to their respective institutions and are then challenged to develop the skills to actualize their professional vision. As a non-competitive space, participants are also encouraged to champion the growth of other participants. Alums of the HERS Leadership Institute (HLI) emerge more confident and skilled at leading with their unique voice, providing institutions and the higher education sector overall with a much-needed infusion of bold new leadership.
The HERS Leadership Institute is an inclusive program, with a focus on women and people who are gender diverse. HERS programs and services are open to all regardless of gender identity.
At the HERS Leadership Institute, you will learn more about yourself and your institution, assess your network and connections, and develop a richer appreciation for your unique leadership capabilities. We will primarily spend time developing skills related to managing and leading a successful change process within your institutional setting. We will discuss topics that bridge the gap between faculty, staff, and students — and cover four main learning outcomes:
Participants are first asked to share their vision of leadership and what they hope to contribute to their institution. They then develop the leadership skills necessary to actualize their vision. Through this process, each participant develops a richer appreciation for their unique leadership capabilities.
As a non-competitive space, participants are encouraged to champion the growth of all members of their cohort, building personal and professional bonds that will last a lifetime. Collectively, these cohorts form the backbone of the HERS Network, an invaluable resource for alumnae throughout their career.
Throughout the Leadership Institute, participants apply their lessons to a self-designed Leadership Project, which they can then pursue on campus in their current role. These personal case studies in organizational change demonstrate the readiness of alums to lead. Click here to download a more detailed description of the leadership project.
One of the distinguishing features of the HERS Leadership Institute are the facilitators and panelists, practitioners and scholars each, who are hand-picked based on their breadth of experience and scholarly work. They are proven leaders, including current and former chief executive officers and key campus leaders who share research, strategies, and techniques, oftentimes bringing real-life situations and case studies to life for participants to dissect and discuss.
Areas of expertise include but are not limited to the following topics:
The HERS Leadership Institute is a transformational leadership development program for higher education professionals. The HERS Leadership Institute is designed for faculty and staff who generally hold mid-to-senior level positions in higher education and have a desire to emerge as more dynamic leaders for themselves and their institutions. The HERS Leadership Institute is an inclusive program, with a focus on women and people who are gender diverse. HERS programs and services are open to all regardless of gender identity.
This setting replicates what could happen on campus if faculty, staff, and administrators were all working together, allowing everyone to gain insight into the unique perspectives of each role and learn from one another.
Participants will represent a range of racial and ethnic groups, gender identities, nationalities, veteran and disability statuses, religious affiliations, ages, and years of experience in higher education, thereby broadening the range of perspectives and insights brought to each session.
During this critical moment for higher education, we recognize the pivotal impact that institutional leaders can make. Higher education needs bold leaders like you, who are committed to making a difference and creating more equitable learning opportunities for all. Leverage newfound skills and confidence to help your institution, your peers, and your students navigate new challenges and opportunities. Submit your application for the HERS Leadership Institute today and become one of the changemakers needed to usher higher education into the future.
You may complete an application for the Weekend HERS Leadership Institute or for the Summer HERS Leadership Institutes (you will be asked to choose June or July for the summer application). Applications for the HLI are reviewed at two points in time: once after the early-decision deadline and again after the regular-decision application deadline. In addition to the $500 program fee discount, successful HLI applicants who apply via the early-decision process also receive priority consideration for all forms of financial support offered through HERS.*
*We strongly encourage those eligible for Fellowships and Scholarships available through HERS to complete the HLI application by the early-decision deadline for best consideration. While fellowship and scholarship awards may be distributed after this deadline, priority will be given to those who have been accepted into the HERS Leadership Institute during the early-decision application review process. Please note that Fellowship and Scholarship awards may not be available for prospective HLI participants who submitted their HLI application materials after the early decision deadline. Click here for details and eligibility criteria for HLI financial support opportunities.
We offer two summer institutes, both of which occur over a 9-day, intensive period. We also offer a weekend version of our institute that spreads out the curriculum over three weekends during the academic year. See below for dates, locations, and application timelines for our three upcoming HERS Leadership Institutes.
3 staggered weekends, 9 program days in total
Location: Airlie in Warrenton, VA (45 mins west of D.C.)
2025 Dates:
Weekend 1: Arrive Jan 15th and depart on Jan 19th
Weekend 2: Arrive Feb 26th and depart on Mar 2nd
Weekend 3: Arrive Apr 2nd and depart on Apr 6th
Early-Decision Program Fee:¹
$9,000
Regular Program Fee:¹
$9,500
Housing and Partial Board Fee:¹
$2,256*
*Please note that housing and partial board fees are in addition to the Program Fee. This fee includes 12 nights of lodging at Airlie, 9 breakfasts, 9 lunches, and 3 dinners.
¹ HERS is a nonprofit organization. The Program Fee helps defray our venue and program facilitator expenses, as well as various administrative costs, while the Room and Board Fee covers lodging and meals for program participants. Please review our GuideStar profile for further information about our financials and nonprofit status.
To download a PDF of the Weekend HLI application and preview the questions, please click here.
9 consecutive days
June 9-18, 2025
Colorado School of Mines Golden, Colorado
July 22 – July 31, 2025
Butler University
Indianapolis, Indiana
Early-Decision Program Fee:¹
$9,000
Regular Program Fee:¹
$9,500
Housing and Partial Board Fee:¹
$1,200*
* Please note that Housing and Partial Board Fee is in addition to the Program Fee. The Housing and Partial Board Fee includes 9 nights of lodging, 6 breakfasts, 7 lunches, and 2 dinners.
Lodging accommodations for our summer programs are in a campus residence hall. The summer HLIs have been held in campus residence halls since the Institute’s inception in 1976 on the campus of Bryn Mawr College. The residence hall setting promotes community and networking and is critical to the success of our summer Institutes.
¹ HERS is a nonprofit organization. The Program Fee helps defray our venue and program facilitator expenses, as well as various administrative costs, while the Housing and Partial Board Fee covers lodging and meals for program participants. Please review our GuideStar profile for further information about our financials and nonprofit status.
As one of our partners, you can be a leader behind much-needed change in the educational sector. Support for our programs drives leadership equity, enabling institutions to better support an increasingly diverse student body and better prepare their students to create a more equitable society.