Dr. Brian Stipelman, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Liberal Arts at Frederick Community College, was selected to be part of the first-ever cohort of the Leadership for a New Academy (LINA), a program sponsored by the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) through a Mellon Foundation grant. 

LINA is a year-long pilot initiative designed to galvanize faculty to forge career paths in administration that will strengthen the humanities and drive forward-looking change.

“The goal of this exciting pilot program – to encourage faculty members into administrative leadership roles – would offer critical perspectives and knowledge that would benefit any institution of higher education,” said Dr. Annesa Payne Cheek, President of FCC. “We are proud that Dr. Stipelman was chosen for this nationwide program and know his impressive background and expertise in the area of humanities will help propel this group forward while working to meet its innovative goals.”

Sixty-two sitting and recent deans from across the United States were selected for this program. Dr. Stipelman will be one of only two participants representing a community college.

“It is exciting to see the ACLS turn their attention towards developing national leadership within the Humanities, especially a leadership that helps the humanities respond in dynamic ways to the opportunities and challenges of a changing world,” Dr. Brian Stipelman said. “I am especially honored to represent community colleges in this cohort, which is almost entirely made up of four year undergraduate and graduate programs. I want to make sure the essential role community college faculty and programs play in educating almost half the students in the United States is present, and that our unique and foundational insights into how our students experience the humanities and what they need from them, is represented.”

Through a series of workshops with the inaugural class, the pilot year of LINA will shape the development of a comprehensive program for change-oriented faculty as they consider administrative roles at the dean level. LINA will also function as a vibrant support network for participants as they navigate the early stages of their administrative careers.

This peer community will serve as a vital resource in which participants can share, amplify, and refine effective strategies for sustainable change. Ultimately, LINA aims to encourage faculty-turned-administrators to understand and use leadership roles as springboards for change, rather than maintainers of the status quo.

Dr. Brian Stipelman has served at FCC since 2016. He has previously served as the Dean of Liberal Arts at Dowling College on Long Island, New York, where he also spent six years as an associate professor of political science. Dr. Stipelman earned his Doctor of Philosophy in political science from Rutgers University.

More information on LINA can be found on the American Council of Learned Societies webpage.