Kent State University’s Institute for Excellence is seeking applications for its fifth class. Submissions will be accepted through Feb. 12 for the award-winning institute, Kent State’s leadership development initiative led by the Division of Human Resources.

The mission of the Institute for Excellence at Kent State is to develop and promote a culture of excellence for faculty and staff. Research has shown that while many important qualities associated with excellence – collaboration, agility, foresight and strategic thinking – are inherent, these are traits that also can be learned. When that learning takes place, the result is improved performance for the individual and his or her work unit.

The Institute for Excellence will begin in March, with the Administrator and Individual Contributor tracks meeting monthly for either a full- or half-day session. The Administrator track is for faculty or staff who manage or chair a department or unit, and/or supervise others. The Individual Contributor track is for employees not currently in a managerial role. Both tracks are for high performers who display leadership now and want to improve their ability to lead change for Kent State.

The focus for the Administrator and Individual Contributor versions are different even though they are designed to facilitate development around many of the same qualities associated with excellence – such as collaboration, execution, agility, strategic thinking, foresight and communication.

“Both administrators and individual contributors need to excel at things like collaboration and strategic thinking; the difference lies in how those specific individuals apply the information to their respective roles,” says Bob Hall, Kent State’s director of HR Training and Development.

Hall adds that feedback from former classes – and from their supervisors – demonstrates that participants are learning more about how they change their thinking and behavior to take on more of a leadership role in their respective areas.

The two tracks will meet separately, with some opportunities for joint sessions. A partial list of session topics include discussions with Kent State President Beverly Warren and other Kent State officers, increased financial literacy, emotional intelligence, two 360° assessments to benchmark skills, using neuroscience and physiology to improve leadership performance, diversity in higher education and understanding team dynamics. The sessions will combine in-class discussions, self-development tools and opportunities for hands-on application.

There are eligibility requirements and an application process for each Institute for Excellence track. All participants must be employed full-time by the university for a minimum of one year and must have received a rating of “meets expectations” or higher on their most recent performance evaluation. The Institute for Excellence website includes a complete list of criteria and other important information.

Interested faculty and staff should read the online application worksheet and then complete the online application form. Applicants selected for the Institute for Excellence will be notified by the Training and Development Office in February.

For more information, contact Hall at 330-672-0894 or rhall4@kent.edu.