Centenary College's Chief Academic Officer and Provost is Selected for National Leadership Development Program

Hackettstown, N.J. – Centenary College is pleased to announce that Dr. James Patterson, Chief Academic Officer and Provost, is one of 20 senior-level administrators in higher education nationwide selected by the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) and the American Academic Leadership Institute (AALI) to participate in a year-long Executive Leadership Academy. He is also the only administrator from a New Jersey college or university to be selected for this program.

Individuals chosen for the program are vice presidents or cabinet officers in higher education who aspire to the presidency of an independent college or university.  As a participant, Dr. Patterson will attend two seminars and ongoing webinars, participate in a mentoring program, develop experiential learning projects focused on specific areas of presidential responsibility and complete a series of readings and case studies.

“The Academy will help prepare CAOs to serve as effective college presidents,” says Richard Ekman, President of the Council of Independent Colleges.  “Competition for available places in the Academy was intense, and the review committee found the nomination materials to be most impressive.  We believe that Dr. James Patterson has the potential for highly effective leadership as a college or university president.”

Dr. Patterson earned a Ph.D. in British and Irish History from Fordham University. The research for his dissertation was conducted in Ireland on a Fulbright Fellowship.  In 2008, Manchester University Press published his book In the Wake of the Great Rebellion: Republicanism, Agrarianism and Banditry in Ireland after 1798; which has been warmly reviewed and was recently re-issued in paperback.  He has also published well-received articles and regularly presents papers at conferences and seminars in Ireland, England and the United States (including two at Harvard University’s International Seminar on the History of the Atlantic World and one at the Folger Shakespeare Institute). 

“We are so pleased that Dr. Patterson has been selected to participate in the prestigious Executive Leadership Academy being presented by CIC and AALI,”  Dr. Barbara-Jayne Lewthwaite, President of Centenary College.  “His leadership has been instrumental to the advancement of the institution and we are honored that he has been selected for this prestigious opportunity.”

For more information about the Executive Leadership Academy, visit www.cic.edu/executiveleadershipacademy. 

In addition to Dr. Patterson, the Executive Leadership Academy Participants for 2012-2012 are as follows:

Agnes Caldwell, Adrian College (MI)
Andy Chambers, Missouri Baptist University (MO)
Gregory Dewey, University of La Verne (CA)
James Fleming, Wheeling Jesuit University (WV)
Mary Ann Gawelek, Seton Hill University (PA)
Cheryl Lynn Horsey, Gwynedd-Mercy College (PA)
Michael Kenney, Madonna University (MI)
Ann Landis, Thomas University (GA)
Richanne Mankey, Daemen College (NY)
James McCloskey, Duquesne University (PA)
Suzanne Mellon, Saint Anselm College (NH)
Marie Morris, Anderson University (IN)
Timothy O’Rourke, Virginia Wesleyan College (VA)
James Ostrow, Lasell College (MA)
Thomas Pistorino, Regis College (MA)
Julian Schuster, Webster University (MO)
Tanya Shelton, Alderson-Broaddus College (WV)
Stuart Sigman, American Jewish University (CA)
Adriene Wright, Florida Memorial University (FL)

About the CIC and AALI
The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) is an association of more than 600 independent, liberal arts colleges and universities and higher education affiliates and organizations that work together to strengthen college and university leadership, sustain high-quality education and enhance private higher education’s contributions to society. To fulfill this mission, CIC provides its members with skills, tools and knowledge that address aspects of leadership, financial management and performance, academic quality and institutional visibility. The Council is headquartered at One Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C.
The American Academic Leadership Institute (AALI) provides leadership identification and development programs across all sectors of public and private higher education. AALI creates and implements programs and assistance for academic leaders in various administrative positions enabling them to be successful in their roles and to advance the institutions they serve. In addition, AALI supports research and publications and consults with academic leaders and boards of trustees concerning traditional and emerging issues facing higher education and its governance. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AALI and its predecessor organizations have participated in the advancement of higher education for over 30 years.

About Centenary College
Founded in 1867 by the Newark Conference of the United Methodist Church, Centenary College’s academic program integrates a solid liberal arts foundation with a strong career orientation. This mix is designed to provide an educational experience that prepares students to succeed in the increasingly global and interdependent world.

Centenary College’s main campus is located in Hackettstown, N.J., with its equestrian facility in Washington Township (Morris County).  The Centenary College School of Professional Studies offers degree programs in three locations: Hackettstown, Parsippany and Edison, and at corporate sites throughout New Jersey.  The School of International Programs recruits international students for study at Centenary and Centenary students for study abroad.

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