EKU’s faculty internship program promotes academic leadership

RICHMOND — Now in its fourth year, Eastern Kentucky University’s (EKU) Provost’s Faculty Internship Program has caught national attention as a unique model for leadership development. 

Through mentoring, hands-on experience and project administration, participants in the program explore pathways to leadership in higher education.

“We already know that our EKU faculty are incredibly talented and intelligent, and it only makes sense to grow our leaders from within,” said EKU President David McFaddin. “This innovative program is a win-win as it cultivates leadership capability and helps faculty make significant progress toward achieving their goals.”

The Provost’s Faculty Internship Program begins with a summer kickoff where participants design personalized learning plans, followed by monthly fall and spring sessions. Interns collaborate with deans, associate provosts and respected Foundation Professors on university-wide initiatives incorporating strategic planning, budgeting and decision-making processes. Presenting many of these projects at the Leadership in Higher Education Conference, participants further build professional skills and highlight EKU’s leadership model on a national scale.

“Expanding upon my understanding of relationships encompasses what I gained from participating in the Provost’s Faculty Internship Program,” said Heather Fox, an associate professor and coordinator of English teaching programs at EKU. “The program enabled me to examine approaches to leadership through mentors, professional development programming, and the Leadership in Higher Education Conference. Additionally, I had the opportunity to observe university decision-making conversations from different vantage points, as well as reflect on experiences throughout the internship with cohort colleagues and program leadership.”

Through participation in the program, Fox developed a resource partnerships project to investigate the ability of interdisciplinary partnerships for easing resource limitations.  

The 2024-25 cohort, including Fox, shared an overview of the program and its meaningful experiences in an article published by Journal of Faculty Development.

Through a highly competitive selection process, five EKU faculty members join the program each year and receive summer compensation to support their participation. By year two of their participation, faculty interns serve as members of the Provost’s Faculty Advisory Committee.

The 2025–26 cohort for the Provost’s Faculty Internship Program includes: