Application

The ASCEND Program prepares mid-career higher education professionals to:

• Leverage Personal Strengths for Leadership Excellence
  Participants will identify and apply their top CliftonStrengths themes to enhance self-awareness, leadership confidence, and impact, fostering authentic and strengths-based leadership.
• Advance Strategic Enrollment Management Expertise
  Participants will master AACRAO Core Competencies—including change management, holistic and systemic thinking, data interpretation, and collaborative decision-making—to design and implement effective strategic enrollment management plans aligned with institutional goals.
• Cultivate Collaborative Leadership Through Cohort Engagement
  Participants will build productive peer networks, practice consensus-building, and engage in collective problem-solving within cohort activities and virtual/in-person sessions to expand relational and leadership capacities.
• Apply Change Leadership with Strengths-Based Agility
  Using insights from CliftonStrengths, participants will enhance adaptability, resilience, and proactive change management skills to successfully lead and sustain institutional transformation in dynamic higher education environments.
• Demonstrate Executive Communication and Professional Presence
  Through coaching and cohort feedback, participants will develop competency in articulating vision, strategic priorities, and professional brand, preparing them to influence across institutional levels and serve as effective change agents.

Drive Real-World Impact via Participant-Led Capstone Project

Participants will collaboratively create and implement a strategic enrollment management initiative that integrates AACRAO competencies with individual strengths, demonstrating applied leadership and operational effectiveness at their institutions.

AACRAO ASCEND Leadership Development Program Participation Requirements

There are five critical requirements for completing the ASCEND Leadership Development Program:

1. Meeting regularly with your coach
2. Actively contribute to the group capstone strategic enrollment management plan project, synthesizing program learnings and demonstrating AACRAO and SEM competencies.
3. Complete at least 90% of the required micro-courses that provide cross-functional fluency.
4. Maintain attendance with no more than three absences from the interactive workshops vital for knowledge building.
5. Providing feedback through the engagement of course surveys, which assess your progression and satisfaction with the program.