For Drexel University faculty and professional staff looking to expand their leadership capabilities and develop future career growth and plans, the "Drexel Leaders: Advancing Dragon Leadership" program (formerly Drexel Leaders 20/20) is now accepting applications for its next cohort.

The Drexel Human Resources program helps experienced faculty and professional staff with at least five years of management experience (in other words: managing a team and/or projects) get started on the next stage of their leadership journey. Through six full-day, in-person workshops, as well as pre-and post-work assignments and virtual meetings with participants, the members of the "Drexel Leaders" cohort will examine their past experiences and plan for future development with support from experts in the field and other impactful resources.

"A great candidate for this program is a lifelong learner, someone who elicits and uses feedback for their professional growth and seeks to build connections with others for mutual learning and support," said Kathy Choy, assistant director of talent development in Human Resources, who leads the program. 

Due to a competitive application process, only 20 participants will be accepted this year. Applicants can be nominated by a leader in their unit, or they can self-nominate if they feel they don’t have sufficient visibility within their unit’s leadership but could benefit and strengthen others by being included in the program.

"We ask candidates to tell us their leadership story. This could be in a traditional written format, but we also encourage alternative methods like video or audio, for example, because not everyone expresses themselves the same way," said Choy.

The "Drexel Leaders" program dates back to 2013, and so far, 156 faculty and professional staff members from all across the University have completed the program. Next year, however, will bring a new change: Applicants will have needed to complete either Drexel's Supervisory Certificate Program or, for managers from the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Academy Management Program.

To learn more about Drexel Leaders: Advancing Dragon Leadership and the application process, and to read testimonials from program graduates, visit the Drexel Leaders: Advancing Dragon Leadership website.

To nominate an individual from your division, school or college — or to self-nominate — use this survey link.