BETHANY COLLEGE FACULTY COMPLETE YEAR-LONG LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

July 29, 2019
LINDSBORG, KAN., July 29, 2019- Bethany College faculty, Eleanor Heimbaugh and Gretchen Norland, completed the 2nd Aspiring Campus Leaders Academy, a year-long program of the Kansas Independent College Association designed to strengthen future leaders of academic departments. Dr. Norland is an Associate Professor of Education and the current chair of the education department.   Eleanor Heimbaugh, is an Assistant Professor of Ceramics and Sculpture and the Director of Swedish Crafts.   Dr. Duke Rogers, Associate Professor of Business and Economics represented Bethany College the first year of the academy.

The Aspiring Campus Leaders Academy is the result of discussions among the presidents and provosts of small private colleges about the need for an affordable high-quality campus leader training. Moreover, while there were multiple programs for those interested in becoming provosts and/or presidents, there were few programs focused on the department heads and deans.

The academy focuses on developing four core capacities for future leaders, the four “Cs”: context, competence, confidence, and connectedness.  In summary, the four capacities focus on the challenge and environments of small non-private colleges, identify the skills necessary for leaders to act immediately and continually, build confidence and recognition of the integral role as part of a campus team and develop relationships for external support among KICA campuses. KICA again partnered with Credo to develop and deliver a significant portion of the content for the Academy.  KICA’s work is now a model for several other states.

Each KICA campus was permitted to nominate up to three (3) individuals. Participants were expected to attend four separate in-person workshops, three webinars, and engage in one hour of mentoring each month. In addition, participants were to interview a campus leader in a different functional area and complete two campus tours (one of their own campus and one of another KICA campus).

Dr. Mauch described the academy as a “fantastic opportunity for junior and senior faculty to focus on leadership and looks forward to watching participants blossom.”

Bethany College, established by Swedish Lutheran immigrants in 1881, is a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The mission of Bethany College is to educate, develop, and challenge individuals to reach for truth and excellence as they lead lives of faith, learning, and service. Bethany connects its past, present, and future with distinctive initiatives like Swedes to Sweden, a free service-learning trip for the sophomore class to Sweden, and the Good Life Scholarship, presenting all local high school graduates with a four-year, full-tuition scholarship to the college. Bethany College is on the Web at www.bethanylb.edu and is located in Lindsborg, Kansas, the fine arts and crafts capital of the state.
Congratulation Spring 2026 Presidents and Deans List Students
By Noah Parks May 21, 2026
Two hundred students earn academic honors, demonstrating the strength of Bethany’s liberal arts tradition and culture of achievement
Bethany Entrance
By Noah Parks May 19, 2026
Bethany College continues investing in local students through tuition support, campus engagement, and career preparation
Headshot of Doak
By Noah Parks May 12, 2026
Experienced student affairs leader to guide student engagement, support, and campus life initiatives
More News