HWS News
4 June 2026 Roberson Selected for National Faculty Leadership Academy
One of 30 educators selected nationwide, Audrey Roberson will engage in mentorship, professional development and national dialogue through the Council of Independent Colleges program.
Associate Professor and Chair of Educational Studies Audrey Roberson is one of 30 educators nationwide participating in the latest cohort of the Council of Independent Colleges’ Faculty Leadership Academy.
FLA supports full-time faculty members at CIC member colleges and universities seeking leadership roles in higher education through online sessions, mentorship and a three-day forum in Baltimore in July.
“I signed off from the first online session feeling energized and genuinely excited about what’s ahead,” Roberson says. “In just two sessions, I’ve already made connections that feel substantive, not just professional networking, but conversations grounded in shared challenges and perspectives. I appreciate the opportunity to learn from colleagues working in different institutional contexts. It’s already expanding how I think about my own work.”
Applicants to FLA must have some informal or formal leadership experience. Roberson had no problem meeting that requirement.
She has worked collaboratively with colleagues in the Educational Studies Department and the Office of Academic and Faculty Affairs to develop the framework and vision for a new graduate teacher certification program responsive to institutional and community needs.
As an applied linguist, she also developed a certificate program which provides an entry-level credential in Teaching English as a Foreign Language. As committee chair of HWS’ Institutional Review Board since 2023, Roberson collaborates with departments throughout campus to improve research standards.
And, in fall 2026, she will start as Chair of the Committee on the Academic First-Year Experience. Despite this significant background, Roberson says she did not consider herself a leader when she arrived at HWS in 2015.
“I’ve come to understand that the work I was drawn to, listening carefully, building relationships and finding creative solutions to complex needs, is leadership, even if I wasn’t naming it that way at the time,” she says.
Roberson was attracted to FLA “because it supports faculty at the early stage of leadership, when much of the learning is happening in real time.” Plus, FLA’s focus on inclusive leadership is “closely aligned with how I want to approach this work.”
While at FLA, Roberson plans to develop a more intentional and clearly defined approach to leadership.
“Having structured time to reflect, learn from others and connect ideas across contexts feels especially valuable right now,” Roberson adds. “The opportunity to step back and think alongside others doing similar work is both rare and necessary.”
For more information on the Council of Independent Colleges’ Faculty Leadership Academy, visit https://cic.edu/opportunity/faculty-leadership-academy/.
