Four Clemson University faculty members have been selected for the 2025 ACC Academic Leaders Network (ACC ALN) program. The ACC ALN program fosters cross-institutional networking and collaboration between ACC universities while increasing the academic leadership capacity within each institution.
The new cohort members are:
Denise Marie Anderson, professor and associate dean, College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences
Scott L. Baier, professor and chair, Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business
Celeste C. (CC) Bates, professor and associate dean, College of Education
Amit Bein, professor and associate dean, College of Arts and Humanities
According to Senior Associate Provost Amy Lawton-Rauh, who also serves as a member of the ACC ALN executive board and as senior ACC ALN liaison for Clemson University, the ACC ALN is a top-tier academic leadership program that cultivates a network of accomplished colleagues focused on action oriented leadership.
Cohort members share and learn advanced skills and styles of leadership in the context of current and future states of higher education. 2025 is a pivotal year for the ACC ALN as leadership formalizes governance structures and establishes short- and long-term strategic priorities for capacity-building impact. I’m excited to work with Assistant Provost for Faculty Affairs Stacey Altman to connect ACC ALN communities of practice with internal awareness of key Clemson University operations and strategic leadership working through challenges that exist across many institutions of higher education in the academy.
Amy Lawton-Rauh, Senior Associate Provost, ACC-ALN Executive Board Member and senior ACC-ALN Liaison for Clemson University
The 2025 cohort will participate in a virtual kickoff in early February, engage with others in the 2025 ACC ALN program on a communities of practice project and attend three in-person conferences at:
- Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina (March 26 through 28)
- The University of Miami, Miami, Florida (June 23 through 25)
- Georgia Tech, Atlanta, Georgia (October 20 through 22)
ABOUT THE ACADEMIC LEADERS NETWORK (ALN)
The ALN debuted in 2018 after ACC leaders decided to create a program that would leverage ideas across all ACC universities. Each institution selects four accomplished faculty leaders—deans, department chairs, associate deans and other academic administrators—to join a year-long cohort focused on leadership development, collaboration and understanding of trends and challenges in higher education. The themes of the three in-person conferences are 1) leading as an individual, 2) leading in collaboration with others and 3) leading in higher education.