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SUNY LEADS Fellow-in-Residence

 

Program Overview

 

The SUNY LEADS Fellow-in-Residence Program offers former fellows from AANHPILI, BLI, DSLI, and HLI an individualized, hands-on leadership development experience. Fellows have the opportunity to shadow with a senior leader at a SUNY campus or System Administration, gaining exposure to cabinet-level decision-making, strategic planning, and complex institutional initiatives.

Each residency is tailored to the fellow’s professional goals and may include executive shadowing, participation in leadership meetings, and work on a meaningful project that benefits both the host and home institution. Designed to accommodate participants’ existing responsibilities, the experience may be completed through a flexible combination of in-person, hybrid, and remote engagement. Fellows receive a monthly stipend during the residency period.  

Responsibilities

 
  • The Fellow-in-Residence is offered to former Fellows (AANHPILI, BLI, DSLI or HLI), who successfully completed the program and are currently employed at a SUNY institution or at the System level and whose aspirations include a senior level or a position in the President’s Cabinet of a SUNY institution.  
  • The Fellow-in-Residence will spend the following Spring (January – June) semester in collaboration with a senior administrative leader at a SUNY campus or at the SUNY System level.  The structure of the residency is intentionally flexible to accommodate the Fellow’s professional responsibilities and location. Fellows may choose to engage in the experience on a full-time, part-time, hybrid, or primarily remote basis, depending on the mutual agreement with the host institution or office.
  • The Fellow-in-Residence will receive a monthly stipend of $1,000 to support their participation in the residency experience.  The stipend approach is intended to support the Fellow’s participation in the residency experience while recognizing that the Fellow will continue to maintain their regular responsibilities at their home campus. Host and home institutions are encouraged to provide reasonable flexibility, such as adjusted meeting schedules, professional leave time, or support for short-term campus visits, to ensure the Fellow can meaningfully engage in cabinet-level meetings, strategic planning discussions, and other high-impact leadership experiences.    
  • The Fellow-in-Residence will be required to submit a written report outlining the goals, lessons learned, challenges, and achievements of their fellowship experience.  Fellows should be prepared to present their findings and reflections to their campus community and SUNY leadership as part of any culminating session or showcase event.  
  • Subject to available funding, no more than two fellows from each program will be selected to participate. 

Fellow-in-Residence Application

 

Interested Fellows should submit an application (packet) to Zulaika.Rodriguez@suny.edu no later than Tuesday, December 1, 2026.

The Application (Packet) includes a two-page letter of interest, a letter of support from host campus or SUNY System leadership, and a letter of support from current campus leadership.  The review will be based on the strength, clarity, and alignment of the two-page letter of interest.  Strong letters will demonstrate readiness for cabinet-level exposure, thoughtful preparation for the placement at the host campus or SUNY System office, and the potential for the experience to contribute meaningfully to the applicant’s current institution, future trajectory, and SUNY’s broader leadership pipeline.

  • The letter of interest should include: 
    • A compelling rationale for participation;
    • Clear articulation of the applicant’s leadership goals;
    • Identification of the preferred host institution or SUNY System office and proposed host leader;
    • Description of the anticipated outcomes or deliverables of the experience; and 
    • Demonstrate how the residency aligns with your professional growth and future leadership aspirations.
  • Provide letter of support from the host campus leadership (e.g., President, Provost or other Vice-President in your area of interest) or SUNY System leadership. This letter should highlight the types of projects and initiatives you will be actively engaged in at the host campus or SUNY System office and the support they will provide in your professional development experience. Applicants are responsible for initiating these conversations and securing a letter of support from the host campus or SUNY System office leadership. 
  • Provide letter from your current campus leadership (e.g., President, Vice-President or Provost) confirming institutional endorsement of Fellow’s participation. The letter should highlight how this residency will enhance the applicant’s professional development and leadership growth, as well as how the experience will contribute to their current and future roles within the institution.
    • It should highlight that the applicant, if selected, will receive a stipend.
    • If the applicant’s direct supervisor is not the signatory of the first letter, a separate letter of support should be provided.  This letter should detail how the Fellow’s time and responsibilities will be adjusted to accommodate participation in the program. 
  • If selected, the monthly stipend will be to support participation in the Fellow-in-Residence program. The fellow will continue to maintain their full-time responsibilities at their home campus. The home institution and supervisor are expected to provide reasonable flexibility to allow the Fellow to engage meaningfully in program related activities, including virtual meetings, leadership discussions, short-term campus visits, and other agreed upon residency experiences.  

Timeline

 

Upon review of all fellowship application packets, up to two fellows per program (AANHPILI, BLI, DSLI and HLI) will be selected.  The fellowship will start end of January 2027 and conclude by the end of June 2027.