Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center; Pictured in foreground is the blue bear officially titled, "I See What You're Talking About" peeking into the Colorado Convention Center
Logistics
Dates: Tuesday - Wednesday, April 7-8, 2026
Times: Day 1: 7:15 AM - 5:30 PM MT; Day 2: 7:15 AM - 4:15 PM MT
Venue: Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center
Location: Denver, CO
Academy Participant Benefits: Individuals selected for the academy will receive the following, courtesy of CAPCSD:
- Access to exclusive academy programming
- Two nights of hotel accommodations
- Meals and refreshments on Tuesday (breakfast, lunch, beverage breaks, and reception)
- Meals and refreshments on Wednesday (breakfast, lunch, and beverage breaks)
These benefits are provided at no cost to selected participants.
Note: Selected participants agree to attend the CAPCSD 2026 Annual Conference from Wednesday, April 8 at 6:00 PM - April 11, 2026 at 12:30 PM. Conference registration is required and not included in the academy benefits.
Seating Capacity: 20
Important Dates
- Tuesday, September 2, 2025 - Application window opens
- Tuesday, September 30, 2025 - Applications are due at 11:59 PM ET
- Friday, November 7, 2025 - All applicants are notified regarding selection
- Friday, December 19, 2025 - Participants must confirm and register, or an alternate participant will be selected.
Program Description
As part of its missions to provide visionary leadership for academic programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders and to promote the professional development of its constituents, CAPCSD offers this program to support individuals considering academic leadership positions, or those who are newly engaged in academic leadership, to develop their knowledge and skills in leadership. The Lisa Scott Leadership Academy will be led by Dr. Jeffrey Buller, CEO and Senior Partner in ATLAS: Academic Training, Leadership, & Assessment Services.
Eligibility Requirements
- Faculty from CAPCSD member programs are invited to apply. Faculty from CAPCSD affiliate member programs nor non-member programs are eligible to apply.
- Applicant's program's membership dues must be paid in full by September 15, 2025.
- Applicants must have an individual account with CAPCSD. Click here to create an individual account, if you do not already have one. Individual accounts must use applicant's university email address. Click 'Create One' under text 'Don't have an Account?'
Application Review, Participant Selection & Participation Requirement
- Participation is limited to 20 faculty
- Participants are chosen through a competitive review process and will be further narrowed by:
- limit of one faculty per member program
- a balance of those considering leadership roles and those who are new to leadership roles
- representation from both audiology and speech-language pathology
- At the time it is requested, selected participants will provide CAPCSD staff with dietary restrictions or preferences, hotel room need (standard/accessible), and confirm arrival and departure dates.
- Selected participants agree to attend the CAPCSD 2026 Annual Conference from Wednesday, April 8 at 6:00 PM - April 11, 2026 at 12:30 PM. Conference registration is required and not included in the academy benefits.
Application Process
- Applications are accepted from September 2-30, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST via CAPCSD's link to a tool called Cadmium and its Scorecard product.
- Applicants will receive a confirmation email instantly once the completed application has been submitted.
- Sender: noreply@goCadmium.com
- Subject line will read: Submission Confirmation: 2026 Lisa Scott Leadership Academy Application.
- Check spam / junk / other folder for the confirmation email. If you have not received the confirmation email, the application has not been submitted. Log back into the system and ensure you have clicked the 'Preview and Submit' button.
Applicants will provide a CV, background information, a brief biographical statement (maximum 100 words), and respond to the following:
- What are your professional goals for the next five (5) years?
- Describe any past leadership experiences (academic or otherwise).
- Describe an effective leader who you have encountered. What were the qualities you feel made them effective?
- When you think about moving into a leadership role, what about that is appealing to you?
- What do you think you might like least about an academic leadership position?
- If you can learn only one thing from the Lisa Scott Leadership Academy, what would you like that to be?
Abstract
This two-day workshop offers a comprehensive exploration of essential skills and concepts for academic leaders in higher education. Beginning with foundational questions about the nature and learnability of leadership, participants will explore several different styles of leadership and consider how to respond most effectively to the evolving challenges and opportunities today. The remainder of the day is devoted to considering the issues of faculty recruitment, retention, and evaluation. Participants will examine proven best practices in these areas as well as the ways in which the changing landscape for higher education has affected the ways in which faculty members are hired, developed, and appraised.
Day two addresses time management through a thorough analysis of the principles, obstacles, and tools that support effective planning and prioritization, culminating a shift toward time leadership. Stress management follows, focusing on the causes of administrative stress and strategies for embracing, reducing, and coping with it. Conflict management training helps participants identify their default styles and apply proven techniques to navigate the distinctive conflicts of academia. The workshop concludes with the participants developing a practical and yet visionary plan for their ongoing leadership development and the improvement of the academic units they serve.
Topics
- Is leadership learnable?
- Why academic leaders must lead differently
- Best practices in faculty recruitment and retention
- Best practices in faculty evaluation
- Time management for academic leaders
- Stress management for academic leaders
- Conflict management for academic leaders
- Developing and implementing a leadership vision
Learning Objectives
- Define leadership and compare and contrast leadership and management.
- Compare and contrast constructive and destructive conflict.
- Summarize two strategies for leading change in a university environment.
- Develop three goals for a leadership plan.
Time-Ordered Agenda
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
7:15 AM - 8:00 AM - Breakfast
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM - Is Leadership Learnable?
9:30 AM - 10:00 AM - Break & Networking Time
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM - Why Academic Leaders Must Lead Differently
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM - Joint Lunch with Board of Directors
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM - Best Practices in Faculty Recruitment and Retention
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM - Break and Networking Time
2:30 PM - 4:00 PM - Best Practices in Faculty Evaluation
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM - Reception
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
7:15 AM - 8:00 AM - Breakfast
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM - Time Management for Academic Leaders
9:30 AM - 10:00 AM - Break & Networking Time
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM - Stress Management for Academic Leaders
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM - Lunch
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM - Conflict Management for Academic Leaders
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM - Break and Networking Time
2:30 PM - 4:00 PM - Developing and Implementing a Leadership Vision
4:00 PM - 4:15 PM - Assessment and Final Remarks
Speaker
Jeffrey L. Buller is president and CEO of ALPHA Leadership Programs. He has served in administrative positions ranging from department chair to vice president for academic affairs at four very different institutions: Loras College, Georgia Southern University, Mary Baldwin College, and Florida Atlantic University. He is the author of twenty-five books on academic leadership, a textbook for first-year college students, two books of essays on the music dramas of Richard Wagner, a book of research on the Greek tragedian Sophocles, and numerous novels. Dr. Buller has also published more than two hundred articles, essays, and reviews, including works on Greek and Latin literature, nineteenth- and twentieth-century opera, and college administration. From 2003 to 2005, he served as the principal English-language lecturer at the International Wagner Festival in Bayreuth, Germany. More recently, Dr. Buller served as a consultant to the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia, where he worked to improve academic leadership across the Kingdom.
Post-Academy Participant Expectations
Following the in-person event, participants agree to attend the CAPCSD 2026 Annual Conference from Wednesday, April 8 at 6:00 PM - April 11, 2026 at 12:30 PM. Conference registration is required and not included in the academy benefits.
Additionally, there will be two webinar meetings offered to all alumni of the Lisa Scott Leadership Academy. In the summer immediately following the academy, a one-hour "refresher course" webinar is provided, addressing one of the topics addressed during the Academy so that all alumni can keep their skills fresh. In the autumn of the same year, a one-hour "current topics" webinar is provided, addressing an issue of current concern in higher education so that all alumni can continue to expand their skills.
Learner Expectations & CEUs
This course is designed with a participation requirement that ensures meaningful engagement and learning. Participants must be present for the entire two-day academy to receive the assessment. The assessment is a key component in obtaining both their certificate of completion and ASHA CEUs. In addition to standard assessments of the speaker's effectiveness and the overall content quality, participants are challenged to demonstrate practical application of the knowledge gained. The required question prompts participants to articulate and list three specific action items they plan to implement per 90-minute presentation. This promotes critical thinking about how to apply new information in their professional practice with a forward-thinking response.
Questions
Click here to contact Mandie McKenzie.