New Aspire Leadership Development Program: September-December 2025

The ASPIRE Leadership Academy, starting in September 2025, is designed to cultivate our future leaders by equipping aspiring individuals with essential professional competencies and interpersonal skills needed to effectively lead.

ASPIRE is open to all non-supervisory employees past their probationary period who are eager to take the first step on their leadership journey. We are specifically looking for employees who demonstrate:

• High potential for leadership - Individuals who show initiative, a willingness to learn, and an eagerness to take on new challenges.)

• A commitment to growth -  Those who are actively seeking opportunities to develop their skills and advance their careers as faculty and staff

• Strong collaboration and teamwork skills -  Employees who excel in group settings and contribute positively to collective goals.

Program Details and Time Commitment

ASPIRE is a semester-long, cohort-based experience delivered through a mix of engaging in-person instruction and team coaching. It's an intensive program, and a participant's commitment is key to a rich experience. Important information on the time commitment required:

• Class hours: Five 3 hours sessions, every 3 weeks, September through December

• Estimated hours outside of class: Up to 2 in between sessions, for individual and group project work. The program will include a group capstone project that will be case-study based - additional details can be found in the overview.

• Attendance at all sessions is required. Missing more than one session will result in the inability to graduate from the current ASPIRE Leadership Academy. Participants can complete missing sessions in future ASPIRE cohorts and graduate upon completion.

Click here to view more details and application deadlines. 

For additional information and questions, please contact: 

•  Melody Wright, Learning & Development Manager - melodyw@umbc.edu

•  Monique Conelius, OD Consultant - mconeli1@umbc.edu

• More Information about New Aspire Leadership Development Program: September-December 2025