IDL Program

The Institute for Diverse Leadership in Journalism and Communication is dedicated to increasing the number of people of color and women who serve as chairs, deans, directors, and endowed chairs in journalism and communication education.

Additionally, the Institute seeks to elevate the number of women and people of color who hold professorships and occupy educational and professional board seats with journalism and communication organizations, as well as those who take leadership positions in higher education.

The Institute fosters the philosophy that change comes from the top and that by making journalism and communication administration more multicultural, there will be more emphasis on making student bodies, faculties, staffs, organizations, and curricula more diverse.

To serve this mission, the Institute has designed leadership training and mentoring programs that will assist, inspire, and encourage aspiring leaders to achieve their goals of entering the journalism and communication administrative ranks.

Jointly sponsored by AEJMC and ASJMC, The Institute was created in Spring 2015. An earlier version of The Institute existed from 1999 to 2009. Called the Journalism and Mass Communication Leadership Institute for Diversity (JLID), it was developed by then presidents Marilyn Kern-Foxworth (AEJMC) and Shirley Staples Carter (ASJMC). See the list of JLID program graduates.

The IDL Fellows

IDL Program Goals

The goal of this program is to provide a year-long institute that will provide administrative training for people of color and women. The program seeks to develop a core group of potential leaders for journalism and communication programs who will not only be hired for administrative positions, but will succeed in them.  The program will:

  • help individuals understand their leadership strengths and weaknesses;
  • provide a toolbox of strategies and information that will facilitate successful academic administration;
  • strengthen management, team-building and problem-solving skills;
  • provide information about ACEJMC standards and its accrediting process;
  • match each fellow with a current administrative mentor to provide a day-to-day look at the job, and provide a week-long shadow visit at the administrator’s campus; and
  • provide advice on finding the right administrative fit, as well as interviewing tips.
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