The Lynne Scarboro Cabinet Associates Program is dedicated to developing and sustaining a high leadership quality central to Loyola Marymount University’s mission and goals. The program is a competitive appointment to participate in a program that has three goals: (1) to provide advanced development opportunities for faculty and staff members who have already demonstrated their leadership skills in executive-level higher education administration, (2) to help Associates’ integrate their own work and leadership style with the university mission, its commitment to anti-racism, and values of inclusive excellence, and (3) to promote diversity in the leadership pipeline for higher education. This program combines mentoring and learning in a formal curriculum with a year-long placement with a member of the President’s Cabinet in one of the following areas/divisions:
- Academic Affairs
- Administration
- Athletics
- Business and Finance
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
- Marketing, Communications, and External Relations
- Mission and Ministry
- Student Affairs
- University Advancement
Associates work on special projects and activities identified by senior leadership mentors, attend meetings and events, and participate in leadership development workshops and activities. Applicants who are interested in applying must be nominated by their Dean or Division Head.
About the Program’s Namesake
The Lynne Scarboro Cabinet Associates Program honors the rich leadership legacy of Lynne B. Scarboro, executive vice president and chief administrative officer, who served and led the university from 2002-2023. Upon her retirement, the university named the program to recognize Lynne’s enduring impact as an executive leader, mentor, team builder, and collaborator. Program founder former Vice President Abbie Robinson-Armstrong describes Lynne as having embraced the program since its establishment, setting the gold standard for providing a truly immersive professional development experience for her associates. Over the course of the program’s first dozen years, Lynne’s fellows became an indispensable part of her team and a distinctive element in her leadership style. Lynne’s fellows are a testament to the program’s vision, demonstrating that the time, efforts, and care invested result in successful outcomes characterized by better-positioned leaders for decades to come.
"The Lynne Scarboro Cabinet Associates Program is unlike any other development or leadership program - it pairs world-class mentoring and research with unparalleled access and insight into high-level decision-making and strategic thinking all within the context of a supportive peer cohort. I'm beyond grateful to LMU for this program! The connections I've made and lessons I've learned will last me through my career."
Nicola Monat-Jacobs, CAP 2020
"As a long-time faculty member in the School of Film and Television participating in the SVP Fellows program was an eye-opening experience. During the program I often felt like I was in "The Wizard of Oz" and seeing behind the curtain for the first time. Through the program I gained a greater understanding for the complexity and challenges of running a university and working with Lynne Scarboro - LMU's Executive VP and Chief Administrative Officer - and her team was both fun and educational. The knowledge and perspective I gained by participating has helped me to be a better colleague and leader in my academic department and school, and I highly recommend the program."
Gregory Ruzzin, CAP 2017
"The Lynne Scarboro Cabinet Associates Program gave me the opportunity to deepen my understanding of higher education leadership at Jesuit Universities. The curriculum and the cohort of colleagues provided a framework and a process to examine the research, theories, and practices in Higher Jesuit Education. The firsthand experience of shadowing and being mentored by a cabinet-level leader allowed me to discern the complexity of decision-making and problem-solving. The program also allows for an overview of LMU's governance and organizational structure and the role of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Lynne Scarboro Cabinet Associates Program was an exceptional opportunity to further my knowledge of higher education leadership, LMU's mission and Ignatian tradition, and network across campus."
Francesca Piumetti, CAP 2015
LENGTH OF THE PROGRAM
January to December
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Academic year placement with a member of the President’s Cabinet.
- Participation in management meetings, events, projects, and initiatives to gain perspective on cabinet-level-university leadership.
- Completion of a specific project under the guidance of a Cabinet mentor.
Monthly meetings with other Cabinet Associates, including readings and group discussions on theory and research in the field of higher education.
- Self-evaluation and feedback are provided during a simulated interview to receive authentic professional development feedback.
- Interaction with guest speakers selected to enhance professional development and to provide networking opportunities across LMU.
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- Effective Academic Leadership
- Trends and Issues in American Higher Education
- Issues in Catholic, Jesuit Higher Education, and the University Mission
- Making Diversity Work on Campus
- Crisis Management
- Leading and Managing Institutional Change
- Mock Interviews
- Project Presentations
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The LMU Lynne Scarboro Cabinet Associates Program provides opportunities to:
- Broaden and deepen an understanding of LMU’s Catholic and Jesuit Mission.
- Understand LMU’s governance and organizational structures.
- Prepare individuals aspiring to high-level administration leadership positions to gain perspective on university leadership and operations.
- Develop leadership skills through the mentor/mentee relationship and opportunities for feedback and self-reflection.
- Acquire cutting-edge knowledge about higher education trends and issues.
- Understand the role of equity, diversity, and inclusion in higher education.
- Create a stimulating, supportive intellectual community with peers through monthly dialogues, reflections, and readings related to leadership in higher education.
- Build networks across the University.
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Faculty and staff from any area of the University who are recognized for their outstanding leadership potential are invited to participate in the program. Participants must be full-time faculty who hold the rank of Associate or Full Professor or Mid- to High-level Administrators with a minimum of five years of leadership experience at LMU or the equivalent.
There is no stipend offered or expectation of an administrative position at the conclusion of the program. Faculty receive release from service obligations, and staff receive appropriate release time from administrative duties during the program.
For more information about the program, please contact Emelyn dela Pena at emelyn.delapena@lmu.edu.