LEWISTON, Idaho – Lewis-Clark State College’s Fred Chilson, provost/vice president for Academic Affairs, has been appointed to the 2023-24 Executive Leadership Academy (ELA), officials with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) have announced.
The ELA is a unique leadership development program for senior cabinet officers at colleges and universities who show interest and potential in becoming a college or university president. The year-long program provides comprehensive presidential preparation, opportunities to compare and contrast leadership styles, and examines presidential issues at both public and private institutions.
The program is co-sponsored by AASCU, the Council of Independent Colleges and the American Academic Leadership Institute.
Chilson will take part in an initial Zoom call with other participants on June 1 where they will receive an overview of the program and assignments. Chilson is scheduled to attend two seminars led by current and former presidents and vice presidents, as well as experts in particular areas. Conference calls and webinars are part of the ELA program as well. The first seminar is scheduled for June 26-28 this year and the second seminar wraps up the year on June 10-12, 2024.
Chilson will receive reading materials, assignments, and a professional experiential plan during the training. In addition, LC State president Cynthia Pemberton will provide mentorship and will help develop the experiential plan.
Chilson was named provost/vice president for Academic Affairs last spring following a national search and has 20 years of higher education experience at four institutions, three of which he also taught at. He joined LC State in 2018 as the dean of the School of Professional and Graduate Studies. After some reorganization, he was named dean of Graduate Studies and the interim provost/vice president for Academic Affairs in July 2021.
Chilson earned a bachelor’s degree in corporate training and a master’s in education: human resource development at Idaho State University. While working on his master’s, he was operations manager at Advance Industrial Supply in Pocatello. He later earned his doctorate in curriculum and instruction from New Mexico State University.
In 2002, Chilson joined Eastern New Mexico University as an enrollment services international student director and advisor. At the same time, he was an instructor for family and consumer services, and agriculture for CTE.
In 2005, he went to Adams State College in Colorado as an assistant professor and graduate coordinator. Chilson then joined the University of Montana Western in 2008 as an assistant professor. During his decade at the university, he became a full professor, served as division chairs for Business, Health and Human Performance, and Equine, and department chair for Business and Technology.
He has served on a variety of committees at each institution and also has been active in research. He has teamed up with a colleague to research a variety of topics, both academic and non-academic, and the two have co-authored several publications and books on their findings.
Chilson also has been involved with accreditation in higher education for more than 16 years and has traveled extensively throughout the world, visiting institutions in Europe, China and elsewhere. He served as the executive chairman of the Board of International Accreditation Council for Business Education.