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Gentle-Genitty named American Council on Education Fellow

The American Council on Education has announced IU Assistant Vice President Carolyn Gentle-Genitty has been named a fellow for 2022-23 academic year.

Gentle-Genitty is one of 46 fellows this year, selected following nomination by senior administration of their respective institutions and a rigorous application process,

Established in 1965, the American Council on Education Fellows Program is designed to strengthen institutions and leadership in U.S. higher education by identifying and preparing faculty and staff for senior positions in college and university administration through its distinctive and intensive nominator-driven, cohort-based mentorship model.

The program combines retreats, interactive learning opportunities, visits to campuses and other higher education-related organizations, and placement at another higher education institution to condense years of on-the-job experience and skills development into a single year.

At the conclusion of the fellowship year, fellows return to their home institution with new knowledge and skills that contribute to capacity-building efforts, along with a network of peers across the country and abroad.

Gentle-Genitty has spent 23 years in higher education, including over 10 years in senior management, with a record of accomplishment of innovative initiatives, compliance procedures, a demonstrated commitment to shared governance, and success in leading and developing new academic programs.

As a social science researcher with a doctorate in social work from IU, she has a distinguished record of scholarship in school attendance and absenteeism. She has served as the president of the International Association for Truancy and Dropout Prevention, the co-founder of the International Network on School Attendance and the founder of Pivot Attendance Solutions in Indiana.

She is a tenured associate professor at the IU School of Social Work and was program chair of the school’s bachelor’s program. She was the first online faculty fellow in the IUPUI Office of Academic Affairs, and is currently the assistant vice president of university academic policy and director of the University Transfer Office.

In her nomination for Gentle-Genitty, interim executive vice president Sue Sciame-Giesecke wrote: “Evidence of Dr. Gentle-Genitty’s ability to be agile, problem solve and innovate as a leader permeates every aspect of Indiana University. IU was proud to nominate her and now celebrate this honor with her and ACE in developing leaders who are prepared to help their ‘home institutions enable change; advance diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus; and rapidly adapt to the fast-changing higher education landscape.”