American Jewish University Chief Academic Officer Robbie Totten Named American Council on Education Fellow

Press Release — For Immediate Release March 2, 2023

American Jewish University Chief Academic Officer Robbie Totten Named American Council on Education Fellow

Los Angeles – Last week, the American Council on Education (ACE) announced that Robbie Totten has been named an ACE Fellow for the 2023-24 academic year. Following nomination by the senior administration of their institutions and a rigorous application process, 36 Fellows were selected this year—click here for a full list.

Since its inception in 1965, the ACE Fellows Program has strengthened institutions in American higher education by identifying and preparing over 2,500 faculty, staff, and administrators for senior positions in college and university leadership through its distinctive and intensive cohort-based mentorship model. Of the Fellows who have participated to date, more than 80 percent have gone on after their fellowship to serve as chief executive officers, chief academic officers, other cabinet-level positions, and deans.

“The ACE Fellows Program has a proven track record of developing agile leaders, and it fuels the expansion of a talented and diverse higher education leadership pipeline,” said ACE President Ted Mitchell. “ACE Fellows engage in unique learning experiences before returning to their home campuses armed with a fresh outlook and distinct skillset. I am excited to see all that this class accomplishes.”

Dr. Robbie Totten has been with AJU since 2014 when he joined as an Assistant Professor of Politics and Global Studies. He has since been appointed as Vice President of Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer, where he oversees the administration of AJU’s degree-granting academic programs.

“I am excited to be part of the ACE Fellows Program and learn from its seminars and the opportunities that it provides for me to work with experienced presidents, academic vice presidents, and leaders at other universities,” said Dr. Totten. “The ACE program is an unrivaled experience for me to enhance my acumen in higher education administration and utilize the skills that I gain from it in my job at American Jewish University, notably serving AJU's degree-granting academic programs.”

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.

During the placement, Fellows observe and work with the president and other senior officers at their host institutions, attend decision-making meetings, and focus on issues of interest. Fellows also conduct projects of pressing concern for their home institutions and seek to implement their findings upon completion of the fellowship placement.

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

About AJU: American Jewish University (AJU) is a thriving center of Jewish resources and talent that serves the Jewish community of the twenty-first century. A portal for Jewish belonging, AJU equips students, faculty, campers, and learners of all ages with the tools to create the ideas, build the structures, and develop the programs to advance Jewish wisdom and elevate Jewish living. For more information, visit www.aju.edu.

About ACE: ACE is a membership organization that mobilizes the higher education community to shape effective public policy and foster innovative, high-quality practice. As the major coordinating body for all the nation’s higher education institutions, ACE represents more than 1,700 college and university presidents and related associations. For more information, please visit www.acenet.edu.