February 2024

From the Founding Director

Dear Friends,

Greetings from Notre Dame! We are almost halfway through the spring semester with our fifth cohort of Fellows. As we accompany the current cohort during their final months on campus, we’re also taking this opportunity to reflect on this year’s Inspiring Conversations series and share a wonderful perspective on the breadth of spouse experience from one of our alums.

Cohort five Fellows have jumped ‘head first’ into this semester, taking classes ranging from Law to Photography, attending academic lectures and athletic events, appreciating the community they have forged with each other and across campus, and reflecting on what life looks like after the program completes in May. It is always exciting to see the transformations that take place over the course of nine short months at Notre Dame, and an honor to accompany them through the arc of their experience.? After commencement in early May, cohort five Fellows and guests will travel to Santa Fe, New Mexico for a capstone experience, and the opportunity to spend several days engaging in the rich culture of New Mexico, reflecting on their experience in the ILI and continuing to deepen their relationships in the magically scenic landscape of the southwest.

Back on campus, our Inspiring Conversations series ‘Leadership in Public Conversation’ features two guest speakers this semester. In early February, we heard from Missy Conboy, Senior Deputy Director of Athletics at Notre Dame as she shared about Leadership in College Athletics. In March, Brian Rosenberg, President Emeritus of Macalester College, and author of ‘Whatever It Is, I’m Against It’: Resistance to Change in Higher Education will share about navigating change in higher education. You will find more information and a recording of Missy's session below, and we hope you will consider joining us via live stream for Brian Rosenberg’s event on Thursday, March 7 at 12:30 pm EST. Visit our series page on the ThinkND website for more information.

Lastly, I trust you will enjoy the article written by Bill Wittland, cohort four alumnus, about navigating spousal engagement with ILI.? He had the opportunity to talk with several couples with varying levels of engagement during their time in the program.? I believe that you will find it helpful as you discern whether our program is the right fit for you and your family, and how you might approach navigating the options available to couples.

We are excited about how the next cohort is coming together, and, if interested, welcome your engagement with us in our admissions cycle for the next cohort.?

With Warm Regards,

Tom Schreier

Update: Admissions & Virtual Exploration Recordings

We are currently accepting applications for our 6th cohort (which begins August 2024).?

Our next-round application deadline is Friday, March 1, 2024.

After that date, applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.

Want to view a recording of a Virtual Exploration Session? Use this link to view our last session of this academic year, which took place on February 6, 2024.

If you have any questions about Admissions, please contact us at [email protected] or 574-631-8070.

Refer a Fellow | Apply Now | Admissions Information

Navigating Spouse Engagement with ILI

How Will This Work? Navigating Spouse Engagement with ILI

By Bill Wittland, ILI Cohort Four

If you ask Emily Turner to identify one of the most frequent questions she hears from applicants to the Inspired Leadership Initiative (ILI) program, she’ll tell you it often sounds something like,?

“How will this work for my spouse if I decide to come to Notre Dame?” In Emily’s role as the Associate Director for Prospect Development and Alumni Relations, she doesn’t have one, clear-cut answer to that question. “The answer to how spouses will handle the decision to be a Fellow in the ILI is about as varied as the diversity of the Fellows themselves in our cohorts.” Consider these examples.

Karen Cunningham (above right, with husband Bill) had a son who was a senior at Notre Dame when she was accepted as a Fellow for cohort two of the ILI. She had recently retired from a highly successful career in corporate marketing leadership, and it fully seemed to her that a year at Notre Dame would help her shape the direction for the next chapter of her life. Her husband Bill, however, was still working as an airline pilot, so she assumed he would just anchor their home near Indianapolis, Indiana, while she was away and make periodic trips to join her at Notre Dame. It didn’t quite work out that way.

“Our apartment at Notre Dame became our home for that year, in many ways,” says Karen. “When Bill wasn’t flying, he would come straight to Notre Dame to take part in the variety of events and activities happening with our program and on campus. He loved being there as much as I did, and we totally enjoyed being together and experiencing everything that was going on.” She was more than surprised since Bill was the one who is far less fond of the gray and cold of Northern Indiana winters. “I especially loved living so near the campus,” Bill notes, “and having the chance to just walk to all the things that were happening. The enrichment opportunities easily outweighed my distaste for the winter climate. And that’s saying something.” Karen and Bill found Notre Dame to be incredibly welcoming, despite the age disparity with most of the student population. “We found the campus to be just the smartest, most diverse population to be among,” adds Karen, “and we treasured the bonds that developed among the cohort and including the spouses that were involved.” Read more.

Inspiring Conversations

We are excited to have launched our Inspiring Conversations series for the 2023-2024 academic year. This academic year, we're exploring the topic of “Leadership in Public Conversation,” where we are hearing from leaders across disciplines and industries who can speak to current and relevant topics in today’s world. You can learn more and view past event recordings at the link below.?

Leadership in College Athletics with Missy Conboy, Senior Deputy Athletics Director - University of Notre Dame

On February 8, we were joined by guest speaker, Missy Conboy, Senior Deputy Athletics Director, for this in-person event.? Missy was a member (and Captain) of the Women's Basketball Team during her time as a Notre Dame student and has spent her career in collegiate athletics.? In this session, we learned more about her time at the NCAA and her 37 years at Notre Dame, including some of the most rewarding and challenging moments during her time as a leader, and her observations on the current state of collegiate athletics.

LEARN MORE

Navigating Change in Higher Education with Brian Rosenberg, Visiting Professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and President Emeritus of Macalester College

Join us for the final installment of Inspiring Conversations - Leadership In Public Conversation on Thursday, March 7 at 12:30 p.m. ET. ?

Guest speaker, Brian Rosenberg, a?Visiting Professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, was the 16th President of Macalester College, and is the author of “Whatever It Is, I’m Against It: Resistance to Change in Higher Education.” During this session, we will talk about navigating change in higher education, Brian's time in various leadership roles, and his insights on how institutions, like Notre Dame, can lead and create change in this ever-developing landscape.

The event is available as a Livestream via ThinkND. To register for the livestream, visit the ThinkND website.?