Appalachian College Association Opportunities

The ACA Summit brings together faculty, staff, and administrative leaders from across the ACA to engage in ongoing collaboration and to share information and best practices in the ever-evolving effort of preparing students for success. The three-day program showcases outstanding ACA members across a spectrum of teaching, research, and service, and furnishes opportunities to share proven strategies to implement in your own classroom and/or your work at your institution.

To learn more and/or register, please visit the official Summit webpage.

The ACA Faculty Fellowship Program furnishes substantial support toward the professional development of faculty members at its member institutions and is open to all academic areas of study. 

Deadline: October 31, 2026

Eligible applicants must:                                                                                

• Be a full-time employee of an Appalachian College Association member institution
• Hold faculty status in any discipline
• Be employed by their home institution for at least two years prior to application (for post-doctoral applicants) 
• Receive endorsement of their Chief Academic Officer
• Commit to at least one year of full-time employment at their home institution following the award year (post-doctoral applicants)
• Commit to a minimum of two years of full-time employment at their home institution following the award year (pre-doctoral applicants who are in their first or second year of full-time employment at the time of application)

Eligible faculty members may seek support through one of three programs:

• Semester Professional Leave Fellowships: Faculty may apply for funding to support professional leave/sabbatical from their institution for a full semester or academic year. An application may seek up to a maximum of $20,000. 
• Summer Research Fellowships: Faculty may apply for support for their research during a summer term, up to a maximum of $7,500. Summer Fellowships may include up to $3,750 in stipend support for the faculty member.
• In-Year Research Fellowships: Faculty may apply for support for release from their standard institutional duties during a semester in the academic year, or over a full academic year, up to a maximum of $10,000.

To learn more, please visit https://acaweb.org/fellowships.

To begin the process of getting a letter of support from LMU's Chief Academic Officer, please email orgsp@lmunet.edu.