CAUBO Leader

Welcome to the CAUBO Leader Information Page

Take part in a transformative journey that will elevate your individual leadership potential and contribute to the advancement of HE in Canada.

"Participating in the CAUBO Leader pilot program was a highly valuable and confidence building experience. Being part of a small national cohort allowed me to build meaningful relationships and a strong network across the higher education sector while grappling with fundamental questions about leadership, purpose, and impact. The experience reinforced how universal many of our challenges are, broadened my perspective on issues across institutions, and provided a strong foundation for continued leadership growth. As a direct result of the program, our cohort has continued to learn together through a self organized book club, sustaining the relationships, dialogue, and leadership development well beyond the program itself."

Blair Bullock, Director, Financial Operations, Financial Services
University of Lethbridge
"CAUBO Leader has been a transformative experience. I have always invested in my leadership development, but the format of this program took me in some new directions. We were exposed to many tools and mental frameworks that I could immediately put into practice. But more significantly, I find myself bringing a more reflective approach to my work each and every day. I will be recommending CAUBO Leader to others in the years ahead, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have participated in the inaugural cohort."

Ryan Jacobs, Assistant Vice-President, Student & Ancillary Services
Wilfrid Laurier University

Applications for the 2026–2027 CAUBO Leader Program will open in early August.

To express your interest and receive direct updates about the next offering, please email us at events@caubo.ca. 

Check back here for updates, or watch your inbox for application details and announcements. 

 Space will be limited to 20 participants.

Below you’ll find an overview of the CAUBO Leader program, including most of the information currently available to help you determine if it’s the right fit for you. Additional program details, including final pricing, will be released in July. Toggle down to explore each section, or click on any of the headers in the list to jump directly to the section you’re interested in.

What is CAUBO Leader

Now more than ever, strong, collaborative leadership is needed to navigate the complexity and change facing the higher education sector. CAUBO Leader is designed to empower participants to lead with purpose, confidence, and impact – supporting them in driving positive change within their institutions.

Spanning eight months, the program brings together a dynamic, supportive cohort of peers. Through shared learning, reflection, and practice-based exploration, participants will deepen their leadership capabilities and grow as confident, adaptive leaders.

Program Highlights

This eight-month program features a range of components; each designed to enrich the participant experience and address key dimensions of leadership development:

Core In-person Modules

  • Leadership in HE and Beyond: Examines global trends, their impact on higher education, and the sector’s unique leadership context
  • The Authentic and Engaged Leader: Explores how leaders foster meaningful dialogue, build influence, and grow self-awareness

Online Learning & Peer Exchanges

  • Participant Provocations: Individuals share leadership insights and experiences from their own context
  • Strategic Impact Groups (SIGs): Small cohorts tackle complex, real-world challenges facing the sector
  • Leadership Exchange: Participants observe and engage with peers locally or virtually to explore leadership in practice
  • Reconnects: Scheduled between-module sessions that deepen cohort connections and support ongoing collaboration within SIGs

Target Audience

CAUBO Leader is designed for mid- to senior-level administrators in key operational and administrative areas of Canadian universities. The program is intended for professionals in roles such as Associate Vice-President (AVP), Senior Director, Controller, or other comparable positions with significant institutional responsibility. Ideal candidates are those seeking to deepen their leadership capacity and broaden their impact within the higher education sector.

Duration, Format and Cost

  • Duration: 8 months (mid-October 2026 to mid-June 2027)
  • Cohort size: 10 – 20 participants
  • Features: Case-based learning from participants’ own experiences, expert guest speakers, and academic insights
  • Format: Sequenced modules with built-in reflection and application

Costs

We are preparing the next CAUBO Leader experience. Full pricing details will be available shortly.

Course Delivery Language

The CAUBO Leader program will be offered in English, and all course materials will be available exclusively in English.

Detailed Course Outline

CAUBO Leader is comprised of a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical application through a series of components, each designed to enhance participant experience and learning while addressing different aspects of leadership development.

Please note that the detailed program information provided on this page reflects the 2025–2026 CAUBO Leader offering and is shared for illustrative purposes. We are currently fine-tuning the 2026–2027 program, and updated details will be available soon.

Launch

  • Serves as an orientation to CAUBO Leader, introducing participants to the overall structure and principles of the initiative
  • Starts the self-reflection journey by engaging participants with reflective questions about their leadership experience
  • Allows participants to meet and begin forming connections among the cohort 

Modules

  • During in-person modules, frameworks, theory and content areas will be presented and provided for participants to test against their own experience.
  • Includes activities that focus on making connections and finding ways of working together effectively to support the development of strong, lasting relationships amongst cohort participants
  • Space is created for individual reflection, pair, small group and plenary discussion throughout. This allows participants to engage and learn in a variety of ways and build strong relationships across the cohort.
  • Held retreat-style to include and encourage “downtime” for cohorts to connect over meals together, evenings, etc.

Module 1: “Leadership in Higher Education and Beyond”

This module explores perspectives on global issues and their impact on higher education, as well as the leadership characteristics and considerations unique to the higher education sector.

Module 2: “The Authentic and Engaged Leader”

This module focuses on ways that leaders can show up and create spaces for meaningful conversations, the impact and influence they have as leaders within their institutions, as well as individual self-awareness and emotional intelligence. 

Leadership Exchange

  • CAUBO Leader participants are given the opportunity to visit and be visited by one or more colleagues of their cohort or at their home institution as part of a” Leadership Exchange”. This can be accomplished online or in-person.
  • In this exchange, participants observe, share and experience various day-to-day leadership challenges and responses – ones they might not otherwise experience.
  • Participants gain insights about themselves, their colleagues, and their environment with takeaways related to their own leadership styles, strengths, and opportunities for growth.
  • Could happen at the “home” institution – we prepare participants for engaging in this activity on their own and then share learnings. 

Strategic Impact Groups (SIGs)

  • Cohorts are given the opportunity to focus on a ‘wicked’ or complex issue facing the sector through Strategic Impact Groups (SIGs).
  • The SIGs are an opportunity to explore lessons around leadership whilst also providing a tangible contribution to an aspect of the institution or sector’s challenges through ideas, recommendations and/or specific actions.
  • The SIGs are self-organizing and intended to mimic the informal/less structured ways that leaders come together to identify and solve complex problems. 

Participant Provocations

  • An opportunity for individual participants to share insights and perspectives on leadership from their own context and experience.
  • Can be conducted online as a connection opportunity between in-person modules.

Reconnects

  • Occur between the modules to maintain connection and allow cohort members to sustain momentum in their relationship building and progress the work of the strategic impact groups.
  • Participants work in small groups to tackle real-world challenges. This hands-on approach enhances problem-solving skills and fosters continuous learning. By engaging in Action Learning, participants develop critical thinking, teamwork, and the ability to implement innovative solutions.

Guest Speakers

  • An opportunity for participants to engage with outstanding leaders from within the sector as well as public life, who can share their experience of leadership with participants and provide insights of leadership in a range of other organizations.
  • Included as a component of both in-person modules.

Individual Touchpoints

  • Facilitators engage in one-on-one conversations with participants before the offering begins to better understand individual needs and leadership goals, current challenges, aspirations for their participation, and to gain insight into the cohort as a whole.
  • These conversations take place a second time, once the modules are complete, to check in on participants’ learning and progress towards their goals.
  • Participants are encouraged to contact the facilitators throughout the program on an as-needed basis to discuss goals, challenges, or specific needs. 

Landing Event

  • The program concludes with a landing event where participants showcase and share the work conducted by the Strategic Impact Groups.
  • This event will take place at the annual CAUBO conference, where participants share their work and experience with not only their fellow participants, but with the larger CAUBO community.
  • The landing event is a celebratory opportunity to connect and build community with leaders across the sector.

Schedule and Calendar at a Glance

Timing Activity
October 15, 2026 Program Launch Event (Online)
Late October 2026 Individual Pre-Program Call (Online)
November 23-26, 2026 Module 1 in Ottawa (in-person)
Winter 2027 Group Reconnect (Online)
Winter 2027 Leadership Exchange Activity (Online or In-person)
Winter 2027 Strategic Impact Group (SIG) Work (Online)
March 22-25, 2027 Module 2 in Ottawa (in person)
Spring 2027 Strategic Impact Group (SIG) Work (Online)
Spring 2027 Group Reconnect (Online)
June 15 & 16, 2027 Landing event at the CAUBO 2027 Conference in Niagara Falls, Ontario (In-person)
June 2027 Final Group Reconnect (Online)
June 2027 Post-Experience Evaluation Interview (Online)

Program Philosophy and Approach

CAUBO Leader focuses on collaborative leadership philosophies, emphasizing leadership practice that is informed by individual growth (me), team dynamics (we) and aims to enhance leadership skills, foster collaboration, and drive organizational excellence. It uses a collaborative, reflective, and interactive approach to foster a community of confident, capable leaders who advance innovation and help realize their institutions’ missions.

Program Benefits

  • Individual Level
    • Discover and develop your personal leadership potential and influence
    • Gain insight into diverse leadership styles, approaches and strengths
  •  University Level
    • Build meaningful, cross-institutional relationships with peers across Canada
    • Engage in collaborative, creative problem-solving on real sector challenges
    • Strengthen your ability to lead effectively across teams and functional areas.
    • Bring back tools, insights, and practices that deepen leadership capacity within your institution
  • Community Level
    • Recognize and expand your individual impact beyond your institution
    • Understand and respond to the evolving higher ed landscape
    • Leverage your leadership to strengthen connections across institutions and sectors

Learning Approach

Participants progress from “Me” to “We” to “Us,” reflecting on personal leadership while contributing to a collective leadership practice. The program emphasizes adaptive, community-based leadership to address complex sector challenges.

Core Leadership Questions Explored

  1. What kind of leadership is needed to navigate today’s complex challenges in higher education?
  2. How can leaders foster meaningful, productive conversations that drive collaboration and change?
  3. Why should others choose to follow you? What defines your authentic leadership approach?

Application Criteria/Timelines

Applications for the 2026–2027 CAUBO Leader Program will open in early August.

To express your interest and receive direct updates about the next offering, please email us at events@caubo.ca. 

Applicants will be subject to a selection process.

Space will be limited to 20 participants.

To ensure a strong, balanced cohort and a meaningful developmental experience, applications to CAUBO Leader will be assessed based on the following criteria:

Professional Experience and Role:

CAUBO Leader is designed for mid- to senior-level administrators in key operational and administrative areas of Canadian universities. The program is intended for professionals in roles such as Associate Vice-President (AVP), Senior Director, Controller, or other comparable positions with significant institutional responsibility. Ideal candidates are those seeking to deepen their leadership capacity and broaden their impact within the post-secondary sector.

Motivation, Learning Readiness and Commitment

Applicants must demonstrate:

  • A clear statement of intent that reflects their motivation and leadership aspirations
  • Evidence of learning readiness, including openness to self-reflection and personal growth
  • Full availability and commitment to participate in all program components, including in-person and virtual sessions.

CAUBO Leader is not a passive training program—it is an immersive developmental experience. Candidates should be prepared to engage actively and bring real leadership challenges into the learning environment.

Contribution to Peer Learning

Because the program is cohort-based, the quality of the learning experience depends on the active participation of all members. Applicants should demonstrate:

  • A willingness to learn from others and contribute their own insights
  • A mindset of reciprocity and curiosity, consistent with the program’s “give and get” ethos

Diversity and Inclusion

CAUBO is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive cohort, with representation across:

  • Institutional size, type, and region
  • Professional domains (e.g., finance, human resources, facilities, risk management, procurement)
  • Demographic backgrounds and lived experiences