Jena A. Burges, director of general education at Longwood University in Farmville, Va., was recently selected as one of 34 American Council on Education (ACE) Fellows for the 2004-05 academic year. Burges will spend the fall semester at UNC Asheville learning on-the-job skills as a senior administrator.

"I chose UNC Asheville as my fellowship site because the University has a long tradition of academic excellence and innovative programs, especially in the liberal arts tradition," said Burges. "It is very clear that UNCA is committed to the education of its students."

While at UNC Asheville, Burges says that she hopes to get "a sense of the big picture and gain an understanding of how various aspects of higher education work together." Over the next few months, Burges will attend senior staff meetings, meet with members of the UNC Asheville community and take on special projects at the Chancellor’s discretion. She’s particularly interested in learning more about new and unusual styles of faculty development.

Burges, who has been a faculty member at Longwood University since 1997, also serves as associate professor of English and director of freshman writing. Prior to Longwood, she served as interim director of English composition and visiting assistant professor of English at Northern Arizona University. Burges holds a master’s degree in TESL and a doctorate in applied linguistics from Northern Arizona University.

The ACE Fellows Program, established in 1965 by the American Council on Education (ACE), is designed to strengthen institutions and leadership in American higher education by identifying and preparing promising senior faculty and administrators for more responsible positions in college and university administration. It is the only national, individualized, long-term professional development program in higher education to provide on-the-job learning of administration skills. Fellows are nominated by the presidents or chancellors of their institutions and are selected in a national competition.