After eight successful cohorts and a strong legacy of leadership development across campus, the TCU Master Leaders Program (MLP) will pause recruiting a new cohort for the 2026–2027 academic year. This pause will serve as a strategic moment to evaluate impact, gather feedback, and purposefully evolve the overall program, while also prioritizing alumni engagement efforts.
Demonstrated Impact
Since its start in 2018, MLP has graduated eight cohorts of campus leaders representing academic and administrative areas across the university. Notably, 78% of all MLP participants remain employed at TCU, a strong indicator of leadership engagement, institutional commitment, and retention of developed talent.
MLP is considered one of the most impactful leadership development initiatives for staff and faculty at TCU. Graduates of the program continue to strengthen cross-campus collaboration, enhance leadership capability, and contribute to a more connected and values-aligned culture. Other U.S. colleges and universities have used the MLP framework as a model for creating leadership programs for staff and faculty on their campuses.
Why Pause Now?
As TCU continues to evolve, the overall experience and leadership development strategy for employees must do the same. The 2026–2027 year will be used to thoughtfully assess and refine the next chapter of MLP for even greater alignment with:
- TCU’s strategic priorities
- TCU’s values of Integrity, Engagement, Community, and Excellence
- Growing action-focused leaders at all levels who understand the future of work, and can confidently lead through technological and generational workforce changes
- Cross-campus collaborations
An Alumni-Focused Year
Rather than launching a new cohort, 2026–2027 will be a year of reinvestment in the MLP alumni community. Planned alumni engagement opportunities include:
- Alumni-only sessions on new and emerging leadership topics
- Topical workshops and content provided by alumni or special guests
- Refresher conversations on foundational MLP content
- Cross-cohort connection and networking opportunities
Continuing Momentum
The Master Leaders Program has always been more than a cohort model—it is a community of leaders committed to elevating workplace culture, strengthening collaboration, and advancing TCU’s mission.
MLP Cohort 8 will complete its program year with graduation on June 3, marking another milestone in the program’s legacy.
More details about alumni programming and the future relaunch of MLP will be shared later this summer.