School of Leadership and Policy Builds on UA’s Established Success

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Business Alabama Partners
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University of Alabama student outside Farrah Hall

The new School of Leadership and Policy at The University of Alabama will open for undergraduate and graduate students in fall 2027, but the framework for its success has been in place for nearly two centuries.

Since its founding in 1831, UA’s alumni have become some of the top changemakers in the state and across the nation. U.S. senators and Supreme Court justices. CEOs. Philanthropists. Leaders across all industries. As the future-ready flagship, UA has established the School of Leadership and Policy to build on that success and take it to the next level.

University of Alabama students gathered outside Farrah Hall
“By cultivating leadership talent and policy expertise, the School of Leadership and Policy will serve as a catalyst for developing the next generation of changemakers — those who will lead Alabama and the nation toward a prosperous and resilient future,” said UA President Peter J. Mohler.

The new school is led by Dean Parker Wright, who spent three decades in the U.S. Air Force, retiring as a major general. As the former deputy commander of Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base, Wright understands the link between education and leadership.

“We hope to be able to inspire our students, our graduates, to go out and serve their communities, not just in public service, but really across all sectors — whether that’s public, private or non-profit — to lead with a servant’s heart and to serve the community that we’re part of here, particularly with a focus on the state and our communities,” Wright said.

The curriculum will equip students with knowledge and skills to participate effectively in civic life and government, with a strong understanding of the foundational principles that shape American institutions, laws and discourse. Students will be exposed to multiple viewpoints and engage directly with a wide range of public institutions, nonprofit organizations and private-sector businesses through internships, policy labs and community-based projects, ensuring they develop the perspective, skills and insight needed to address complex challenges with tangible solutions at state, national and global levels.

University of Alabama student speaking at a podium
“Leaders are developed across the campus, but we want to be a place that helps units across the University to be able to develop leaders,” Wright said. “We’re also discovering those new policy prescriptions, those new ideas to really solve some old intractable problems.”

Wright said he believes every student should take a leadership course of some kind and sees real value in students from areas across the University taking courses in the School of Leadership and Policy, and maybe even building a double major in two areas. Whether a student has chosen a STEM or fine arts major, or any of UA’s 100+ degree options, he said a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership could be extremely beneficial.

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University of Alabama student holding a School of Leadership and Policy folder
“If a new employee comes in and has some leadership acumen or understands what their organization’s leadership is trying to do, we think that will give them a leg up in the future,” Wright said.

In preparation for the school’s opening next fall, Wright is currently building a strong faculty team, made up of both academic experts and professors of practice who’ve led policy in the public space. He’s also overseeing infrastructure development, including a major renovation of Farrah Hall, where offices and classrooms will be located.

Learn how UA is turning leaders into legends.

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