What is External Reviewer

This chapter draws on 17 years of research and mentoring experience with hundreds of academic leaders in diverse research-intensive university (RIU) environments around the world. The authors argue that scholarship should be central to academic leadership initiatives in RIUs. The scholarship of educational leadership (SoEL) has significant benefits for RIUs and academic leaders with educational roles and responsibilities at various institutional levels: SoEL provides a strategic foundation for educational reform and other quality assurance and quality enhancement activities; SoEL is strategically aligned with RIU mandates for sustained and productive scholarly activity; SoEL fosters an institutional culture of educational scholarship aimed at enhancing effective and efficient practices in undergraduate and graduate programs; and RIUs become better known for valuing educational excellence through SoEL and its strategic contribution to enhance regional, national, or international rankings. This chapter examines theory-practice applications of SoEL in diverse RIU contexts.