Given the intensive nature of the program, middle and senior managers who have experience in leading teams or units will benefit from attending. We have intentionally designed this program for administrators across the institution, including those on the academic side, such as deans and provosts.

Your registration fee includes full access to all conference sessions and materials, breakfast, lunch, and access to the networking reception on Wednesday, breakfast and lunch on Thursday, breakfast and lunch on Friday, as well as refreshments and snacks throughout the conference.
Day 1 – Wednesday, June 26, 2024

8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. MT (Local time in Denver, CO)

Registration and Breakfast  
8:00 – 8:30 a.m.

Welcome and Introductions
8:30 – 9:00 a.m.

Future Timeline 
9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
The world of higher education has changed fundamentally over the last few years and will likely continue to change and transform in new and unexpected ways. In this interactive session, we’ll explore the events, trends, and issues that will impact higher ed over the next decade, and we’ll also explore practical strategies to build on and practice this anticipatory mindset.

Break 
10:00 – 10:15 a.m. 

Building Connections with Lego Serious Play: An Experiential Process for Reflective Dialogue  
10:15 – 11:30 a.m. 
Lego Serious Play is an experiential process designed for use with adults to prompt dialogue and encourage reflection. To help you get creative and expand your mindset using the approachable medium of play, our facilitator will lead you through a series of structured exercises to kick off the conference.

Lunch 
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 

The Five Paths to Leadership℠ Self-Assessment
12:30 – 2:00 p.m.
We’ll introduce you to Academic Impressions’ leadership model, the Five Paths to Leadership℠ Self-Assessment. This assessment will help you to understand your predominant leadership style and how it changes under stress. Knowing your leadership style will better equip you to make decisions that align with your strengths and weaknesses. Understanding your leadership style during a stressful situation can also help you to lead your team more effectively, make better decisions, and communicate more clearly. This will ultimately help you to navigate the situation more successfully and emerge a stronger leader.

Break 
2:00 – 2:15 p.m. 

Intersectionality and Innovation
2:15 – 4:00 p.m.
The various backgrounds, experiences, and identities we hold as leaders influence the way we show up and allow others to show up, too. As we navigate adaptive challenges in higher education, we need more diversity at the table, not less. And we need to know how to create a climate and culture where everyone doesn’t just belong, but contributes. In this session, we’ll examine each of our own intersecting identities and the broader context in which you’re leading.

The Five Paths to Leadership℠ 360 Assessment
4:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Each participant will complete a Five Paths to Leadership℠ 360 Assessment before coming to the program, and you’ll receive your results on-site. You’ll have a 30-minute coaching session with one of the facilitators to discuss your feedback, identify action steps you can take, and connect what you’ve learned to the topics of the program.

Final Q&A / Wrap-Up 
4:30 – 5:00 p.m. 

Networking Reception (included in registration fee)
5:00 – 6:00 p.m.
This informal reception is your chance to decompress, have some refreshments on us, and expand your network of connections. Our programs are intentionally designed for smaller groups, so this is a great time to catch up with attendees and speakers whom you may not have connected with yet.

Day 2 - Thursday, June 27, 2024 

7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. MT (Local time in Denver, CO)
Individual Coaching
7:00 – 8:00 a.m.

Breakfast 
8:00 – 8:30 a.m. 

Reflections from Day 1 
8:30 – 9:00 a.m.

Developing Trust Across Differences
9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
This session will give you an opportunity to reflect on the messages you have learned over time about how to engage in conversations about personal frustrations at work. You will practice intentional engagement versus moving past uncomfortable scenarios and arrive at a place where you are more willing to actively take part in solution-oriented conversations, even when they are uncomfortable.

Break
10:00 – 10:15 a.m.

Difficult Conversations Are Necessary, Not Unkind (plus Role Play)
10:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
For years, there has been an increasingly dominant narrative in our society about the importance of being kind or “politically correct.” While these are important principles, we must unpack and examine how this narrative often gets in the way of difficult yet essential conversations that leaders often avoid for fear of saying the wrong thing. This session will give you an opportunity to reflect on the messages you have learned over time about how to engage meaningfully in conversations about any number of difficult topics. We will explore how these messages have influenced your daily decisions to engage or disengage in difficult conversations over time. You will practice intentional engagement versus moving past uncomfortable scenarios and arrive at a place where you are more actively willing to take part in and lead uncomfortable conversations moving forward.

Lunch
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. 

7 Practices for Creating High-Performing Teams 
1:00 – 3:30 p.m. 
Most teams don’t struggle because they lack the requisite talent, but because they don’t focus enough on their group dynamics and process—how they’ll work together. In this session, we’ll examine seven practices used by high-performing teams, including ways to ensure that everyone’s voice is included in the conversation, to improve decision making, support creative and innovative thinking, and more.

Reflection and Wrap-Up
3:30 – 4:00 p.m. 
This session offers participants a chance to reflect on the day’s highlights, as well as on the key takeaways of the day.

Individual Coaching
4:00 – 6:00 p.m.  

Day 3 - Friday, June 28, 2024 

8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. MT (Local time in Denver, CO)
Breakfast
8:00 – 8:30 a.m. 

Reflections from Day 2
8:30 – 9:00 a.m. 

Power & Systems Simulation
9:00 – 11:15 a.m.  
In this interactive session, you will simulate a complex challenge that highlights the naturally occurring dynamics of organizational life. Often on the same day, we play multiple roles: as leader, follower or sandwiched in the middle. And yet regardless of the roles we play, we are all accountable for certain outcomes. In this session, you will gain insight into ways that you can contribute productively to situations—and encourage others to do the same—regardless of the role you are playing.

Mastering Agility
11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Once you have engaged in a visioning process for yourself and your organization, it’s necessary to make decisions regarding activities which may or may not be moving the organization forward. In this session, we’ll delve deep into the four key strategies of the OODA Loop (Observe, Orient, Decide and Act) and explore how these principles can be applied to enhance decision making, giving you a valuable edge in navigating complexity.

Lunch 
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. 

Distilling the Lessons from the Three Days
1:00 – 1:45 p.m. 
We’ll have covered a lot of ground over three days, so as our program ends, we’ll synthesize the most important takeaways and lessons learned.

Break
1:45 – 2:00 p.m.  

Action Planning & Presentations
2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
In our final session, you’ll design your action plan for moving forward—first individually, and then with a thought partner. This action plan will detail how you will use your lessons learned here to impact and further improve your leadership. Your thought partner will help you to build accountability into the process, and you’ll also have a chance to present your plan to the full group and receive feedback. We’ll then share interactive and safe ways to receive feedback that you can easily apply in your own settings.

Program Wrap-Up and Close
3:00 – 3:30 p.m.

Attend any three in-person conferences for $5,000 for Members ($5,500 for Non-Members) – or $1,667 dollars per registration for Members ($1,833 for Non-Members) – with a Conference 3-Pack. There’s no one way to use your 3-Pack!

• Send 3 people to the same conference
• Send 3 individuals to different conferences
• Experience 3 different conferences yourself

Learn More

The training will be conducted in person at Academic Impressions’ Denver-based office at:
5299 DTC Blvd, Suite 1400, Greenwood Village, CO 80111

Nearby hotel suggestions:

Hyatt Place Denver Tech Center – 3-star hotel
8300 E Crescent Pkwy, Greenwood Village, CO 80111
303-804-0700
Distance from office: 0.5 miles if driving, 0.3 miles if walking 

A room rate of $154/night is available if you book your room using this link.

This reduced rate and room availability are subject to general hotel availability and not guaranteed. So, we recommend booking as soon as possible!  

Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center – 4-star hotel
7800 E Tufts Ave, Denver, CO 80237
303-779-1234
Distance from office: 1.1 miles 

Denver Marriott Tech Center – 4-star hotel
4900 S Syracuse St, Denver, CO 80237
303-779-1100
Distance from office: 0.9-1.2 miles, depending on route 

A 10% discount is available if you book your room using this link.  

This discount is subject to general hotel availability and not guaranteed. So, we recommend booking as soon as possible!