Course Category: Course

DEI Foundations: Socioeconomic Status (SES) and Class in Higher Education

As faculty and staff, it’s essential to be aware of the dynamics that we create on our campuses and how that impacts our students across different socioeconomic backgrounds. Oftentimes, students with diverse SES or class backgrounds are not considered when developing programs, norms, or other collegiate experiences, which then perpetuate inequitable experiences for them.  If we can shift the conditions and climate for our students so there are not any assumptions about class status, then we can allow our students to access any experience similarly regardless of their social capital.  This course will take a foundational approach to help you:  Define SES/Class and intersectionality,  Understand SES/Class in the context of higher education,  Understand implications for not considering SES/Class in your work, Debunk myths about SES/Class,  Shift your thinking about SES/Class and,  Reflect on your own SES/Class identities.  This course is designed for anyone interested in learning about socioeconomic/class status within a higher education setting.  This course is most beneficial to anyone unfamiliar with the impact that SES/class status has within the context of higher education.  This course is part of our foundational Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion series––an intentional collection of personal development and skill building trainings––which provide education and awareness-building, self-reflection, and next steps. 

DEI Foundations: Allyship in Higher Education

Allyship is an opportunity to elevate the voices and perspectives of historically marginalized people to level power dynamics and ensure that their perspectives are heard and accounted for in every interaction.  If you’re interested in learning more about what allyship is and how it can benefit your organization, this video course is a great place to get started.  This course will take a foundational approach to help you:   Define allyship and understand what it is and what it is not.   Reflect on considerations for becoming an ally,   Understand common mistakes made by allies, and  Reflect on your own social identities to become an ally for others.  This course is designed for anyone interested in learning about allyship within a higher education setting.  This course is most beneficial to anyone unfamiliar with what it means to be an ally or interested in exploring allyship within the context of higher education.  This course is part of our foundational Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion series––an intentional collection of personal development and skill building trainings––which provide education and awareness-building, self-reflection, and next steps.  

DEI Foundations: Implicit Bias in Higher Education

Implicit bias refers to the attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner. It encompasses both favorable and unfavorable assessments, which are activated involuntarily and operate on autopilot. We all have implicit biases that show up every day in our actions and interactions with others. A great start to understanding how implicit bias shows up in your life is through self-reflection, which will help you move towards deeply considering your own preferences to people.    This course will take a foundational approach to help you:  Define implicit bias and understand the research behind implicit bias,  Understand how implicit bias shows up in the context of higher education,   Hear examples of implicit bias,  Learn how to respond to someone’s implicit bias, and  Identify multiple techniques to increase awareness and interpret your own implicit biases.  This course is designed for anyone interested in learning about implicit bias within a higher education setting. This course is most beneficial to anyone unfamiliar with implicit bias or interested in exploring the application of implicit bias within the context of higher education.  This course is part of our foundational Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion series––an intentional collection of personal development and skill building trainings––which provide education and awareness-building, self-reflection, […]

Managing Difficult Conversations as Faculty

Few academics would characterize themselves as comfortable or skilled in navigating difficult conversations. In fact, many of us go out of our way to avoid conflicts. Avoidance not only prevents problems from being resolved but can hinder opportunities to build interpersonal trust and respect within our departments. Effectively navigating difficult conversations can improve your sense of well-being, collegial relationships, the culture of your department, and your academic brand. The purpose of this video course is to help you develop the strategies and techniques required to resist the urge to avoid or fuel interpersonal conflicts and provide you with tools that will allow you to manage these situations with greater ease and confidence.

Designing, Developing, and Delivering Engaging Online Courses

Every quality online course begins with a clean layout, consistent structure, and clear policies and expectations. But to engage and retain your online learners, it is also essential to create a welcoming learning environment through every communication and to structure in opportunities for meaningful connection with the instructor, classmates, and materials.   This video course offers an overview of best practices in online course design, development, and delivery—from the basics to the more nuanced elements of engagement. Whether you are new to online teaching or want to refresh your skillset, this comprehensive video course will provide strategies and tips to help you create more engaging online courses.  

Mapping Your Tenure, Promotion, or Reappointment Statement: A 7-Day Practical Program

The processes of promotion, reappointment, and tenure are consistent drivers of faculty stress. However, learning how to write a professional statement effectively can alleviate some of that pressure. The professional statement is a strategic opportunity to tell the powerful story of your hard-won accomplishments over the years and guide your review committee in their analysis of your work. The statement should highlight important themes, identify patterns of contribution across areas, and offer a general frame for interpreting the breadth of your achievements. This course will provide strategies for shaping your myriad accomplishments into a cohesive structure that presents a strong case for tenure, promotion, or reappointment.

DEI Foundations: Student Disability in Higher Education

As faculty and staff, you have undoubtedly interacted with and/or provided accommodations for students with disabilities. However, these students may still face discrimination on your college campuses.  By knowing the kinds of experiences faced by students with disabilities (e.g., physical, mental, psychological, etc.), you are better able to engage in critical reflection and take action to remove barriers that obstruct their pathway to success.  This course will take a foundational approach to help you:  This course is part of our foundational Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion series––an intentional collection of personal development and skill building trainings––which provide education and awareness-building, self-reflection, and ways to speak up and take action. 

Faculty Voice: Strategies to Improve Your Online Course Communication

Your faculty voice has the power to shape an online course environment and improve student outcomes. The way you communicate with online learners through your policies, announcements, emails, and assignment feedback impacts student engagement and retention. Now more than ever, instructors need better strategies to support online student success and create genuine connection in the virtual environment. In this course, you will gain best practices for adapting your communication style to an online context. You will learn a variety of facilitative communication strategies to help improve your interactions with online learners.

Advancement Thought Leadership Series

Advancement Thought Leadership Series June 22, 2021 | July 27, 2021 | August 24, 2021 | September 28, 2021 Important Links Welcome! Join us online for an exclusive four-part discussion series on these timely topics in advancement. This series is designed to help make connections with colleagues across the globe and enhance your learning. In each session, we will discuss and share learns, ideas, and thoughts around the identified topic. Our facilitators, Britt Iwaszkiw and Roshaon Tytar, with Academic Impressions, will help you and your peers explore these topics in greater detail and identify resources to support your goals and initiatives. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out: Britt Iwaszkiw (She/Her/Hers) | brittany@academicimpressions.com Manager, Advancement Partnerships Roshaon Tytar (She/Her/Hers) | roshaon@academicimpressions.com Account Manager Prepare for the Advancement Thought Leadership Series 1) We look forward to talking about: Session 1 | Workforce Development June 22, 2021, 1:30 – 2:30 pm ET Session 2 | Donor Relations July 27, 2021, 1:30 – 2:30 pm ET Session 3 | Advancement Centered Diversity, Equity and Inclusion August 24, 2021, 1:30 – 2:30 pm ET Session 4 |Hybrid Fundraising Conversation (In-Person and Digital Engagement) September 28, 2021, 1:30 – 2:30 pm […]

Fundraising for Department Chairs

At its core, fundraising is storytelling. How effectively you tell your story, who you choose to tell your story to, and how you demonstrate the impact of fundraising dollars once raised will ultimately determine your success as a fundraiser. The good news is you are already doing much of this work by advocating internally at the Dean and Provost level for your students, faculty, and programs. This video course is designed to help you broaden those skills and refine your message externally to alumni, donors, and community members. You will learn how to approach fundraising for your department in a strategic and meaningful way by learning how to: Explore your institution’s fundraising operations and structure, so that you can better understand your role and ways to partner with others. Identify and articulate the most emergent needs for your department in a way that aligns with donors’ interests. Plan for and navigate through the five stages of the solicitation cycle to cultivate long-lasting relationships with donors. The principles of fundraising shared in this course can be implemented by any department chair who is interested in growing their expertise in cultivating relationships with donors.  Whether you are solely responsible for fundraising or […]