Foundations of Project Management

Project management helps to ensure that mission-driven initiatives in higher education are well-planned and effectively managed to achieve their desired impact and outcomes.  The difference between a well-executed and poorly-executed initiative can make all the difference in retaining faculty and staff, attracting students, generating new revenue or growing your unit’s impact within the community.  This highly practical course will introduce you to a standardized project management methodology and teach you how to use several proven tools and templates, which you can begin using immediately to advance your highest priority initiatives.  If you’re interested in learning how to define and manage the scope of work, engage meaningfully with your stakeholders and ensure the right work gets done, this course is for you.  Who Will Benefit  This course is highly recommended for anyone leading a cross-unit or cross-functional project or strategic initiative on campus.  It’s especially helpful for those new to leading initiatives, as this course will introduce you to proven project management strategies, frameworks and tools.  You don’t have to be a project manager by title to benefit from this course.    How It Works  For 5 days, you will get daily emails Monday through Friday with bite-sized videos that you can […]

Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research for National Science Foundation Grants

As of July 2023, the National Science Foundation updated the responsible and ethical conduct of research (RECR) requirement for all faculty and personnel who will be supported by NSF grants. The requirements state that those supported by NSF grants have a responsibility to “generate and disseminate knowledge with rigor and integrity,” and “conduct peer review with the highest ethical standards; diligently protect proprietary information and intellectual property from inappropriate disclosure; and treat students and colleagues fairly and with respect.” This course was designed to meet the new RECR requirement through a focus on peer review, authorship concerns, data management concerns, creating a safe research environment, mentorship, and collaborative research. This course is specifically designed for faculty who will be submitting grant applications through the NSF, but it may also be applicable to postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduate students participating in those research projects—or to those simply looking to better understand research ethics and integrity.

Cultivating an Inclusive Academic Environment – Leading in the Classroom

As a leader in professional development for higher education leaders across the world, Academic Impressions prides itself on delivering quality content that is data informed and rooted in practical application. Over the past year we have had a number of conversations with member institutions who have been seeking out inclusive leadership training for their team but have found that very few workshops speak directly to a faculty audience. In response to requests from our members we have embarked on the development of a training program that will speak directly to our faculty audience, but rather than build it in a vacuum, we have worked with campus leaders from across the country to identify key topics and develop a program structure. This next phase is our attempt to determine if what we built truly does achieve our intended outcomes.

Understanding Your Five Paths to Leadership® Assessment Results

Higher education is undergoing great change, and as leaders, we need to remain dynamic and responsive to those changes. The Five Paths to Leadership® Self-Assessment can help you to identify ways to effectively adapt your leadership style to a variety of situations and people. Thousands of leaders in higher ed have benefited from this model, which explores how one’s leadership style manifests under normal circumstances—and how it changes under stress. In this video, you’ll learn how to: This course is ideal for any Academic Impressions member who would like to learn more about their own leadership style and how it may change under stress. All members should complete the self assessment here prior to starting this course.   

White Privilege and Allyship: A 5-Day Advanced Program

Diversity, equity, and inclusion work has never been more important in higher education. Sign up for our free five-day program to learn about white privilege and allyship. New to diversity, equity, and inclusion? Start with our 101 program to lay the foundation for your learning. White Privilege in Higher Education Identify and confront white privilege in higher education to create a more equitable and inclusive community. White privilege — which results in pushing BIPOC people to the margins — has become ingrained in many of our systems and policies in higher education. When we are critically conscious of whiteness and white privilege, we can start to question and dismantle it within our institutions, thereby preventing it from continuing to disenfranchise people of color. Allyship in Higher Education Elevate voices and perspectives of historically marginalized people by becoming an ally. 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. How It Works […]

Responding to Title IX Disclosures for Faculty and Staff

During the course of your career, you will likely experience a Title IX disclosure from someone on your campus who trusts you. This course will give you the skillset to respond to a disclosure in the moment and understand the process after the initial disclosure of sexual harassment. We’ll explore your responsibilities and give you strategies to ensure safe and productive conversations when students and employees share details of sexual harassment with you. In this course you will learn how to:

Transitioning Campaign Success into Evergreen Giving Opportunities

Campaigns are long-term, effort-intensive fundraising cycles that require hard work and commitment from Advancement staff, university and volunteer leaders, and donors. When a campaign comes to a close, the institution must balance the celebration of its accomplishments and gratitude for donors with the ongoing need for philanthropic support, all in the setting of inevitable potential for staff and donor fatigue. The best practice is to couple campaign-close communications with a focused effort that capitalizes on the momentum garnered during the campaign to transition into an evergreen philanthropic marketing and communications effort. This underutilized practice showcases high potential investment opportunities – thus, keeping philanthropy alive well beyond a campaign. Creating giving opportunities beyond the close of a successful campaign does not happen by chance. It requires a coordinated effort with your marketing and communications team to ensure that they are prepared to best position your institutional needs while also celebrating the impact of the campaign and honoring the donors who helped to make it a success. Join us to learn the steps UC San Diego took in their transition to create a post-campaign evergreen giving opportunity—and how you might adapt their approach to your own unique institutional context.

Customer Service Skills Training: Certification for Higher Education Professionals

Customer Service Skills Training: Certification for Higher Education Professionals November 1 – 3, 2023 Gain the knowledge and skills you need to provide high-quality customer service in the higher education environment. Welcome to your course page for your virtual conference! We’ll be adding links to meeting rooms, schedules, social media, and course materials as they become available. Make sure to check back as it gets closer to your conference! EVENT INFORMATION Check back soon for links! ENSURE YOUR TECHNOLOGY IS READY This workshop is intentionally designed to allow for maximum learning, connections, and engagement. We advise the following in order to participate fully: Audio & Visual Needs

Creativity Without Limits: a 5 Day Program to Build and Strengthen Your Creative Muscles

Are you looking to spark your creative energy and explore new ways to develop ideas? Look no further, this 5 day program offers a unique opportunity to tap into your creative potential and unlock your imagination.   You’ll begin a journey to build and strengthen your creative muscles by participating in carefully curated activities that are designed to be fun, inspiring, and accessible to all skill levels. These activities are designed for attendees to:    How it Works For 5 days, you will get a daily email with a bite-sized video and directions for the activity. The activities range from options that can be completed quickly to others that will require that you set aside time each day (roughly 30 minutes). Don’t miss the opportunity to integrate professional development into your daily routine and to strengthen your understanding of the benefits of design thinking in your work.