Improving Faculty Evaluations: A Training for Department Chairs

Faculty evaluations are one of the most challenging aspects of serving as a department chair. Emotions run high, performance rubrics aren’t always clear, and both parties may become defensive and react more than they listen. Still, these conversations don’t have to be difficult, and they don’t have to take a negative tone. They key is to develop an evaluation process that establishes clear goals, uses objective data to assess those goals, and allows you to treat performance-related issues before your annual meeting. Join us online to learn how to make your next faculty evaluation session easier and more productive by implementing four key steps: Goal Setting and Communication Using and Applying Evaluation Data Phrasing Comments Appropriately Delivering Feedback

Strategizing Multiple Outreach Attempts in Fundraising

As a frontline fundraiser, you need eleven attempts on average to reach a donor or prospect. While you might be comfortable with essential outreach duties like planning calls, securing appointments, and overcoming objections, how confident are you in planning outreach to one donor or prospect over time? Join us online to learn how to progress through multiple outreach attempts to support your fundraising goals. We will focus on how you can be politely persistent while strengthening ties. You will leave with ideas for how to: Revise email subject lines and voicemail messages Space multiple outreach attempts over time Reference previous outreach attempts

Recruiting, Training, and Engaging Alumni Volunteers in a Digital World (Virtual Workshop)

Instructor Clarybel Peguero, Ed.D.Senior Director for Volunteer EngagementDuke Alumni Association, Duke University   Parks SmithDirector of Strategic OperationsVirginia Commonwealth University Course Highlights 1hr 11m of video instruction Downloadable resources Course Details Released 9/1/2020 Learning OutcomeAfter participating in this online training, you will be able to apply best practices in digital alumni volunteer recruitment, training, and engagement.  OverviewAlumni volunteers are immensely valuable to institutions in both their service and giving power. They tend to give 10 times more than non-volunteers. However, COVID-19 has flipped the script on how we recruit and engage alumni volunteers. In-person offerings are no longer an option. Instead, we’ve been forced into the digital world and have had to adjust in order to remain successful.   In this highly interactive virtual training, guided by our experts, you will share with your peers what you have learned since we’ve entered this new reality. Together we will identify emerging best practices in digital volunteer recruitment, training, and engagement, in order to better understand how to retain alumni volunteers.  Who Should AttendThis program is specifically designed for alumni relations professionals who manage volunteers and are looking to learn and share best practices on how to recruit, train, and engage alumni volunteers in a virtual world.   Agenda  Landscape of Alumni Volunteer Engagement Most institution’s volunteer engagement approach has transformed overnight due to COVID-19, with shops needing to drastically change the way they manage recruitment, […]

How to Make Your Annual Giving Strategy More Agile During Uncertain Times (Virtual Workshop)

With decreases projected in giving for fiscal year 2020-2021 due to COVID-19 and economic conditions, annual giving shops are facing turbulent months ahead. With additional cuts to budgets and staff, in addition to losses in revenue throughout higher education, being agile and nimble to create the best odds is key to a successful year in annual giving. Our expert speaker, Tyrell Warren-Burnett will provide you with a framework to help you identify when it’s time to pivot your strategy so that you can remain nimble in the face of uncertainty. You will have the chance to work in small groups and apply the framework to pinpoint the most critical threats to your shop, as well as how to best respond to those obsticles in the most agile way possible.

Perspectives from Underrepresented Women in Higher Ed Leadership

In recent months, we have seen a monumental shift in how we elevate the voices and perspectives of underrepresented women. Responses to this movement have been historical: renaming buildings, taking a hard look at how systemic racism has impacted our colleagues, and expanding what anti-racism looks like in our day-to-day lives. This virtual training is designed to help you maintain this momentum at your institution. The training is divided into two sessions:

Incorporating Virtual Labs and Lab Kits in Your Courses

Virtual labs and remote lab kits will become a reality for many faculty and instructors in the fall. Implementing these can be key to ensuring quality online education and retaining students. However, you may be new to online formats and searching for resources on how to begin. You may be asking: What types of remote or virtual labs are available? What are the pros and cons of each? What is the process for implementing each type of lab into my courses? What are some pitfalls to look out for? Should I create them myself or use a vendor? What are some tips for working with vendors? Join us for a virtual training and dialogue on what you need to know before you begin, as well as tips and strategies for seamless implementation. Dr. Heather Taft from Colorado State University Global will use examples from the sciences to reveal the process of incorporating virtual labs, simulations, and lab kits into your courses. She will also offer individual consulting to those who have further questions and want to address the unique context of their own courses. Though the considerations in this workshop apply to course planning across various disciplines, we will dive […]

Inclusive Pedagogy in Higher Education: A Mindset and Continual Practice

Faculty and instructors are preparing to enter a changed classroom climate in the fall. The Black Lives Matter movement and the resulting public reckoning are causing many educators to examine the hegemonic values that have molded our classrooms over time. Too often, we are unaware of the limiting mindsets and structures that hold us back from meaningfully engaging marginalized and underrepresented students. Inclusive teaching is more than simply completing a checklist of best practices. This approach requires instructors to pair critical self-reflection with actions in the classroom. Join us for this highly interactive virtual training and dialogue to learn how to transform your teaching practices to better engage, support, and prepare your students without sacrificing rigor. Dr. China Jenkins from Texas Southern University will guide our discussion and share strategies for cultivating a pedagogy of inclusion.

COVID-19: Mitigating Risk and Liability for a Fall Reopening

Instructor Nancy Conrad, Esq.Chair of the Higher Education GroupWhite & Williams LLP   Karen A. RobinsonSenior Advisor at the Equity Research andInnovation Center, Yale School of Medicine   Arthur L. Caplan, Ph.D.Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professorof Bioethics, NYU Grossman School of Medicine Course Highlights 1hr 37m of video instruction Downloadable resources Course Details Released 8/5/2020 OverviewIf you’re a higher ed leader preparing to reopen campus in the fall, you are likely concerned with what the liability implications could be for your institution. What happens if a student gets sick—can the institution be held responsible? What happens if an employee of the institution does not follow COVID-19 protocols? How can you set proper expectations with students, parents, faculty, and staff about what they can expect for the fall 2020 semester?   You’ll hear from three presenters about practical steps you can take at your own institution to help mitigate risk and promote compliance with safety procedures:   Arthur L. Caplan, Ph.D., Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor of Bioethics, NYU Grossman School of Medicine  Nancy Conrad, Esquire, Chair of the Higher Education Group at White & Williams LLP  Karen Robinson, Senior Advisor at the Equity Research and Innovation Center at the Yale School of Medicine  Who Should AttendMany institutions are preparing for a […]

Communication Strategies to Confront Toxicity in the Workplace (Virtual Workshop)

Instructor Stephanie HinshawSenior Vice President, Academic AffairsAmerican College of Education Course Highlights 1hr 2m of video instruction Downloadable resources Course Details Released 09/2020 If you’ve ever worked in a toxic environment, you know that one of the biggest challenges is confronting the toxicity head-on through conversation. It can be difficult to navigate these conversations because they require you to be direct yet kind. You may feel intimidated because a superior is involved, and/or you may feel alone because your colleagues are scared to address the issue with you. Join us online for a two-hour training to practice the art of communicating through toxicity. Our expert instructor will provide tips and strategies for how to have a clear, authentic, and vulnerable conversation that can help you address toxicity in your workplace. You’ll also have the opportunity to role-play a difficult conversation with other participants, so you can practice applying these techniques before using them in a real-life context. You’ll walk away with feedback from others that will allow you to approach your next difficult conversation with greater confidence and ease. We Want to Hear From You! Please take a few minutes to fill out a short survey letting us know about […]

Returning to Research: Preparing Your Transition from Chair to Faculty

Your transition from faculty to department chair was likely challenging. Equally, your transition from chair to faculty will also present its own difficulties. In addition to losing valuable perks like the elevated title and administrative support, you will need to catch up with the most recent names, topics, and concepts in your field. You need a plan to relaunch your research and that plan needs to begin well before your exit interview with the dean. Join us online and learn how to execute a plan to return to research before you transition to a full-time faculty role. To help you in this process, our expert instructor will guide you through the following considerations: Planning your return to research early Becoming a student again in your field Saying “no” to colleagues to protect your time for research Setting goals and evaluating your progress You will leave this webcast feeling better prepared to plan out your transition back to the ranks of faculty and the world of research.