Overcoming the Effects of White Privilege for More Equitable Search Processes

If you’re on a search committee, you’re working hard to ensure a fair and equitable hiring process. In the midst of the search, you may feel like you’re ensuring fairness by subscribing to notions like: “I don’t see skin color.” “I’m colorblind.” “I treat all people the same.” While you intend these as positive statements, they can also cast a shadow over your search process — negating a candidate’s unique experiences as a person of color or implying that racial privilege no longer exists. Join us online to examine white privilege and how it can impact your search processes. We’ll reflect on our privileges together, and you’ll leave with tools to engage in uncomfortable conversations around race during the hiring process.

Academic Restructuring: Critical Insights and Lessons Learned

We know that academic restructuring happens for many reasons. Maybe you need to restructure because you’re faced with a crisis, such as budgetary cuts or enrollment declines. Or, you might see opportunities for growth and innovation due to changing market trends.  In either case, it helps to get perspective from other leaders who have lead their organization through this work. Join us to learn more about Clarion University’s story of restructuring. You’ll learn about: The circumstances that caused the institution to restructure How institutional leaders approached the process What the leaders would do differently in hindsight You’ll leave with honest insights that you can consider for your own institution, college, or department, no matter where you are in the restructuring process.

Creating an Inner Coach Stronger than Your Inner Critic

Many of us live with constant self-talk that undermines our confidence, courage, and resilience. You may tell yourself things like: “I’m such an idiot.” “I never get it right.” “I’m just not smart enough.” “I’m way too slow at my work.” Sound familiar? Join us online to learn how you can start developing your alternative voice – your inner coach – in order to become a more effective leader. You’ll learn the neuroscience behind why we all doubt ourselves, and you’ll discover a new technique that will help you think and act in more constructive ways.

Fostering Psychological Safety in Your Team

Psychological safety is the belief that you will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes. When you have psychological safety, you have the freedom to be vulnerable. You can take risks without feeling a sense of failure or ridicule. Teams that have psychological safety are more innovative, creative, and cohesive because vulnerability will not be held against anyone.   In times of confusion or conflict, leaders and supervisors often try to bring teams together by creating a common vision or by clarifying goals and processes. But before these steps can be effective, you need to ensure a high level of psychological safety within your team. Without that foundation, your team will not function as cohesively. Join us online for this two-part webcast series to learn how to foster a deeper sense of psychological safety within your team.

A Simple Way to Make Your Classes More Interactive

We all know that there are benefits to infusing more interactivity into the classroom. But how can you make your classrooms more interactive in ways that are still easy and affordable to implement? Join us online to learn how you can make your lectures more engaging. With Dr. Ed Steigerwald’s expertise, you can create interactive lessons in as little as 15 minutes. Students in Dr. Steigerwald’s classes report better learning experiences as a result of the interactivity in PowerPoint.

The Challenges of Creating and Running an Interdisciplinary Curriculum

Many institutions and academic units are seeking to make their curriculum more interdisciplinary, but lack the necessary infrastructure to make this happen. There is also a great deal of variability in terms of what an interdisciplinary curriculum can look like. This report adds value by providing an overview of how interdisciplinary education is taking shape in higher ed, diagnosing key challenges, and providing examples of how other institutions have approached this work.

Making Your Social Media Content Accessible and Inclusive

More and more institutions are facing scrutiny over the accessibility of their websites, and now, that same conversation is turning to social media. While the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) doesn’t currently offer guidance related specifically to social media, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) is calling out institutions that aren’t ensuring posts and content are accessible. Join us online to learn how you should begin integrating accessibility and inclusivity into your social media channels – greatly improving the way all people can receive your content and key messages. You’ll hear from Erika Boltz, social media coordinator from the University of Florida Health, who’s already worked through OCR reviews in her career. She’ll share what it takes to craft proper image descriptions, captions, and inclusive language.

Using Data to Inform and Design Sophomore Year Experience Programs

After a supportive first year, many sophomores return to campus the following fall with a feeling of “What now?” It’s easy to make assumptions about why sophomores feel this way—maybe they’re lacking a major or are still seeking social belonging. But how regularly are you collecting data to understand more objectively why you’re losing sophomores? And how can you use this data to design targeted programs and initiatives? Join us online to learn how Duke University’s collaborative Sophomore Year Experience (SYE) program is targeting and improving the top transitional issues facing sophomores. Through surveys and studies conducted by a working group of faculty, administrators, and students, Duke analyzed their students’ social relationships, academic engagement, and well-being to identify key challenges their sophomores face. You’ll leave with strategies to help navigate roadblocks around funding, staffing, and resources.

Navigating Interdisciplinary Research: A Guide for College and University Administrators

In large part because of the funding opportunities it occasions, interdisciplinary research—and finding ways to facilitate more of it –is high on the priority list today for many institutions. But because academe has historically prized discipline-specific research and individual scholarship over collaboration, facilitating more interdisciplinary research opportunities on campus can be challenging. This report is meant to explore some of these key complications and suggest strategies to help academic leaders and research development professionals navigate these challenges. It will be of most benefit to institutions, centers, or departments that are just getting started in the interdisciplinary research space, and who want to gain a better understanding of the challenges and barriers they are likely to encounter.

Open Educational Resources: Benefits, Challenges, and Strategies for Implementation

Open educational resources (OERs) are teaching, learning, and research materials that offer alternatives to traditional textbooks. They permit free access, use, adaptation, and redistribution by others. According to one research study, 30% of faculty (from 3,000 surveyed) were very aware of open educational resources (OERs). But only 13% of faculty from the same survey are using OERs in at least one of their classes. So, while OERs may offer affordability and flexibility, many people still question the quality of these resources and the time needed to adopt them. Join us online to discuss the benefits and challenges of OERs and hear first-hand what it takes to implement them. A faculty member from Chippewa Valley Technical College will show you how high-quality OERs have been incorporated into their curriculum, and she’ll discuss the impact OERs have had on teaching and learning. In case you decide to implement, we’ll offer tips for getting started.