Identifying and cultivating a major donor whose personal beliefs and philanthropic vision align with institutional purpose is no small task, and securing a transformational gift from such a donor is a significant accomplishment for any institution. Not only can such a gift transform the lives of current and future students, but it should also shift the ways in which the advancement shop engages with campus partners, the donors themselves, and alumni and other potential donors. Using her experience with Western Michigan University’s Empowering Futures Gift, Kristen DeVries, Vice President and Executive Director of WMU Foundation, will share how a transformational gift can motivate additional alumni and donor engagement. In this two-hour training, you will consider how to establish clear internal processes and communication methods that will allow you to use momentum from a transformational gift to inspire others to contribute to historic institutional change.
Bridging the Equity Gap in Higher Education July 31 – August 1, 2023 Build equity on your campus by focusing on retention and completion for historically marginalized students. 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
Supervision Certificate Program Learn effective strategies for supervision and gain practical tools to support your team in just 4 weeks. Use the links below to access the weekly trainings. Week 1: Setting up the Supervisory Relationship Week 2: Performance Management Video 1 Week 2: Performance Management Video 2 Week 3: Managing Conflict Week 4: Growing, Motivating, and Retaining Your Staff Click here to download the workbook (to be filled in while watching video trainings) Login for Week 2 & 4 Live Trainings On: June 16, 2023 and June 30, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. ET Live Session #1 (Friday June 16 | 1-2 PM ET) Live Session #2 (Friday June 30 | 1-2 PM ET) Full Event Information VIEW EVENT PAGE Including: Curriculum Overview Prepare for the Workshop This workshop is intentionally designed to allow for maximum learning, connections, and engagement. We advise the following in order to participate fully:
As institutions push for more interdisciplinary research both internally and externally, faculty must also manage more complex research teams. While teams may unite around a shared project, without unified expectations for aspects like who will be an author or how to share data, collaboration can be difficult, and the research project may not be successful. Leaders of research groups from labs to interdisciplinary teams working at multiple institutions must therefore learn how to set up shared guidelines and expectations in order to manage the project from start to finish. This course is intended to help leaders of research groups of all sizes learn how to manage research projects with clear communication and intentionality. Our expert speaker will walk you through how to think about the guidelines that should be in place for peer review, authorship disputes, data management, creating a safe research environment, and collaborative research. You will also learn some common pitfalls in each of these areas and be able to use the accompanying workbook to plan out your collaboration and communication with your team.
Identifying key insights from casual but meaningful conversations with transformational donors can lead to strong relationships that provide your institution with the support it needs for generations to come. These conversations don’t always come easy. In fact, they often encompass their own unique challenges, depending on the type of donor you’re speaking to, the campus partners joining the conversation, and how well their donor experience has gone. To overcome the potential challenges within these conversations, there are phases of cultivation and stewardship in which you can become more fluent over time, such as: Join us in this panel conversation with Vice Presidents of Advancement, Dexter Bailey of California Institute of Technology, and Kristen DeVries of Western Michigan University Foundation, alongside Mitchell Spearmen, Founder and Dreamer of Gifts of a Lifetime, to discuss how they have approached conversations with ultra-high-net-worth families. You will have the opportunity to ask questions to help navigate a current phase you’re in or to ask about how to approach a specific scenario.
Bemidji State University & Northwest Technical College Workshop: Innovative Mindset Development May 10 – 11, 2023 ACCESS COURSE MATERIALS
The decision to publish a book, as opposed to articles or other, shorter pieces, is always a complex one for faculty to consider. Whether they are at the mid-career stage and able to establish a new phase of their research arc, an early-career faculty member who is publishing a book for tenure, or any faculty member hoping to share their research more broadly, the process is often opaque and time-consuming. This course is designed to help faculty to begin thinking about and planning the process of writing a book. Our speaker, Dr. Daryl Van Tongeren, has published multiple books with different audiences, ranging from other academics, to clinicians, to the general public. He will walk you through developing an idea, considering different book types and audiences, the steps required for writing, and developing strong writing habits. You will leave this course with a better sense of whether it is the right time for writing your book, how you should manage the process, and what steps you’ll need to take to get started. This course is intended for a wide range of faculty, including tenure-track, career-track, and a wide variety of disciplines. Whether you are required to write a book for […]
Conflict is difficult because it sparks an emotional response in each of us and requires us to navigate the inherent tensions that arise from differences in perspective and expectation. As a department chair, you have the responsibility to manage conflict with grace, so that you can lead by example and create a culture where conflict is viewed as healthy and productive. This is true when you’re managing a conflict you’re directly involved in, but it’s even more important when you’re called upon to help others resolve a conflict because they are finding it difficult to make progress on their own. Join us online to learn how mediation techniques can help you to facilitate productive conversations and seek resolution when faculty and/or staff are in conflict or dispute with each other. You’ll learn how to diffuse the tension that arises during conflict while also focusing on collaborative problem-solving that creates mutually acceptable solutions for all involved. You’ll learn how to:
You Can’t Sit with Us: Exploring the Impact of Mean Girls and Bullying in Higher Education Deter bullying and break down the barriers that limit the growth of women leaders. Login On: June 12, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. ET Unable to attend this live training? Stay registered to receive the recording of the training after the live event. JOIN ZOOM MEETING Full Event Information VIEW EVENT PAGE Including: Agenda Overview Speaker Bios Prepare for the Workshop This workshop is intentionally designed to allow for maximum learning, connections, and engagement. We advise the following in order to participate fully:
When your institution receives a major gift, whether in the form of one single gift or through a multi-year pledge, it is important to manage that gift accurately. This includes placing the gift in its appropriate account on campus, ensuring that pledge reminders are sent out and payment secured in a timely manner, and that the donation is used according to donor intent. However, when frontline fundraisers introduce new gifts, the institutional destination and purpose of the gift can get lost in translation as it makes its way to advancement services for processing. Therefore, it is vital to ensure that the processes between advancement services and frontline fundraising are sound, and that communication is consistent to prevent circumstances that can lead to loss in revenue, missed pledges, or money spent incorrectly. Join us for this online training to learn how the University of Utah created a new position to specifically address these common problems within advancement. This session will help your shop to identify and scale your current process by adopting some of Utah’s best practices to better streamline communication across these two areas.
Faculty not on the tenure track are seeking career development and leadership opportunities relevant to their unique career paths. While they share similar responsibilities as tenure-track faculty, they also face being overburdened with undervalued academic work, such as administrative and service work, that may not advance their careers and professional goals. In our video course, Becoming Part of the Great Aspiration: A Career Development Workshop for Alt-ac Faculty, Dr. Gypsy Denzine introduces the idea of “professional equity,” which includes your knowledge and expertise as well as your professional network and reputation. In this live addendum to the course, Dr. Denzine will walk you through how you can build your professional equity as a non-tenure-track faculty member by being strategic about the tasks you choose, so that they align with your values and career goals.
In 2017, The Workplace Bullying Institute found that women experience the majority of abusive conduct at work. We are sadly all too familiar with the stereotypical sexist discrimination and harassment perpetuated within higher education, but what does it mean when it looks slightly different—when women experience gendered bullying and harassment by other women? In their 2020 work, Navigating the Gendered Labyrinths and Managing the Mean Girls and Queen Bees within the Academy, Locke and Hayes found that women in higher education experience a number of challenges when working with other women, including but not limited to: gaslighting, emotional abuse, withheld support or mentoring, and microaggressions. In this training, our experts will take this research a step further and lead a discussion on the importance of considering intersectional identities in the experience of bullying. Through research, case studies, and the lived experiences of the presenters, attendees will have the opportunity to explore this topic and identify the types of behaviors that could limit or prevent the growth of women who lead in higher education.
As student demographics in higher education continue to shift, and as institutions continue to develop new initiatives focused on equity, inclusion, and belonging, it is more important than ever to build a pathway for diverse students to become engaged alumni. Identity-based alumni affinity groups can foster ties between prospective and current students and alumni, strengthen a diverse volunteer pipeline, and increase giving. They can also offer alumni a continued or newfound sense of belonging as well as opportunities for advocacy. Join us for this virtual training to learn how to develop and support identity-based alumni affinity groups. We will share examples, strategies, and reflection points for starting and sustaining these groups. In this virtual conference, you will consider: Historical legacies of the inclusion/exclusion of diverse students and alumni in higher education and at your own institution. What is communicated by a group name, and how to choose names that best serve your alumni. How to use a phased approach to establish identity-based alumni affinity groups. Ways to support group missions through communication, events, and other engagement.
Public Speaking Bootcamp: A Hands-On Approach to Developing and Delivering Effective Communication September 6, 13, 20, & 27, 2023 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET Welcome to the course page for your bootcamp! More information will be added as we get closer to your event, so please check back soon. Important Links Welcome! Welcome to the Public Speaking Bootcamp: A Hands-On Approach to Developing and Delivering Effective Communication. Our hope is that you will walk away with the ability to confidently develop and deliver content in a public speaking environment. You will know how to prepare, practice, and perform your speech. Plus, you will learn how to create a calming practice to reduce anxiety and think through what to do if things do not go as planned while delivering a speech. This course page serves as your “one-stop shop” for all of the course materials and instructions you will need to guide you through the bootcamp. A couple of important notes to get you started: All course materials can be found in the “Access Course Materials” tab to the left. Any course materials you will need to prepare for the live sessions, including copies of slides, assignments, and assessments, will be […]
Communication is a critical skill for leaders. And as challenges facing higher education today grow more complex and communication methods more diverse, the need to feel confident in your ability to speak publicly is more essential than ever. Join us for a virtual training uniquely designed to help you understand, and move through, your discomfort with public speaking by exploring these topics in depth: Want to Take Your Learning Further? Interested in learning more and applying the learning from this training? Register for the Public Speaking Bootcamp: A Hands-On Approach to Developing and Delivering Effective Communication. You will learn how to prepare, practice, and perform a speech and also identify what to do if things do not go as planned. Intentionally Designed Online Learning Our virtual trainings go far beyond just replicating PowerPoint presentations online: these experiences are intentionally designed to give you the kind of robust and dynamic learning experience you’ve come to expect from Academic Impressions. These trainings provide you with an active learning environment and an online space where you can explore ideas, get inspired by what your peers are doing, and understand the range of possibilities around a certain topic. You will leave these sessions with […]
Navigating faculty life and culture can be challenging for anyone, regardless of their background. To be successful, faculty need to understand the subculture of higher education, know how to network and navigate politics on campus and in their discipline, and be able to advocate for themselves and set boundaries effectively. But for first-generation faculty members, there can be additional barriers in confronting the hidden curriculum and trying to successfully manage research, teaching, and service. Not to mention the fact that first-gen faculty members are often best suited to support first-gen students in their journey through college, which can add unofficial service time to their calendars. Join us for a one-hour facilitated discussion about thriving as a first-gen faculty member. You will have the opportunity to: Hear from our speakers about their journey through college, graduate school, and faculty life. Discuss ways to celebrate successes, support students, and maintain the boundaries needed to be successful as faculty. Network with other first-gen faculty members from different institutions.
As faculty move through their mid-career stage, there are numerous directions open to them for their future. Associate professors, both tenured and on the career track, can choose to focus more directly on their research, experiment with new teaching techniques, or focus on building skills to move into leadership positions. However, given all of these directions, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed at the mid-career stage. Additionally, outside pressures like service work, teaching requirements, and competing goals and priorities can make mid-career faculty feel like they have no say over their future. Building skills exemplified by leaders with agency can therefore help mid-career faculty to better manage their career journey and overall well-being. Join us for this interactive virtual training on the basics of building agency in your mid-career. Our speakers, Dr. Daryl Van Tongeren and Dr. Cié Gee, will walk you through skills that make up agency, like self-awareness of control, flexibility, psychological stability, and ownership of your role. You will learn how to build those skills in your own career—and what those skills can lead to.
Enhancing Employee Growth and Development through Supervisory Coaching July 11, 2023 | 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET Welcome to the course page for your bootcamp! More information will be added as we get closer to your event, so please check back soon. Important Links Welcome! This session will provide an overview of the foundation and skills necessary for impactful supervisory coaching. The first part of the session will explore four principles key to effective supervisory coaching: trust, potential, commitment, and execution. The second part of the session will explore the coaching skills necessary to incorporate coaching into your approach as a supervisor. 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
Supervision Certificate Program Learn effective strategies for supervision and gain practical tools to support your team in just 4 weeks. Login for Week #4 Live Training On: May 30, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. ET Use the links below to access the weekly trainings. Week 1: Introduction and Self-Discovery Week 2: Performance Management Week 3: Managing Conflict Week 4: Goal Setting (Complete Before Live) Join Week 4 LIVE Session (May 30, 2023) Full Event Information VIEW EVENT PAGE Including: Curriculum Overview Prepare for the Workshop This workshop is intentionally designed to allow for maximum learning, connections, and engagement. We advise the following in order to participate fully:
Chief Strategy Officer Roundtable: A Cohort-Based Series for VPs of Strategy October 6 – November 14, 2023 In-Person and Virtual Sessions To facilitate community and trust-building among the cohort from the start, the roundtable will kick off with a full-day in-person strategy session in Denver, Colorado on Friday, October 6. Six weekly, hour-long virtual sessions will follow, running from mid-October through the mid-November, culminating with a personalized 1-on-1 session for each participant with the roundtable instructor to apply all of your newfound knowledge to your unique institutional needs. Session 1 (In-person): Friday, October 6 | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. MT (local time in Denver, CO) 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. MT: Welcome and Introductions 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. MT: Strategy Session 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. MT: Lunch 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. MT: The CSO Role of Today and the Future 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. MT: Explore Personal Vision and Goals 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. MT: Networking Reception Virtual Sessions: October 10 – November 14, 2023 | 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET Session 2 (Virtual): Tuesday, October 10, 2023 | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. ET Session 3 (Virtual): Tuesday, October 17, 2023 | 12:00 […]
