Archives: Courses

Building the Capacity of Your Advancement Team

Retention and career mapping are critically important within Advancement. These topics have been long-standing conversations within our field, and the pandemic and new ways of working have continued to keep them top-of-mind. Turnover within advancement teams is high, and those who remain have to juggle supervision and fundraising responsibilities; therefore, it is essential we train our teams and building their capacity as leaders. This will allow them to better empower their team and show the impact of their work. Join us online for a discussion related to investing in and retaining advancement professionals at your institution. We will explore this conversation by talking through questions of:

How Community Colleges Are Pivoting This Fall to Meet the Needs of Students

The pandemic coupled with economic hardship has created an enrollment shortfall for many community colleges. In many cases, those who were planning on attending this fall find themselves out of work, working additional hours, and/or grappling with childcare/homeschooling challenges. During this two-hour recorded discussion, you will hear about some of the barriers students are experiencing and how community colleges are pivoting to meet their needs.

Emerging From the Pandemic: Lessons Learned for Higher Education

In the last two years we have seen tremendous ingenuity, resourcefulness and innovation as higher education adapted to the changing realities of the global pandemic. As our campuses resume operations, it’s critical to reflect on the lessons learned—both in terms of the changes made to operations as well as the lessons on leadership—to prepare for future potential disruptions while also responding to changes already impacting higher education. Join us for a unique online event where we’ll gather leaders from across the country for a national “After-Action Review” as we identify and discuss the most important lessons from the last two years. We’ll explore such questions as:

Understanding the Impact of Stress on Your Leadership Style

Academic Impressions’ Five Paths to Leadership® Assessment has been leveraged in our leadership programs for years; thousands of leaders in higher ed have benefited from this dynamic model exploring how one’s leadership styles manifest under normal circumstances and how they change under stress. Having a deeper understanding of your own leadership styles in varying situations increases your self-awareness, enhances your emotional quotient, allows you to more effectively plan, communicate, strategize, and ultimately, lead. Join us to learn what your own leadership styles are, how they might change under stress, and how this can apply to your team. Registrants will be given access to take the assessment ahead of the live workshop. During the workshop, we’ll walk through:

Responding to Burnout and Attrition in Higher Education

There is an urgent need right now to talk about the experiences of employees in higher education. Faculty, staff and administrators — at all levels — are experiencing meaningful levels of burnout and are leaving the academy at unprecedented rates. Join us online to explore key insights gleaned from Academic Impressions’ national study on professional development — the only one of its kind in higher education. We will discuss the issues of burnout and attrition, and also look at: Format We’ll share the most important findings from our survey, including how the data compares to the data pre-COVID. We will then create the space for participants to discuss and share with their peers how these issues are impacting their campuses — and what they’re doing about it.

Staying Competitive in Advancement: A Conversation on Talent Development

Advancement shops have traditionally competed within higher ed to recruit and retain top talent in fundraising. Over the past couple of years, institutions and other non-profits have become even more aggressive in what they’re able to offer candidates to join, stay, and grow in their roles. However, not all institutions have been able to keep up. With higher salaries and more permanent remote options, shops that are unable to compete with these latest trends are seeing a dearth of qualified candidates for their open positions, resulting in greater workloads for those who want to remain at their institution. These trends are not sustainable, and professional development has become an important strategy to increase retention among those who choose to stay at their respective institution. From the talent development perspective, join us to discuss these topics and trends, as well as the type of professional development advancement needs to focus on over the next 3-5 years to stay competitive. We will explore answers to such questions as: You’ll leave this discussion with a greater understanding of what talent development in advancement is facing, as well as with new ideas and connections to improve upon the work you’re doing to recruit, retain, […]

The Dual Role of Faculty Advising in Faculty Leadership and Student Success: A Time for Discussion

As Carol Moore notes in her article, “Advising: Meeting Student Needs?”, “only 22% of colleges have the advising function staffed by professional advisors.” At schools with professional advisors, students often encounter a well-oiled machine of advising that transitions them from their first years of college with a general advisor to more focused work with a major-specific faculty member or advisor. Students at institutions without professional advisors need that same kind of support and guidance in navigating their academic careers, and if they do not receive it, they may struggle to retain at the institution. At the majority of institutions, meanwhile, undergraduate students are too often left with faculty advisors who are neither trained nor given the time to provide appropriate advising. Join us for a one-hour facilitated discussion on the challenges of faculty advising and how to equip faculty with the skills to be successful advisors. You’ll have the opportunity to discuss how your institution prepares faculty for advising, as well as what changes you’d need to make to incorporate advising as service into promotion and tenure portfolios. The author, Carol Moore, will be present to answer your questions and share her thoughts about the changes needed to ensure student […]

Managing the Whole Student Life Cycle: A Discussion for Higher Ed Leaders

Boosting retention and graduation successfully requires a whole-campus approach coordinated across enrollment management, student affairs, and academic affairs. But what often stands as a barrier to a more a coordinated whole-campus approach is that institutions typically compartmentalize the stages of the student life cycle, encouraging different divisions or offices to manage things like recruitment, curricular experience, co-curricular experience, and student development on their own. As institutions today compete more fiercely than ever to enroll and retain students, it’s paramount to develop an overall student life cycle management strategy. Join us for a discussion stemming from Managing the Whole Student Life Cycle: A Handbook for Higher Ed, to focus on questions like: Through a facilitated dialogue with Paul Marthers (Vice Provost for Enrollment Management, Co-Executive Director of the Undergraduate Project at Emory University, and author of Managing the Student Life Cycle: A Handbook for Higher Ed), Christy England (Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs at the State University System of Florida Board of Governors), and David V. Rosowsky (Vice President for Research at Kansas State University), you will gain valuable insights into how institutional leaders are shaping an overall student success strategy.

Impact of Inflation on Higher Education

While the news has been largely positive about the state of finances in higher ed, the damaging effects of raging inflation present another darkening cloud that higher ed leaders will need to navigate. Two reports from Moody’s Investment Services project that wage inflation, labor shortages, and a nationwide hiring push will send institutional expenses skyrocketing this academic year. Meanwhile, the strong labor market matched with rising inflation will have an additional negative impact on college enrollment and revenues. Join us along with your peers from across the nation for a free webinar to discuss this issue and explore the following questions: You’ll leave this webinar with a greater awareness of how other higher ed leaders are handling inflation on their campuses, as well as new ideas for how to respond on your own campus.

Rethinking the Role of Service in Promotion & Tenure: Defining It, Measuring It, and Addressing Inequities: A Podcast Series

Service is often a significant part of faculty members’ contributions to the institution and overall workload. Yet, it remains hard to define both what counts as service and how to measure it as part of personnel reviews (e.g., promotion and tenure, post-tenure reviews, merit reviews, term faculty reviews, etc.), and promotion and tenure progress, and reviews. Research has shown that certain faculty, including women and BIPOC faculty, face an additional service burden that can delay their career progression and negatively impact their earning potential. Despite what seem like more challenges than solutions, many institutions are beginning to think about service differently and are actively seeking to implement changes. The central questions—how to reward service, and how to ensure that the faculty performing service are valued and rewarded—are driving new thinking and approaches to service in promotion and tenure. This podcast series will bring together examples of innovative and evolving thinking and practices around service as it relates to promotion and tenure, both at the unit and central levels, with the aim of helping to transform existing structures and policies. We’ll center the discussion on practical ways to address:

Responding to Burnout and Attrition in Higher Education

There is an urgent need right now to talk about the experiences of employees in higher education. Faculty, staff and administrators — at all levels — are experiencing meaningful levels of burnout and are leaving the academy at unprecedented rates. Join us online to explore key insights gleaned from Academic Impressions’ national study on professional development — the only one of its kind in higher education. We will discuss the issues of burnout and attrition, and also look at: Format We’ll share the most important findings from our survey, including how the data compares to the data pre-COVID. We will then create the space for participants to discuss and share with their peers how these issues are impacting their campuses — and what they’re doing about it.

Rethinking Engagement for Gen Z Students

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, faculty and staff struggled to engage Gen Z students and help them to create a robust sense of connection to campus. Gen Z students do not want to replicate the financial challenges faced by millennials—they are more concerned with making their college experiences practical and purposeful. Today, with the expansion of microcredentialing and certificate programs, Gen Z students are less convinced of the value of a college degree than prior generations. Additionally, the last two years have led to a greater feeling of isolation, as well as a drop in enrollment and retention rates across the continent. As schools consider how to plan programs and operations, it is important to consider questions like: We invite you to join us for a free webcast to discuss these and other related questions. Through a facilitated dialogue with Vickie Cook, Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment & Online, Professional, and Engaged Learning at University of Illinois, Springfield, you will gain valuable ideas and reflect on how best to engage Gen Z students. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions, hear from your peers in the field, and share your successes in working with Gen Z students.

Proposed Title IX Regulations: What You Should Be Doing Now

On June 23, 2022, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released proposed changes to the existing Title IX implementing regulations. These proposed changes shed light on and clarify how this current administration’s Office for Civil Rights intends to change existing obligations under the May 2020 Title IX regulations. However, regardless of the outcome of the Biden administration’s proposed regulatory changes, Biden’s proposed regulations nevertheless provide a roadmap for your institution’s current Title IX compliance. Join us for an engaged discussion about the next critical steps your Title IX team should begin taking immediately, as well as which steps you should avoid until the administrative process required for the proposed regulations to become law has concluded. Our expert instructors Cara Hardin, attorney and Title IX Deputy Coordinator at Marquette University, and Adrienne Lyles, Executive Director for Gender Equity & Inclusion and Title IX Coordinator at the University of Cincinnati, will lead a group conversation around the Biden administration’s proposed amendments.

Live Q&A Session: Enrollment 101 for Academic Leaders

As an academic administrator, you know better than anyone that academic program quality and faculty success both fall squarely in your purview and can have a vital impact on your bottom line. You may be less aware of the ways in which the shifting higher-ed enrollment landscape has become a driving force that is key to both understanding your priorities and making crucial decisions. Whether you are a new academic administrator or have already served in the role for some time, the need to better understand how internal and external enrollment pressures are impacting higher ed has never been greater. This live Q&A discussion is a follow-up to the acclaimed blog series by John Boeckenstedt which provides an overview of some of the most important enrollment management issues driving higher education today, including: In the Q&A session, our highly respected expert, Jon Boeckenstedt, Vice Provost of Enrollment Management at Oregon State University, will address common challenges, offer practical solutions, and take questions from the audience. We encourage you to read the blog posts listed above before participating in the live Q&A session, although this is not a requirement—you will still find value in hearing the discussion even if you have […]

Using Metrics to Support Employee Success and Retention: A Discussion for Advancement Leaders

Over the last two years, the COVID-19 pandemic shifted the way many advancement professionals approached their work with donors. At the same time, the pandemic also impacted employee hiring and retention in advancement shops. Today, advancement leaders are searching for ways to stabilize their fundraising and staffing needs and are considering questions like: If you are an advancement leader who is considering ways in which frontline fundraising and other metrics can not only help you achieve your philanthropy goals but also bolster individual and team success and support employee retention, we invite you to join us for this free webcast to examine these and other related questions. Through a facilitated dialogue with Sarah George, chief philanthropy officer-campus at University of Utah and Brent Pieper, associate vice president for campaign & major gifts at University of Kentucky, you will gain valuable ideas and learn how other institutions are addressing these intertwined needs.

Student Mental Health: A Discussion for Student Success Leaders

Although institutions had already struggled to address the student mental health crisis before the COVID-19 pandemic, data shows that in the past two years, students have reported increased frequency and severity in mental health challenges. Adding to this challenge is the fact that, for many students, their only available options for mental health services or support are through their institution. With this in mind, as schools continue to expand and update their services, it is important to consider such questions as: If you are a student success leader, we invite you to join us for a free webcast to discuss these and other related questions. Through a facilitated dialogue with Traci Callandrillo, Assistant Vice President of Student Life at American University, and Ruperto Perez, Associate Vice President for Student Health and Wellbeing at the University of Alabama, you will gain valuable ideas and learn how other institutions are addressing the student mental health crisis in the coming year.

What’s Keeping Deans Up at Night: A Free Webcast for Academic Leaders

Out of all of the academic leaders in higher education, Deans are arguably the ones who are closest to the challenges and potential solutions of higher ed. Some of the most pressing challenges keeping deans up at night include: changing student demographics and the impending demographic cliff, how to ensure academic rigor and accessibility, faculty and staff morale and equity, and waning funding from traditional revenue sources. Join us for this free webcast to hear from two deans representing, respectively, a public, land-grant research institution as well as a small, private liberal arts college as they share their perspectives on what is keeping them up at night—as well as the practices they hope will enable their colleges and institutions to be successful in a more equitable and agile higher-ed landscape. Our speakers will discuss and invite peer insights on such topics as: You’ll leave this webinar with a greater awareness of how other higher-ed leaders strategize to surmount these issues—as well as how they address them firsthand.

The Great Resignation and Women in Higher Ed: A Conversation to Strategize Solutions

It’s a perfect storm:  the pandemic has exacerbated work and personal demands on many women and caretakers, stress has increased, job satisfaction has decreased, advancement opportunities are limited, and harassment and microaggressions are on the rise. Deloitte’s study Women @ Work 2022: A Global Outlook found that these are among the primary reasons “more than half of the women surveyed want to leave their employer in the next two years, and only 10% plan to stay with their current employer for more than five years.” Unfortunately, higher education is no exception. During the pandemic, studies have found that women faculty and staff members have been disproportionately impacted by stress and increased (often invisible) labor—and the impact on women of color has been even more significant. In the midst of the Great Resignation, retention of faculty and staff is more important than ever. Join us for a conversation to examine this systemic problem, name the gaps that need to be addressed, and share strategies to address inequity on campus. Our discussion will center around such questions as:

Rediscovering Your Joy at Work: A Discussion for Higher Ed Leaders

We’ve all heard different terms for the phenomenon currently taking place across our workforce: The Great Resignation, The Great Reshuffle, The Big Quit. These terms are catchy and apropos in many ways, but what they fail to take into account are the actual reasons why people are leaving their jobs in the first place. A big driver of turnover relates to the burnout and disengagement that seemingly everyone is feeling: higher ed leaders everywhere report repeatedly that they and their teams are exhausted. But it’s more than that. Somewhere along the way during the tumult of these last two years, we’ve become more withdrawn and more disconnected as a collective from a sense of joy and meaning in our work. But what if there were practices we could engage in—and that we could help our teams engage in—to rediscover the joy and purpose we felt in the past in our everyday work? Join us and your peers across the nation for a free webinar to discuss this timely issue. Inspired by the work of Marcus Buckingham and Arthur Brooks, we’ll facilitate a conversation around questions like: You’ll leave with ideas and strategies you can try both for yourself and the […]

Creating a Plan for Career-Based Leadership Development in Co-Curricular Experiences

For years, institutions of higher education have been discussing how students can gain career skills from experiences both inside and outside the classroom. But few have made clear and concrete plans for ensuring that this learning actually occurs – and that it happens for everyone. Career readiness initiatives can also end up siloed in individual areas. Integrative learning that connects co-curricular and curricular learning can feel like a great idea – but also like an abstract notion that can never be achieved. The Co-Curricular Learning Masterplan, a new publication by Academic Impressions, offers practical solutions to these complex problems, offering a framework and structure for creating campus partnerships that bring career learning together for students. Join us for a 75-minute webinar that will introduce you to the key concepts of the Co-Curricular Learning Masterplan. Masterplan co-author, Dr. Adam Peck, will begin by talking through the six foundational flaws with typical co-curricular experiences. Next, we will cover how campus leaders can work together to develop learning outcomes and activities that create truly integrative career-based learning. Adam will further demonstrate how the assessment tools in the book can create direct measures of student learning that help to track students’ improvement over time […]