Archives

Engaging in Anti-Racist Conversations in Advancement

Become more confident discussing issues of race and racism as an advancement professional. Overview In the wake of multiple ongoing pandemics that occurred simultaneously with several high-profile events exacerbating racial tensions in the U.S., many institutions have attempted to commit to better addressing racial injustices. To be successful in this work, professionals across all areas of an institution must be capable of having difficult conversations about race and racism. Advancement professionals in particular play an important role in demonstrating an institution’s commitment to addressing racial inequities, through relationships maintained in their wide networks of alumni, external constituents, and donors. Through this virtual training, you will gain a better understanding of why it is imperative to have discussions around race with external constituents for better philanthropic outcomes, examine your own comfort level with talking about race and racism, and practice skills that will translate into an action plan for engaging those stakeholders around these topics. Who Should Attend This training is for advancement and alumni relations professionals committed to better understanding the role racial equity can play in philanthropy, as well as for those who want to build their toolkit to facilitate more effective conversations about race and racism with donors, […]

Retaining Black Men: Strategies for Before, During, and After College

Support Black men through their entire college journey. Overview While enrollment and retention have dropped during COVID-19 overall, Black men in particular have faced barriers to college entry and completion that have only been further exacerbated by the pandemic. Enrollment for Black men dropped 14.3% in the spring of 2021 compared to the spring semester of 2020, and retention rates for Black men remain among the lowest in higher education overall. Developing a system of support that follows the journey of Black men from pre-enrollment through completion to alumni status can help to close this equity gap. Join us for an invaluable virtual training on how to set up systems of support for Black men before, during, and after college. Our expert Dr. Vincent Windrow will share insights from his challenges and successes at Middle Tennessee State University, as he discusses how to create a meaningful college experience for Black men all the way through their educational journey. Although Vincent will focus specifically on Black men, his recommendations are useful and applicable for many groups of students. You’ll also work together to create an action plan of steps you can take at each stage to better facilitate and support your […]

Setting Up Your Institution for a Community Partnership

Set up your institution to successfully develop community partnerships.   Overview As institutions intentionally diversify their student body and deal with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, it can seem like there are not enough resources to go around. Students from historically marginalized or first-generation backgrounds may feel lost on campus without appropriate resources, and faculty and staff may also find themselves at a loss on how to provide those resources with fewer people. Working with community partners can enhance an institution’s existing resources, and can also create further capacity for professional development around key issues by bringing in additional experts. But how do you establish a strong community partner relationship? Join us for an online training on how you can get ready to successfully work with community partners as a campus. Our expert speaker Joe Saucedo will guide you through some of the different types of community partner organizations and what to consider in working with them. Additionally, you will learn what you’ll need to develop on campus before reaching out to set up a new partnership. Finally, you’ll have time to think through the next steps for your campus to build on your success.   Who Should Attend Higher-education […]

Finding Your Authentic Voice: Building Public Speaking Confidence

Improve your public speaking skills and develop your own unique style. Overview Communication is a critical skill for leaders. As the challenges facing higher education grow more complex and communication methods more diverse, developing competency and comfort with public speaking is essential. Join us for a virtual training designed to help you improve your public speaking skills. First, you’ll take a self-assessment designed to help you pinpoint both your strengths and areas for improvement when it comes to public speaking. Then, we’ll break the art and science of public speaking down and discuss each component in more depth: Crafting your talk: a roadmap for your audience Designing your delivery: voice, body language, and artifacts Considering your setting: in-person and virtual environments You will leave with a deeper understanding of how to arrive at your own authentic communication style, as well as a host of practical tools you can apply right away to improve your own public speaking skills and confidence. You can also consider adding three success coaching sessions with the speaker, Annie Phillips, or another success coach to continue honing your public speaking skills. Who Should Attend This training is designed for leaders across levels and functional areas who […]

Navigating Your Path to Administration: A Panel Discussion for Aspiring Academic Administrators

Understand what fuels you—and then translate that into a traditional or non-traditional path to academic administration. Overview As the higher education landscape evolves, so too will its body of academic administrators. The administrative structure of most institutions has grown in complexity, resulting in more potential options for those interested in academic leadership to consider. However, despite this reality, many faculty continue to view administration as “the dark side” or are unsure of how to prepare themselves for non-faculty roles. In addition, as women and historically marginalized faculty have consistently achieved tenure and promotion at lower rates than their peers, this makes the myth of “one sole pathway” even more harmful. Join us for a panel discussion designed to help you broaden that narrative, get clear on your goals, and expose you to the drawbacks and advantages of the different possible career paths before you. Specifically, you will hear: Personal narratives from our subject matter experts outlining two distinct paths to administration. Different options for reaching traditional and non-traditional academic leadership positions. How you can seek out environments that support your goals. The pitfalls and opportunities of different choice points along your path. You will also walk away with: A resource […]

How to Influence Without Shaming as a Leader

Decisively disrupt and circumvent harmful behaviors to create a sense of belonging and inclusivity in your workplace. Overview It’s an unfortunate fact that harmful and biased statements occur in the workplace—and it’s all too common for leaders to respond to these scenarios in ways that shame the individuals who perpetrated that behavior. Yet, while it is important to address these situations swiftly when they occur, it is even more beneficial to repair harm in the moment without shaming. Through proven experiential activities and small-group discussion, participants who are leading teams will better understand the impacts of harmful and biased statements even when unintended, and they will also develop strategies that can disrupt the harms and impacts of these types of behaviors when they occur. Participants will understand that remaining silent when harm occurs perpetuates inequity and hinders the ability to create inclusive and welcoming spaces for employment and learning. This training will therefore give participants the confidence to respond to these incidents in a way that creates a better sense of belonging, and with a climate that promotes, enhances, and fosters inclusivity within teams. Make the Most of This Series During this live event, we will touch upon content from […]

Essential Practices for Leaders Communicating Across Difference

Learn culturally responsive communication skills to better lead diverse teams—and how to put them into practice. Overview Many leaders strive to create an inclusive environment for their employees, but this can be difficult to achieve without first taking time to understand how our own identity can impact our ability to engage in effective and supportive dialogue with a diverse team. Through this training’s experiential activities and small-group discussion, participants who are leading teams will gain a better sense of their own identities and how power, privilege, and oppression interplay with these established identities and those around them. Participants will also learn and practice active listening, suspending judgment, leaning into discomfort, and using empathy as ways to be more culturally sensitive and responsive within work and academic environments—ultimately, emphasizing respect for different lived experiences overall. Make the Most of This Series Build upon these practices to create a more inclusive work environment and encourage a sense of belonging among employees by registering for How to Influence Without Shaming as a Leader on Thursday, June 23 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. ET. Who Should Attend This training is designed for leaders and supervisors who want to learn culturally responsive management practices to better lead […]

Effective Leadership: An Introduction to Key Academic Leadership Skills & Competencies for Faculty, Part II

Gain key leadership skills to help you prepare for a future academic leadership role while you also learn to more adeptly navigate everyday faculty responsibilities. Overview Before assuming a formal leadership position, gaining key leadership skills can set faculty up for a marked increase in leadership success while avoiding the burden of learning new skills while taking on a new role. Instead, you can proactively prepare for leadership positions while also learning skills and concepts that benefit your current role. This training has been designed for faculty who wish to prepare for academic leadership positions in the future, or who simply desire the skills to better navigate the formal and informal roles that go along with teaching, research, and service. In the second part of this training, you will be introduced to practical frameworks that provide a basis for understanding the skills and concepts necessary for a leadership role. We will focus on the following three domains of competency: Individual and group decision making: The quality of our decisions strongly influences our academic environment. Understanding what decision-making models and techniques should be used—and when, and how—enables leaders to better support and guide groups in their own decision making. Strategic thinking and […]

Establishing a University Engagement Council to Coordinate Communication with Major Donors

Thoughtfully improve campus-wide communication efforts with major donors VIRTUAL TRAINING Overview Maximizing philanthropic opportunities is the underlying objective of every advancement shop. A fundamental part of ensuring this objective is achieved comes from broad engagement with major donors—which involves strategic communications and connections from various units and stakeholders on campus. To ensure that communication efforts with major donors are well organized, having information on who is engaging these donors (and why, and when) is crucial to securing a major gift. By establishing an institutional engagement council that is spearheaded by advancement, your shop will manage and grow deeper relationships with major donors more effectively by calculating the right moments for connecting with them. Join us for this important online training to learn how you can make the case to establish and execute a successful university engagement council for your campus.   Who Should Attend This program will benefit major gift officers and advancement leaders who want to establish better institutional alignment among stakeholders who are communicating with major gift donors. The Academic Impressions Online Learning Experience Intentionally Designed Online Learning Our virtual trainings go far beyond just replicating PowerPoint presentations online: these experiences are intentionally designed to give you the […]

Successes and Challenges in Implementing First-Generation Student Programming: A Time for Discussion

Build your network to support your work with first-generation students. Overview As the number of first-generation college students increases at the undergraduate level, it is more important than ever to have support systems and resources in place. As you try out new interventions for your first-generation students, having feedback and hearing from others in similar positions will help you to assess and refine your approach. Join us for a one-hour discussion on both what has worked and what challenges you have encountered in working with first-generation students. Our expert—Daphne Rankin, PhD—will guide you through conversation about what interventions have worked for you in the past, what interventions you are looking to stage next, and what challenges you yourself have encountered in your work with first-generation students. You will also have the opportunity to share resources and connections with your peers and brainstorm next steps for overcoming current or future roadblocks.   Who Should Attend Past attendees of the virtual conference Developing a Comprehensive System of Support for First-Generation Students will benefit from this discussion. If you have not attended this past program, you will still benefit if you are faculty and staff who are actively working with first-generation undergraduate students […]