One of the biggest barriers we face in our work with institutions is the constant refrain that leaders do not have time to do leadership development. We hear this about both faculty and staff leaders, but it is most acute with Department Chairs. Even when institutions are willing to invest in providing leadership development to Chairs, they have a hard time getting them to participate. Some institutions have resorted to paying stipends for Chairs to participate in professional development. We think paying people to do leadership training sends the wrong message and is ultimately ineffective at producing better leaders. To be an effective leader requires a commitment to ongoing learning, not a “check the box” approach. So, What Can Institutions Do to Engage Chairs? For starters, senior leaders like Provosts and Deans need to model the way. They need to signal their commitment by investing in their own leadership through ongoing professional development, participating in 360-degree feedback processes, and using leadership coaches. These signals are not just symbolic; they will yield an improved culture of leadership from the top down. Academic Impressions’ research found that when leaders model the way by investing in their own leadership and professional development, their […]
Team, committee, and group-based work abounds in higher education. But many struggle to collaborate effectively in these settings because not everyone comes to the table with the same understanding, expectation, and collaboration style. While teams are often designed to bring together different voices and perspectives, most leaders default to a singular approach to teamwork that works well for some, but that also causes frustration, withdrawal, or conflict for others. In this event, we’ll use the Five Paths to Leadership® as a framework to introduce the four different collaboration styles that are at play within any given team. We’ll walk you through a detailed explanation of each path and provide tactics that leaders and team members alike can use to approach collaboration and group-based work more effectively. You will leave with a more nuanced understanding of the collaboration types that yield the best results based on the outcomes you are trying to achieve, rather than defaulting to one style based on comfort or personal preference.
Hate speech incidents are a growing concern on college campuses and can come in many forms: Controversial keynote speakers and event topics Disruptive student demonstrations Anonymous hate speech written on campus property Register for this webcast to learn how to respond to hate speech incidents in ways that serve students, leadership, faculty, and staff. In these moments, you may feel torn between advocating for the students and acting on behalf of the institution. We’ll help resolve this conflict by sharing policies and procedures that create safe spaces for students while encouraging holistic institutional responses.
Academic leaders and faculty members often cite the importance of interpersonal skills when leading an academic unit, managing a research team, or functioning as a productive member of any team or unit in academia. However, emotional intelligence and self-awareness are less commonly mentioned as predictors of success among academic teams. In this video course, department chairs and faculty will discover the connection between emotional intelligence and individual, team, and department results. Through Daniel Goleman’s four pillars of emotional intelligence, you will get ideas for how to: You will learn Daniel Goleman’s four pillars of emotional intelligence and informally assess your skill in each of these pillars. Once you have a greater awareness of how you “show up” for yourself and others, we’ll offer simple suggestions for how you can manage yourself and your relationships more productively.
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.
When you pronounce names incorrectly, you have an impact. People with non-Anglo or non-European names, which are perceived as being more difficult to pronounce, may feel anxious and excluded. When power dynamics are at play, students and perhaps even those you supervise, advise, or teach often avoid the conflict and resist making corrections or discussing the issue, which may leave them feeling as if they matter less. Join us for re-airing of this training to learn simple strategies for honoring the names of all those you encounter. Immediately after the re-airing, you will have the opportunity to engage in a live Q&A and discussion with the speaker, Zaragosa “Mito” Diaz-Espinoza, Ph.D. We will discuss a brief history and negative impact that mispronouncing names has on people–international students and individuals who are given names that are not common in North America. You will be provided with easy-to-use tools and strategies that will help you learn and retain the correct pronunciation of names. If you’re interested in creating a more inclusive environment by preventing and/or repairing harm to your students and colleagues, this training is for you.
Donna obtained her doctorate in experimental social psychology from the University of Kansas in June 2006 and her Master’s in applied social psychology from the University of Guelph, Canada, in May 2001. Her field of interest is diversity science and her program of research concerns the effects that cultural legacies of oppression have on psychosocial processes, which in turn shape human functioning (e.g., achievement, motivation, responses to inequity, and self-regulation) in ways that advertently or inadvertently justify and maintain social inequality. She has worked on large-scale initiatives to improve intergroup relations, including fostering positive attitudes towards immigrants, counteract hate groups’ recruitment of youth, and decrease intergroup conflicts in ethnically diverse schools. Donna has received NSF funding for her research and applied work concerning women’s and ethnic minorities’ participation in STEM fields. In 2009, she was a co-PI on an NSF EHR Core Research Grant that supported her research on intersectionality and broadening women’s participation in STEM fields. In 2017, she was a co-PI on a funded $125,000 CSU Chancellor’s Office mini-grant that supported the “Prejudice Habit Breaking” intervention to advance faculty diversity at CSUSB. She is currently a co-PI on an NSF ADVANCE grant (funded 08/2018) and as the Director, […]
Shared governance allows faculty and staff to contribute their opinions, insights, and best ideas for the benefit of the campus community. Shared governance also demands that faculty and staff collaborate in a way that is respectful to others, appreciates diversity of thought, and builds consensus. This requires you, as department chair, to create an environment that encourages a safe space for all participants. Join us online for a one-hour discussion to better understand how you can create an environment that encourages faculty and staff to contribute meaningfully to the shared governance process. Although the conversation will be responsive to the questions asked by the attendees, we anticipate discussing some of the following key questions: Come prepared to engage in dialogue, ask questions, and share insights that can help you and other department chairs to confidently navigate shared governance.
Within higher education, the debate related to the First Amendment and academic freedom—and whether or not they are a hindrance to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives—continues to be a polarizing topic. During these uncertain times, it’s more important than ever that campus leaders are armed with facts as well as critical perspectives, to assist them in their ability follow the law while also creating meaningful learning environments for faculty, staff, and students. This training aims to remove the assumption that diversity initiatives struggle to coexist within the parameters of free speech and/or academic freedom. During the session, we will explore and explain areas where the priorities of DEI and academic and political leaders overlap, rather than diverge. You will come away with a greater understanding of the interrelationships among the three and of how to offer support when the values of faculty, staff, or students remain in conflict.
