Search Results for: meeting

Performance Metrics for Prospect Research and Management Staff

Determining if your fundraising professionals are meeting their dollar goals is relatively easy. However, your prospect research and management positions are fundamentally different, requiring an evaluative approach that balances front-line needs with production timeframe realities. Join us online to learn how to develop prospect research and management staff metrics for your shop. Our expert instructor, Marianne M. Pelletier, Senior Consultant, Cornell University, will share three evaluation models for both prospect researchers and managers, and you will leave knowing which model will work best for your shop. We will also discuss: Setting realistic expectations around performance metrics Specific metrics for both prospect researchers and managers Effectively tracking your solution and graphing results Building buy-in for your solution

The $10,000 Bachelor’s Degree That Works

Posted on by Kenneth Soldink

A few years ago, National Louis University in Chicago, which has historically served adult working students, has launched the new Harrison Professional Pathways Program, which provides access to bachelor’s degrees for traditional-aged high school graduates from all socioeconomic and academic backgrounds, but aims in particular to increase college access and success for first-generation, often low-income students. Priced at only $10,000 per year, the program is remarkable both in its outcomes and in the intentionality of its design. The curriculum, student support, and the financial model were all designed deliberately to meet the needs of this student demographic. The program was launched in response to a low (14%) four-year college completion rate for Chicago Public high school freshmen. This caught our attention; here in Denver, CO, where Academic Impressions is based, the four-year college graduation rate for Denver Public Schools graduates is just 9%. These low percentages are red flags, and when colleges can innovate to answer this societal need, that is a clear win. It takes courage on the part of the institution’s leadership to create the space needed for that innovation and to dedicate institutional resources toward it, and it takes intentionality to do so in a way that […]

Identifying and Communicating the ROI of External Partnerships

External partners like local businesses or corporate sponsors can make a significant impact on your college or department’s financial management strategy and long-term sustainability. Partnerships can help you to create new revenue streams, promote cost savings, and/or provide resources and unique experiences for your students and faculty that your department or college may be lacking. But how do you as an academic leader identify the right partnership that meets both institutions’ needs, and—more importantly—how do you communicate your vision for the partnership in a way that reflects mutual benefit? Join us for an online workshop that will help you to strategize ways to effectively cultivate and communicate the value of external partnerships for your college or department. You’ll be introduced to a variety of successful external partnerships as inspiration for what’s possible, and will practice strategizing, crafting and communicating a compelling value proposition for various types of partnerships.  

Keys to a Successful Relationship Between Deans and Development Officers

Philanthropy is critical to helping institutions meet their academic missions, and at its core, it is all about building and maintaining relationships. Although fundraising is just one of the myriad responsibilities overseen by an academic dean, the development officer is a key partner in assisting the dean in achieving those fundraising goals. To find success in academic fundraising, the relationship between an academic dean and a development officer must be one built on mutual respect, trust, and clear communication. Successful fundraising teams develop complementary skills that, when combined, are more effective than the skills of one individual. Through this three-hour virtual training, you will be able to better prioritize fundraising goals as a dean and development officer team. You will learn how to build trust and set expectations with mutual fundraising goals in mind, establish a process to effectively move donors through your pipeline, and practice essential skills such as making an ask.

Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research for National Science Foundation Grants

As of July 2023, the National Science Foundation updated the responsible and ethical conduct of research (RECR) requirement for all faculty and personnel who will be supported by NSF grants. The requirements state that those supported by NSF grants have a responsibility to “generate and disseminate knowledge with rigor and integrity,” and “conduct peer review with the highest ethical standards; diligently protect proprietary information and intellectual property from inappropriate disclosure; and treat students and colleagues fairly and with respect.” This course was designed to meet the new RECR requirement through a focus on peer review, authorship concerns, data management concerns, creating a safe research environment, mentorship, and collaborative research. This course is specifically designed for faculty who will be submitting grant applications through the NSF, but it may also be applicable to postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduate students participating in those research projects—or to those simply looking to better understand research ethics and integrity.

Advance Your Career with a Personal Board of Directors

You will likely secure your next leadership role through your network, so surrounding yourself with the right people can make or break a career. How can you be more intentional in building your network to fast-track your career within senior leadership? Join us online and learn how a personal board of directors can help fuel your next career transition. A personal board of directors is a group of 5-7 people who offer advice, resources, and support over time to help you navigate challenging situations with confidence. In this webcast, you’ll learn how to create and manage your personal board of directors – including how to invite the right people and how to use your meetings productively – so that you can acquire the right skills and experience at the right time.

The Consultative Approach to Mentoring: Building a Network of Support

With the apprentice model of mentoring, a mentee is assigned one mentor, usually someone senior in the organization, to provide guidance in all aspects of their career. Although this is a powerful model that typically serves mentees well, this approach to mentoring does require intensive commitments of time and energy from both individuals. And mentors may not always have all of the expertise a mentee needs. As an alternative, however, the consultative approach to mentoring can be used to replace or supplement the more traditional apprentice model of mentoring. The consultative approach encourages mentees to identify those discrete skills and focused areas of support in which they need mentorship, and to then identify multiple mentors to specifically meet those needs. In addition to being flexible enough to support individuals throughout their careers, the consultative approach can help departments promote greater equity and inclusion by empowering everyone to share their expertise with one another. In this course, you’ll be introduced to the consultative approach to mentoring, you’ll be able to build your network of potential mentors, and you’ll gain valuable tools to help manage sticking points in mentorship relationships. This course is appropriate for all higher ed professionals, both at the […]

Establishing a Culture of Philanthropy as an Academic Dean

Philanthropic work in higher education is as important as ever, as the cost of delivering a high-quality education continues to increase. Academic deans are situated in an important role that allows them to guide the strategic direction of their school or college to help meet the academic mission of their institution. But to achieve their strategic vision, deans must embrace their responsibility to foster a culture of philanthropy within their academic unit to ensure success for years to come. This video course will be beneficial to any academic dean—new or experienced—or those aspiring to the role who are seeking to develop or refine a plan to achieve philanthropic goals for their institution. This course is designed to help you understand what a culture of philanthropy is, why it is important, what your responsibility is as a dean in establishing a culture of philanthropy, and how to approach fundraising as a part of this culture. Our expert instructor, Dr. Wade Weast, will help you to understand how your roles as a visionary, collaborator, role model, and fundraiser come together to help alumni, donors, and friends of your academic unit leave a lasting impact. Accompanying this course is a workbook designed to […]

Academic Libraries: Defining (and Communicating) Your Value

Posted on by Greta Bell

Amid calls for accountability, a new report from the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) offers recommendations for academic libraries on how to define their value to the institution and how to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing environment. Among the recommendations: defining outcomes, putting assessment management systems in place, and defining and strengthening the library’s contribution to student success. In light of the report, we turned to Paul Gandel, professor of information studies at Syracuse University, and Gene Spencer, principal of Gene Spencer Consulting, for additional advice on how academic libraries can define and communicate their value. Being Seen as the Solution “People have to see you as a solution they need. No amount of awareness or promotion is going to make you relevant. Your vision for how the library can contribute to the institutional mission is what makes you relevant.” Paul Gandel, Syracuse U The ACRL report lists multiple ways in which libraries can measure and define their value, including: Library impact on students’ academic success, persistence, and retention Library impact on student job success Library impact on student learning Library impact on faculty research productivity Library impact on increasing grant revenue through assistance with faculty […]

Ideas from the For-Profit Sector on Making Your Program More Competitive

Can you describe your institution as nimble? Do you offer programs that meet the needs of adult learners? Does your institution effectively use online education to reach non-traditional learners? Do you offer practitioner-oriented programs? Proprietary institutions have successes we can learn from. Use the insights from an instructor that has experienced both sides of the fence. Take lessons learned from the for-profit sector to enhance your program’s competitiveness, student success, and persistence. J. Joseph Hoey will share best practices and case studies to illustrate innovations often used by the proprietary marketplace that are directly applicable to traditional institutions. Join us to learn models that you can incorporate into the way education is delivered at your institution. We will examine: Building education around the student Learning outcomes that connect learners and the workplace Flexible course and program offerings Steps to support students towards matriculation The role of prior learning assessment

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