I. Introduction The Great Resignation, the Great Attrition, the Great Disengagement, and the Big Quit are a few of the names for the phenomenon occurring throughout different industries, including higher education.1 Higher education is not immune from this great exodus and is at a turning point as retention of faculty, administrators, and staff is more important than ever.2 What’s joy got to do with it?3 Can it drive those who work in higher education to stay, leave, or return?4 Money is not enough by itself to retain workers.5 Over the last two years, higher education, like other industries, is facing a fundamental shift in how people view their work, their employer, and their life.6 Perhaps this is an opportunity for the Great Joy: to (re)discover joy in your work; reevaluate what you want from work, be open minded, and possibly reinvent how you work, where you work, who you work with, and what you work on. This article explores the challenges higher education faces as the pandemic continues to alter attitudes on work. It then offers some strategies to (re)discover joy in work. Finally, it discusses ways to maximize joy in work. II. The Struggle Exhausted, isolated, disconnected, burnt out, […]
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ON-CAMPUS WORKSHOP Collaborative Leadership in Higher Education Designed for institutions that are looking to make a meaningful investment in leadership development, often for the first time. This on-campus workshop is designed for mid to senior leaders across academic AND non-academic areas. It is a great fit if you want a leadership program that: Improves collaboration within and across silos Immediately impacts results Minimizes scheduling conflicts (1 day on your campus – no travel required) Is interactive, highly practical and skills-based Get More Information for Your Campus Complete the form below and an Academic Impressions Program Manager will follow up with you to discuss the on-campus workshop and options for your campus. Notice: JavaScript is required for this content. No Fields Found. Which Format Is Right for Me? Don’t take it from us – See it for yourself. Trying to decide whether an On-Campus Workshop is right for your team before committing? Come to one of our conferences to see for yourself how we are different and gain insight into Academic Impressions’ competitive edge. Browse our upcoming conferences. AGENDA Sample On-Campus Workshop Sessions: Roles, skills, and qualities leaders will need to be successful in the future Understanding and leveraging the diverse perspectives […]
Department Chairs Success Program Equip Your Department Chairs with the Skills, Confidence, and Support to Lead Effectively Compare Us to Other Programs Curious about how Academic Impressions stands out among leadership development programs? Download our comprehensive guide to see why institutions around the world trust us to empower their department chairs. SEE THE GUIDE Department chairs often lead with minimal formal leadership experience, facing the complexities of departmental politics and long-standing histories without structured support. Academic Impressions has empowered hundreds of department chairs globally to develop a clear leadership philosophy and essential interpersonal skills for navigating conflict and managing relationships at all levels. With the Department Chairs Success Program, your chairs will: Run More Effective and Collaborative Meetings, so they can achieve greater outcomes for their departments. Manage Negative or Resistant Faculty and Staff who may be slowing progress toward institutional priorities. Negotiate “Win-Win” Outcomes with stakeholders who have competing interests. Develop more effective, resilient chairs with the Department Chairs Success Program. What is Included in the Department Chairs Success Program? 01. Custom design session: You’ll start with a personalized design session where we work closely with you to tailor the program to the specific needs of your chairs. Together, we’ll […]
Kathy joined the College of Saint Benedict in 2015 and is responsible for all institutional fundraising and alumnae engagement around the world. She led the successful Illuminating Lives campaign, the largest in the college’s history, raising $113 million toward a $100 million goal. The campaign focused on growing the college’s endowment—which doubled over the course of the campaign—and increased resources for financial aid for students. During her tenure, the college received its first-ever eight-figure gifts, significantly growing the number and size of major gifts supporting Saint Ben’s mission. Kathy’s career spans over three decades, largely in higher education. She served for 17 years at Luther Seminary, rising to the position of Vice President of Seminary Relations and Executive Director of the Foundation. In that role, she oversaw the completion of three capital campaigns that raised over $220 million for the seminary. At the time, they were the largest campaigns ever completed in theological education. She has led advancement divisions at both Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota and Midland University in Nebraska. Kathy has also served as a consultant with the national fundraising consulting firm of BWF, serving liberal arts colleges across the United States. Kathy has served on the national […]
According to the Chronicle, one-fourth of private institutions do business with their trustees’ companies. Potential conflicts of interest involving board members or high-ranking officials certainly are not limited to private colleges, however; North Carolina State University’s termination of Mary Easley and the uncovering of the University of Illinois’ previous board’s interference in the admissions process each represent highly publicized examples. We asked Cindy Lawson, media relations expert and vice president for public relations and communications at DePaul University, for practical tips on what and how to communicate to the public when a conflict of interest involves a member of the board, in order to manage the impact on the institution’s reputation. Be Forthright and Specific “From my experience, the chances of an institution’s reputation remaining intact are far better when that institution is forthright and admits the conflict, shares as much information as it possibly can, and most importantly, describes the measures it is taking to ensure it doesn’t happen again, as opposed to trying to hide it, hoping that no one finds out, or worse — trying to deny it or cover it up once it is exposed.”Cindy Lawson, DePaul University In a case involving an unintentional conflict of […]
Over the past year, there have been a number of think pieces and declarations related to the need to maintain DEI as integral to the success of campuses. While many of these well-written and impactful statements offer a myriad of reasons we continue to need DEI programs, effective approaches to maintain these programs beyond “fight for the right to say/keep DEI” are harder to come by. We demand courageous leadership (as if DEI professionals haven’t always operated with courage) and then we define that courage as the willingness to put out a statement affirming their values and/or affirm that they will continue to say DEI. But if we’re being honest, that has always been the problem we’ve never addressed: allowing DEI to simply be platitudes and virtue signals, as if the words people say in public are always translated into meaningful action. And even when the words are truly courageous, the reality is that courage without a strategy is either ineffective or reckless. As we transition from “fact-checking” to “community notes”, it is imperative that we infuse diverse experiences and perspectives within the overall lived experience. We must help everyone around us think critically about sources of knowledge and the […]
Turnover stinks! In December, I released my article “Turnover Stinks: Some Critical Perspective for Admissions Leaders” to help admissions directors shift the way they think about it. Now, looking ahead at the new year, I’d like to offer some advice on how to deal with turnover. While many would say (and I would agree) that the solution to turnover is to pay better and improve the working condition, there are many other things you can do as an admissions leader. Here are a couple of suggestions to help prevent turnover and build a high-impact admissions team. 1. Train Well and Often Training and re-training is critically important to aligning strategy and execution of responsibilities. Training also represents a time and opportunity to get into theory and examination of what you do and what you want done. Yet too often, training is a secondary priority. One might think, “He’ll get it once he does it for a while,” or “They won’t be into it; they have too much experience.” This is the wrong approach. Think of training as an opportunity to: Build time into your annual plan for training for everyone, not just the new members of your staff. In my office, we […]
Given depleted funding sources and scrutiny over the costs of higher education, institutions across the country are recognizing that traditional modes of operation are not sustainable; many are instead looking at more efficient models of shared operational and administrative services. The reality of established cultures and organizational structures at nearly all institutions make generating these efficiencies a sincere challenge. However, several institutions have successfully navigated these challenges to create shared delivery models that generate efficiencies and guarantee much-needed funding for the academic mission. Wright State University in Dayton, OH has developed a unique model for funding operational and administrative services. Here are two case examples illustrating their approach — and highlighting what you can learn from their model. Example 1: Enterprise Print CHALLENGEWright State was facing rising costs across its print production and office print footprint resulting from antiquated equipment, an outdated capital expenditure model, declining print production volume, idle capacity with heavy investment in fixed costs (i.e., labor and equipment), and decentralized, non-strategic deployment of print devices.SOLUTIONWright State led the development of a consortium for enterprise print services across multiple institutions that would leverage pricing and generate economies of scale. The key elements for deliver were quality, service, value, […]
Goal driven. Student focused. Highly motivated. They are all buzz works that adequately describe Dr. Ashley Morris’ attributes, but do not convey the fullness of her passions. She is committed to the process of learning. In each of her vocations, she strives to expose others to educational opportunities that meet their needs and help them see the benefit in lifelong learning. Currently, Dr. Morris serves as Dean of Business and Professional Services at Savannah Technical College, where she manages initiatives related to all divisional programs, courses, and instructional services, including community, high school, and college programs, as well as promotion of the College to public and private organizations. She leads a team of faculty and staff toward being transforming practitioners and providing learning experiences that equip students for the workforce and further education. Prior to serving at Savannah Tech, Dr. Morris worked as a Dean of Academic Affairs at Albany Technical College. She was also the Chief Executive Officer for Reaching for Stars Tutoring Services in Hinesville, GA. She gained teaching experience as an English instructor for Albany Technical College and Savannah Technical College. She has also worked as an academic advisor. Dr. Morris has a Doctorate of Education in […]
