Search Results for: meeting

Leadership Training for Department Chairs

Posted on by Kenneth Soldink

Department chairs are the “front line” of academic management (whether or not, in fact, their positions are classified as management or as faculty) — yet most department chairs receive little or no training for their positions. There are reasons for this: Yet many problems that rise to higher levels of administration could be avoided or mitigated if they are handled by well-trained chairs in the first place. And institutions that neglect chairs do so at their own peril. Leadership training is especially critical now, given the pressures that tightened budgets, changing modes of delivery for instruction, increased demands for accountability, the growing diversity of the academy, and increased attention to employment law within academic institutions, all place on the expectations for department chairs. Why “Leadership” Training? Leadership training goes beyond other kinds of training. Indeed, the term “leadership training” might well be parsed out as a combination of training and leadership development: Developing a leadership training curriculum must take these features into account. The best training programs will both produce immediate outcomes and develop leadership skills over a sustained period of time. First, Identify Learning Outcomes What do your department chairs need to know, and when do they need to know it?Answering […]

Partnering with Faculty in Early Alert: A Faculty Perspective

Posted on by Kenneth Soldink

PARTNERING WITH FACULTY – FROM A FACULTY PERSPECTIVE Bernadette Jungblut of West Virginia University recently spoke to this issue — from a faculty perspective — at an April 2015 Academic Impressions webcast. Now, In this article, Jungblut offers further strategies for partnering with faculty effectively. What follows includes both an institutional case study and Bernadette’s own individual responses to questions raised by participants at the webcast.*role=”document”, aria-multiline=”true”, aria-readonly=”false”**aria-label=”Block: Paragraph”* by Bernadette Jungblut, Associate Provost for Accreditation, Academic Planning, and Assessment, Central Washington University,West Virginia University To explore the issue of faculty engagement in early alert in very practical terms, let’s review the key challenges (both that I’ve noted and that participants at the webcast raised), strategies that work, and a case study from West Virginia University. Engaging Faculty in Early Alert: The Challenge Challenges noted by webcast participants: Challenges I’ve experienced: Engaging Faculty in Early Alert: Strategies Here are strategies that we have employed at West Virginia University that make a difference in faculty engagement: Face-to-face meetings: We conducted face-to-face meetings with faculty members – one-on-one, in small groups, and at department faculty meetings.  We specifically described our undergraduate student profile – about which some faculty members knew relatively little.  When […]

Overcoming the 5 Key Challenges to Sustaining a Positive Culture of Service Excellence

You’ve embraced the idea of enhancing customer service on your campus, you’ve provided training for your team, and now the hard part begins—maintaining momentum! This free webcast will discuss five key challenges to sustaining a culture of service and how you can overcome them. The five challenges are:  Join us for this virtual learning experience developed for higher education professionals who lead service efforts and supervise leaders on the frontline. Whether you are just beginning a customer service initiative or your efforts have lost steam, gain the insight you need to build momentum and increase customer satisfaction!  Watch our expert faculty talk about why getting customer service right is key in higher education:  

Are We Measuring the Impact of Advising the Right Way?

Posted on by Daniel Fusch

Here are three commonly used academic advising metrics that fail to measure the impact of advising, and three qualitative measures that DO matter. Advising administrators are challenged with recruiting, training, and retaining effective advisors. They are tasked with positively impacting student success and retention, and are often held accountable for student persistence, academic performance, and graduation rates. Additionally, advising administrators must develop measures to evaluate advisor performance to ensure that they are successfully meeting student needs. Because of these demands, administrators may use quantitative measures to evaluate student success and advisor performance. However, the use of these measures may be a source of frustration and dissatisfaction for advisors and may unjustly place the burden of student success on their shoulders. As a result, advisors may experience burnout that can lead to poor performance and possible departure. 3 Academic Advising Metrics That Fail to Accurately Measure the Impact 1. Number of Contacts an Advisor Makes The logic is sound. Research has shown that the more engaged a student is with an institution and its personnel, the more likely he or she is to persist. By encouraging advisors to reach out to their students, administrators are hoping to build connections to promote […]

Three Self-Defeating Habits of Leaders

Posted on by Brady Stanton

One of the great gifts of working in higher education is that you get to work with leaders who are mission driven. Almost no leader I work with was motivated by climbing the ladder. They were motivated by their research, by working with students, by contributing to a purpose bigger than themselves. Over time, their desire to contribute and their skill have led them to opportunities to lead at higher levels. And in each of these roles, they bring with them their positive intentions, ready to make a difference.   Unfortunately, positive intent doesn’t by itself equate to positive impact. In fact, there are times when leaders’ best intentions — paradoxically — lead to worse results. How can this be? Very simply their desire to make a positive impact and contribution leads them to spend their time in ways that on the surface make sense, but that in the end actually work against them.   Here are the three most common behaviors I see that start from good intentions, but that end with a negative impact on the leader, their team and the task at hand:    1. Disproportionate Focus on Dissenters  Perhaps the most common pitfall I see is the one […]

Student Affairs Fundraising: Building a
Sustainable Structure

Many student affairs leaders have executed small fundraising efforts; very few have a strategic plan to gain support that can sustain or grow critical initiatives. Join us online to explore a proven model for developing a systematized fundraising operation for your student affairs division. You will leave with considerations for: Identifying fundraising priorities Structuring your fundraising operation Setting achievable goals for your department Building cross-campus relationships to meet goals

4 Common Misperceptions about EIT Compliance

Posted on by Kenneth Soldink

Many institutions are not fully aware of the compliance expectations for their electronic and information technology (EIT) and often fail to meet accessibility requirements which can result in costly lawsuits and pesky OCR audits. EIT compliance is complex, yet manageable, and institutions have a duty to comply with the most recent OCR guidelines laid out in March 2014. To help your institution enhance compliance efforts within a reasonable timeframe, we interviewed an expert on disability compliance — L. Scott Lissner, ADA coordinator at The Ohio State University and past president of AHEAD, the Association on Higher Education and Disability. Why EIT Compliance Must Be a Priority This Year Lisa LaPoint: What are the common misperceptions about EIT compliance? Scott Lissner: There are four that are especially common. First, it is NOT just about classes.Discussions of EIT typically focus on web-based course delivery, etexts and virtual labs, but guidance and case law point to much more. A lot of other processes and documents must meet accessibility standards: As well as virtual tools of the workplace, such as: Developing standards will ensure access for students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, and the general public who participate in your programs and activities. It is NOT […]

Getting Performance Appraisals Right in College Admissions

Posted on by Kenneth Soldink

In an era in which half the post-secondary institutions in the U.S. are facing enrollment declines, performance assessment and continuous improvement in admissions has never been more critical. Even those institutions with strong enrollments, experienced staff, and strong market position need to take the performance assessment process seriously. Why You Need to Do it Right Many of those who have worked with me over the course of the past 20 years will tell you I take performance assessment seriously. I believe one of the most important roles of a leader is to honestly, constructively and actively assesses performance of those who form the team. However, like most leaders, I had to learn how to assess performance, think carefully and adapt. Everyone has a different approach to performance assessment, and some will reject the notion that such assessments even have value. Those who cannot find value in this process,—or choose a superficial method like simply judging by the numbers, or having an annual conversation to ask “how’s it going”—are missing out on what can be a rewarding and integral part of effective talent development. It’s a leader’s job to mentor and develop talent. My master’s thesis focused on the performance assessment […]

Practical Advice for Dealing with Difficult Faculty Colleagues

Posted on by Kenneth Soldink

Most college faculty behave in a professional manner, take their responsibilities seriously, work hard at their jobs, and value their relationships with colleagues.  In fact, a recent survey found that college professors are the fifth most satisfied group of employees in the U.S, following pediatricians, singers, aircraft assemblers, and professional fire fighters.  The flexibility and ability to control one’s time and tasks makes the career very rewarding. Unfortunately, a few faculty members don’t fit this profile.  They may treat colleagues, staff or students with rudeness or harassment, may shirk their teaching, research or service obligations, and may make life generally difficult for their department chairs, deans, and departmental colleagues.  If such a “difficult colleague” has tenure, many academics shrug and say there is nothing to be done.  That could not be farther from the truth! Tenure is designed to protect academic freedom, not bad behavior. Academic freedom clearly gives faculty members the right to conduct research and teach as they choose, within the bounds of professionalism and institutional requirements for curricular content.  But academic freedom also brings responsibilities—to behave with respect toward colleagues and students, to refrain from harassment or discrimination, and to use care in speaking out as a […]

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