Event Category: Workshop

Building an In-House Leadership Development Program in Higher Education

Leadership development has emerged as one of the most important priorities for institutions today. It’s becoming harder and harder to lead through the myriad of challenges facing our institutions and the strain on leaders has arguably never been so great. Worse, the constantly revolving door of key leadership positions has starkly revealed the depth or shallowness of an institution’s leadership bench. In response, most institutions are now investing heavily in building leadership programs, but each of those approaches it differently.  Academic Impressions has helped more institutions to develop in-house leadership programs than any other organization in higher education, and in this unique two-day event, we’ll share what we’ve learned over 15 years of developing leaders and supporting in-house programs. Whether you are simply dipping your toe in the leadership space for the first time, or you’ve run a successful cohort-based program for years, we’ll share a wealth of resources, methods, and approaches that you can implement right away to develop the next generation of leaders at your institution.  Our Approach   We have intentionally designed our program to explore multiple ways to develop leaders. Whether this is accomplished via one-off programs, cohort programs, or something in between, we’ll show you how […]

Alumni Boards: Strengthen Your Strategy and Grow Engagement 

Alumni boards can assist an institution to achieve strategic priorities, strengthen affinity, and motivate giving. Supporting your board in serving the institution and offering a meaningful volunteer experience starts with having a clear direction regarding your board’s structure, culture, and purpose.  Join us for this two-day conference, where you will obtain a comprehensive A-to-Z approach on how to design, recruit for, and drive engagement with your alumni boards. You will learn how to increase the effectiveness of your alumni board and its member involvement as our expert instructors share practical tips and advice, to include:   You are encouraged to come to the conference with copies of your board’s bylaws, policies, membership rosters and/or other governance documents, which we will use for some of our small group discussions and exercises throughout the conference. Come prepared to discuss current areas of focus and/or specific challenges that you are hoping to address within your board.  

Faculty Affairs Summit: Creating the Conditions for Faculty Belonging and Growth

Four years after the pandemic rocked the foundation of higher education, many faculty affairs leaders continue to struggle to retain faculty. Academic Impressions’ Faculty Retention Survey points to three main factors that contribute to retention, higher job satisfaction, and lower levels of burnout among faculty: a sense of belonging, growth and workload, and support for professional development. Creating the conditions for these factors requires faculty affairs leaders to examine:  Join us for our semiannual Faculty Affairs Summit to explore a variety of proven approaches to support faculty retention. We’ll look at strategies you can use to move the needle on faculty climate and create the conditions necessary to retain faculty and help them to thrive and grow at your institution.   

Leading Teams Through Complexity and Change 

Shifts in higher education are happening faster and in increasingly unpredictable ways. Each day as leaders, we are challenged by highly politicized environments, the need to manage across silos, and the need to work more efficiently with fewer resources. These complex conditions cannot be managed away; they require instead that we lead through them.   Join us for this two-day conference to learn how to increase your effectiveness as a leader and build resilience by focusing on three key themes:  During the conference, you will gain tangible tools and develop a common language of leadership to use within multi-functional teams. We will also introduce a four-step framework to help you to recognize when and how various leadership tensions show up, how they work together, and how to adjust your mindset to lead through them effectively.  

Re-imagining Annual Giving: Optimizing Technology to Acquire Donors and Increase Donor Loyalty

Fact #1: It’s becoming more competitive to get the attention of your donors.  Fact #2: Technology is changing faster than ever before and (Fact #3) it’s getting harder to keep track of the hottest trends that can help you in your shop.  If you’re wondering how to solve all three of these problems, this conference is for you.  As the founder of the fastest-growing professional association in philanthropy, our expert speaker Louis Diez will share the tried-and-true practices that he’s developed by interacting with hundreds of nonprofit professionals committed to improving donor participation. This, along with his extensive research experience, gives him the unique perspective to see what is working right now, understand why it works, and help annual fund shops quickly and efficiently implement these strategies. At this event, Louis will also share relevant donor psychology trends that must be incorporated to better inform the way we communicate with donors.   Not only will you obtain the frameworks for explaining your work to others, but you will also have the unique opportunity to try on these donor communication tactics for your own shop in real-time. If implementing up-to-date digital communication strategies feels intimidating, rest assured that Louis will address your […]

Mastering the Art and Science of Discovery Visits

Authentically navigating the discovery and qualification process is an essential skillset that gift officers need to sustain their donor base. Knowing how to ask questions, listen with curiosity, and unlock meaningful conversations with prospective donors can be the starting point for a principal or transformational gift in the future.  Join us for this in-person conference where you will build your unique discovery work toolkit. Whether you’re new to fundraising work, want to refresh your perspective on discovery visits, or looking to strengthen the way your team engages with new donors, you’ll benefit from this conference as you: 

Mastering the Art and Science of Discovery Visits

Skillfully navigating the discovery and qualification process is an essential skillset that gift officers need for success. Without knowing how to ask the right types of insightful questions that unlock conversations with prospects, major gift officers and advancement shops may struggle to increase their donor base. This can impact future fundraising goals, potentially hindering the long-term viability of your institution from making the case for principal or transformational gifts.  Join us at this conference to build your unique discovery work toolkit by exploring different strategies for starting the relationship with and engaging with prospective donors. Not only will you walk away with concrete examples of how to secure meetings with your best prospects, what questions to ask, and how to map out next steps, but you will also be able to test your approach with your peers and receive valuable feedback and insights from our expert speaker. 

Effective Strategies to Recruit and Onboard Underrepresented Faculty  

Even though national student demographics have dramatically changed over the past 20+ years, faculty demographics do not reflect these changes. We know that in order to achieve academic and inclusive excellence, institutions must commit to hiring and retaining faculty members from underrepresented groups. Our present-day realities, such as the lingering impact of the pandemic, anti-DEI legislation, aspirations for the faculty body to mirror the diversity of the student body, and the enrollment cliff, necessitate that hiring managers and academic leaders seek forward-thinking solutions for hiring and recruiting underrepresented faculty.  Join us for this highly interactive in-person conference to gain the tools and strategies you need to recruit and onboard faculty members from underrepresented demographics. With the help of our expert speaker panel, you will have the time, space, and support to:  

Mastering Frontline Customer Service: Strategies for Leadership and Success

Supporting your team in frontline customer service roles can be challenging. On a daily basis, you likely see members of your staff striving to meet customer demands, manage volatile situations, and muddle through mundane tasks—all while managing their own stress to seek workplace satisfaction. Although meeting the needs of students, families, staff, and faculty are the primary goals of your frontline team, your goal is to provide them with the skills and training necessary to navigate their difficult work.    This one-and-a-half day in-person conference is designed for your employees who work on the frontline in higher education. This unique opportunity will engage your team in learning about their own leadership styles to enhance customer service in three critical ways, in order to:   

Fundraising for Deans

As a Dean, you hold numerous responsibilities, and fundraising is likely a critical part of your portfolio. You are probably also finding the philanthropic landscape more competitive than ever, as donors are becoming more selective with their giving. To be a successful fundraiser, it is important to understand how to align your interests with those of donors seeking to make significant societal differences.  Join us for this one-and-a-half-day interactive conference, led by renowned university advancement consultant Jim Langley. Jim will help you to learn how to more effectively listen to prospective donors and align their personal values with the goals of your academic unit. Through group discussions and activities, you will:   Meet us in Denver, and begin to unlock new philanthropic strategies within your unit.   

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