Breakfast will be provided for all Institute participants.
Celebrating Institutional Milestones
What are important milestones that CIC colleges and universities recognize? What types of planned events and celebrations best leverage the opportunities of such moments in institutional history? How do academic, advancement, and marketing/communications officers collaborate in the preparation? Participants will share their experiences, ideas, and advice.
Debbie Tahmassebi, Provost, Westminster University (UT)
Creating and Marketing a Transfer-Friendly Campus
How can CIC institutions best demonstrate their commitment to transfer students from community colleges? What types of campus support programs and marketing strategies are proving effective? The facilitator will share insights from his university and the Ohio Consortium for Transfer Pathways in the Liberal Arts project, funded by the Teagle and Arthur Vining Davis Foundations. Participants are encouraged to discuss their own successful practices and to seek advice on challenges.
Terry M. Keller, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, Lourdes University
Effective Collaboration to Secure Grants
For tuition-driven institutions, the need to diversify revenue streams is a pressing issue. How are CIC institutions developing grants strategies to meet institutional needs? What are the optimal roles and responsibilities for chief academic and advancement officers in such efforts? Co-facilitated by Franklin College’s CAO and CAdO, this conversation will ask participants to share models of building capacity and support for grants-seeking strategies.
Dana Cummings, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Franklin College (IN)
Kristin Flora, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College, Franklin College (IN)
Faculty Incentive Strategies
How do chief academic officers at CIC colleges and universities incentivize high performance from faculty members? Participants are invited to discuss creative incentive strategies, both monetary and non-monetary, that promote faculty excellence. Who was involved in their design? How do the incentives reflect and support the institution’s mission and priorities?
Frank Casagrande, President, Casagrande Consulting, LLC
Fair Faculty Compensation
This session will focus on best practices in faculty compensation including but not limited to discerning a philosophy; creating a valid, reliable and stakeholder set of benchmark institutions; and shaping a transparent and affordable salary structure.
Alden Stout, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Newman University (KS)
Harnessing the Power of Alumni Generosity: Opportunities and Challenges
How are CIC colleges and universities engaging alumni to give back to their alma maters? What communication practices, giving opportunities, and alumni programs inspire connection and build a sustainable donor pool? Join the Schreiner leadership team in a conversation focused on effective strategies to channel the time, treasure, and talent of a diverse alumni base in support of institutional missions and goals.
Danielle Jenschke, Director of Development, Schreiner University
Mark Tuschak, Vice President for Student Recruitment, External Affairs, and Marketing and Communications, Schreiner University
How CIC Colleges and Universities Are Revaluing General Education
Many CIC colleges and universities identify their general education curriculum as a signature program. Yet, in today’s environment, when the value of the liberal arts is being challenged, many students and parents question the relevance and number of credit hours in this key part of the curriculum. How can administrators and faculty members better articulate the value of general education and create a clear, outcomes-based pathway through their programs? Participants will share successful strategies and new ideas for revaluing general education for external audiences.
Abiodun Goke-Pariola, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, North Central College
Informing Cabinet-Level Decision Making with Social Listening
Your audiences are online, engaging in conversation about your campus every day. How do you know what’s really said, and how confident are you in your response? Through social listening, you can accurately find and interpret the conversation and why it matters. This discussion will demonstrate how campuses leverage online data to inform cabinet-level decision making. Combining new industry research with on-campus case studies, we will explain how social listening insights guide leaders in developing and aligning their strategies with the goals of the campuses they serve.
Alastair Hayes, Director of Marketing, Campus Sonar
Key Metrics and Decision Making Processes for Effective Program Review
Managing the academic program portfolio is a key component of every CAO’s job. Data is important, but data can be inconsistent, confusing, or overwhelming. Which metrics are key, and what are the most effective ways to move from data to decisions? In this discussion, we explore metrics we have found to be most useful for program evaluation, and related personnel and resource allocation decisions, and share best practices for establishing mission-aligned, data-informed decision making processes.
Gary Daynes, Senior Consultant, UQ Solutions, Inc.
Seth Houston, President and CEO, UQ Solutions, Inc.
Making a Good Start as a Chief Officer
How do chief officers new to their role and/or to their institution make a good start? What strategies facilitate learning campus culture and help in building positive relationships with constituencies? Participants will share their experiences and advice.
Jennifer Dugan, Provost, Muskingum University
Many Moving Pieces: Launching New Academic Programs
Ashland University’s provost will lead a discussion about the rewards and challenges of creating and launching new academic programs, including funding models, timelines, accreditation approvals, and creative marketing plans. Participants are invited to share their own experiences with developing and implementing new academic programs, both successes and lessons learned.
Amiel Jarstfer, Provost, Ashland University
Media Relations During Times of Campus Controversy
When institutions make high profile decisions, messaging is critical. How much transparency is advisable? How do chief officers keep the focus on the benefits when questions from the media cast the decisions in a less than positive light? The facilitator will share insights from her experiences at two historically women’s colleges that began to admit more gender-inclusive undergraduate classes. Participants will discuss media strategies that were effective during contested moments on their campuses and offer advice to those seeking guidance.
Martha Walker, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Notre Dame of Maryland University
Mentoring Mid-Level Administrators
Today chief officers across all areas of a college or university face more challenges in their jobs than ever before. What are best and time-efficient practices for mentoring mid-level administrators in the high pressure “new normal” of higher education? Participants are invited to discuss the strategies they use to promote individual professional growth and effective teamwork in support of institutional goals.
Michael W. Markowitz, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Felician University
A New Pathway to Success: Collaboration, not Competition
In an era of sinking enrollments and hyper competitiveness, how can CIC institutions strike a new path towards enrollment growth and stability? The facilitators will discuss how Otterbein University cofounded the Coalition for the Common Good, a first-of-its-kind national higher education system organized around a shared mission of educating students not only to advance their careers, but also to promote our pluralistic democracy, social, racial, economic, and environmental justice, and the common good. Participants will learn about the barriers to true collaboration and the necessary tactics to build institutional buy-in and success and are invited to ask questions and offer feedback.
Jefferson Blackburn-Smith, Executive Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, Otterbein University
Wendy Sherman Heckler, Provost and Senior Vice President, Otterbein University
Strategies for Connecting Donors and Students
During the past three years, Wisconsin Lutheran College (WLC) increased named scholarship opportunities by over 30%. Join WLC’s provost and chief advancement officer in a discussion of what they learned from their collaboration about best practices for connecting student scholarship recipients with scholarship donors. Participants are encouraged to share effective strategies for fostering stewardship that enhances student-donor relations on their own campuses.
John Kolander, Provost, Wisconsin Lutheran College
Richard Mannisto, Vice President of Advancement, Wisconsin Lutheran College
The Role of Online Learning on a Residential Campus
In just a few years, the percentage of traditional undergraduate students seeking out online courses has dramatically increased. This shift has created both opportunities and challenges for CAOs looking to balance the needs of students, faculty, and the broader institution. This discussion will look to promote conversation around the academic, cultural, and financial implications of an arguably certain trend toward more hybrid campuses that blend online and face-to-face modalities.
Charlie Anastasi, Vice President of Academic Partnerships, Rize Education
Town and Gown Relationships
How do local residents feel about having a college or university in their town? Goshen College has expanded its outreach to its community through a Center for Community Engagement. Goshen’s chief academic officer will discuss some of the center’s recent initiatives and how they have enhanced community relations. Participants are invited to share what their own campuses are doing to build rapport with their hometowns.
Ann Vendrely, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Academic Dean, Goshen College
Trustee Engagement
What are effective ways to structure time spent with trustees to maximize the value they bring to the board and the college or university? Wingate’s provost will share examples of positive trustee-campus leader engagement as well as lessons learned from tactfully putting misaligned relationships back into place. Participants will discuss their own best practices for meaningful trustee engagement and seek ideas and advice on difficult situations.
Jeff Frederick, Provost, Wingate University