The Chronicle of Higher Education

1255 Twenty-Third Street, NW

Washington DC, 20037

Monday, August 12

8:30 am – 9:00 am: Breakfast

9:00 am – 10:00 am: Welcome, trends in higher ed

Martin Kurzweil, Director, Educational Transformation Program, Ithaka S+R

Liz McMillen, Executive Editor, Chronicle Intelligence

10:00 am 10:15 am: Break

10:15 am 11:15 am: Fireside chat with Steven Mintz in conversation with Sara Lipka

Steven Mintz is a professor of history at the University of Texas, Austin, and was the founding director of the University of Texas System’s Institute for Transformational Learning

Sara Lipka is a senior editor at The Chronicle of Higher Education

What does it take to lead change—at the department, college, or system level—to improve student learning outcomes?

11:15 am noon: Facilitated small group working session

What do you want to accomplish as chair? What is your highest priority?

Noon 12:45 pm: Lunch

12:45 pm 1:30 pm:  Innovation related to students

Marie Cini, President, Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL)

William LaCourse, Dean, Natural and Mathematical Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County

Tim McKay, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Physics, Astronomy, Education; Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, University of Michigan

A growing number of institutions are relying on research in the science of learning, reimagined relationships among administrators, faculty, and students, and rapidly progressing technology to teach and support their students in new and more effective ways. A group of three practitioners who are leading the way on these innovations will provide brief overviews of their efforts. Our panelists will discuss active learning, learning analytics, approaches to teaching and supporting a diverse student body, and introducing student success initiatives.

 

1:40 pm 2:25 pm: Innovating for student success: small group discussion with an expert, part 1

In small groups, participants will engage more deeply with one of the experts from the panel. This is an opportunity for participants to discuss and receive feedback on their own innovative efforts, challenges, and questions with a colleague who has been down the road before.

2:30 pm – 3:15 pm: Innovating for student success: small group discussion with an expert, part 2

Participants will speak with a second panelist

3:15 pm 3:30 pm: Break

3:30 – 4:00: Innovating with faculty

Anne Gillies, Search Advocate Program Director, Oregon State University

Brian Platt, Chair, History and Art History, George Mason University

How can we best engage faculty in new initiatives and to further student success? Our expert panelists share insights on best practices in hiring, mentoring, and supporting faculty, and how to ensure that faculty perspectives are factored into administrative decision-making.

4:05 pm – 4:50 pm: Innovating with faculty: Small group discussion

In small groups, participants will engage more deeply with one of the experts from the panel. This is an opportunity for participants to discuss and receive feedback on their own innovative efforts, challenges, and questions with a colleague who has been down the road before.

5:00 pm -5:30 pm:  Reflections on the day’s program

Martin Kurzweil and Liz McMillen

6:00 pm – 8:00 pm:   Dinner at Clyde’s of Georgetown

 

Tuesday, August 13

8:30 am – 9:00 am: Breakfast

9:00 am – 9:30 am: Agenda review and goals for the day

Martin Kurzweil and Liz McMillen

9:30 am – 12:30 pm:  Developing a strategy for your department

Paul Friga, Clinical Associate Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship at the Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Academic Benchmarking Consortium

In this interactive session, Paul Friga will guide participants as they develop and plan to implement strategic objectives for their departments. Working together, participants will prepare a draft strategy summary to define their department’s mission, vision, priorities, and initiatives.

12:30 pm – 1:15 pm: Lunch

1:15 pm – 2:30 pm: Leadership coaching

Diana Kardia, Founder, Kardia Group

George Justice, Professor of English, Arizona State University

Kelly Mack, Vice President for Undergraduate STEM Education and Executive Director of Project Kaleidoscope, Office of Undergraduate STEM Education, AAC&U

A coach explains the value of leadership coaching for helping faculty members develop the skills necessary for navigating the multiple challenges of their roles. Diana Kardia will be in conversation with George Justice and Kelly Mack about the value of coaching for faculty members.

2:30 pm – 2:45 pm: Break

2:45 pm – 5:00 pm: Facing your biggest challenges as department chair

Diana Kardia

In this facilitated small group working session, chairs will workshop solutions for dealing effectively with conflict and difficult colleagues.

5:00 pm – 5:30 pm: Closing reflections

Martin Kurzweil and Liz McMillen

5:30 pm – 7:00 pm: Reception in the newsroom

 

Leading Innovation: A Workshop for Department Chairs