Planning and Implementing University-wide Undergraduate Reform Efforts

with Virginia S. Lee

Using a variety of methods including workshops and consultations, we help institutions plan reform efforts, design and implement related faculty development programs, realize efficiencies through collaboration among units, and align organizational structures to support reform.

We also help institutions accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools plan and implement quality enhancement plans, a special type of university-wide undergraduate reform effort. use the new reaffirmation guidelines to support the learning.

How Can We Promote Better Teaching and Better Learning Across Campus

with L. Dee Fink

Faculty leaders and administrators on most campuses want their institution to continually improve and work towards better teaching and better learning. Only in this way can students who enroll here expect the best quality education available. What are some of the things that campus leaders can do, that would in fact move this agenda forward?

In this discussion Dr. Fink will lay out conceptual framework and then lead a discussion focused on four central factors that need to be examined and, when necessary, changed:

Making Change Initiatives Successful

with Daniel W. Wheeler

Change, whether just adapting to it or initiating it, is a topic of conversation everywhere. This session is about developing commitment to and ownership of change. A change model will guide the development of strategies to make the change successful. 3-6 hour workshop

Leadership Succession

with Daniel W. Wheeler

Successful leadership succession does not happen by accident. Careful planning involving assessment of departmental needs, the stage of the department and the departmental history are required. Growing one's own leaders versus going outside for leaders will also be addressed. 3-6 hour workshop or session

Helping New Faculty Be Successful

with Daniel W. Wheeler

New faculty are the future face of the organization. The twin needs of having autonomy and finding collegiality, the latter often unfulfilled, are addressed. Additional needs in teaching and scholarly development and strategies to help faculty meet them will be explored. Exemplary development processes are identified. 3-6 hour workshop

Improving or Enhancing Faculty Instruction

with Daniel W. Wheeler

The workshop addresses the following three areas: 1) promoting excellence in teaching 2) supporting teaching improvement, and 3) addressing teaching problems. The first two focus more on department-wide strategies while the third has an emphasis on working with individual faculty. 3-6 hour workshop

Visioning and Planning

with Daniel W. Wheeler

Visioning is a process of identifying a preferred future for the next 5-10 years. Participants will develop an image or state of the organization that will  provide direction for the future. Based on the vision, planning will require appropriate resources and commitments to move toward the vision. An analysis of what it will take to move from the present to the vision will be part of the session. 3-6 hour workshop

Servant Leadership

with Daniel W. Wheeler

Servant leadership is a philosophy that starts from a premise of wanting to serve and leadership growing our of that service. The focus is on helping followers meet their highest priority needs. The session will identify and develop the five factors of servant leadership: 1) altruistic calling 2) emotional healing 3) persuasive mapping 4) wisdom, and 5) organizational stewardship in the context of your organization. Each of the factors will be applied to the academic enterprise including service, teaching, research and administration. 3-6 hour workshop or session

Diversity, Achievement and Retention--A Conversation with Administrators

with Craig E. Nelson

Background points:
The faculty workshop I do on diversity is directed to individual faculty thinking about their own courses (the usual audience interest). The key conclusion of the workshop will be that low grades most often (but certainly not always) reflect out-of-date pedagogy and dysfunctional illusions of rigor. In the workshop, we consider several important but easy pedagogical changes. From an institutional perspective, at least three additional perspectives are important.