Concurrent Sessions
The Leadership in Higher Education Conference represents the leading thinking on strategic issues in higher education today. Concurrent sessions are peer selected in several ways. After an open call for proposals, the conference advisory board members choose selected presentations through a rigorous blind review process. Outstanding presenters from the previous conference—as evaluated by conference attendees—return as invited sessions with either an updated or reprised version of their top-scoring presentation. Finally, the advisory board sessions are determined by board members to cover trends or topics not addressed by the general sessions and creates content in these areas.
⸻ Look for sessions in these tracks: ⸻
Leading Change: A Positive Approach to Faculty Burnout
Shannon Scott and Karen Dunlap, Texas Woman’s University
Academic leaders frame their vision around goals and initiatives to promote a college. With changing demographics, the post-COVID environment, and other challenges, understanding university and college budgets are essential to academic leadership. This presentation focuses on university budgets and the significance of understanding the college and university budgets while planning for the future. Questions to be considered: Who are our students and how do their needs impact university and college budgets? What can be developed for a deeper understanding of the university budget and budgetary practices? How can deans effectively collaborate with budget managers and chief financial officers?
From Managing to Mentoring: Strategies for Growing High-Performing Teams
Chanavia Patterson, Principal Patterson Leadership Services
Great leaders do more than manage—they mentor, inspire, and cultivate future leadership. This session explores how to transition from task-focused management to people-centered mentorship in order to build high-performing, resilient teams. Participants will learn strategies to identify and develop emerging leaders, leverage generational diversity, and apply coaching techniques that foster engagement and accountability. By addressing common challenges such as resistance to change and the need for sustainable leadership pipelines, this session offers practical tools to create a culture of growth, collaboration, and institutional excellence.
The Teaching Effectiveness Framework and Toolkit for Developing and Evaluating Teaching
Jennifer Todd and Tonya Buchan, Colorado State University
Evaluating and developing teaching effectiveness remains a complex challenge for higher education leaders. This session introduces the Teaching Effectiveness Framework (TEF) and Toolkit, created at a land-grant R1 institution to provide a clear, evidence-based approach for aligning goal setting, professional development, mentoring, evaluation, and recognition of teaching. Designed to move beyond reliance on student course surveys, the TEF offers a consistent and transparent structure for documenting teaching efforts and their impact. Participants will explore how to implement the toolkit—or adapt its principles—to support equitable and effective faculty evaluation, and will leave with an action plan to bring this resource or a similar tool to their own institutions.
Transformative Leadership Practices for Thriving Higher Education Institutions and Communities
Tennille Woodward, GrowLeadEmpower, LLC
This session explores transformative leadership strategies designed to foster inclusive, high-performing environments in higher education. Through The Leadership Game, an interactive tool that promotes collaboration, emotional intelligence, and self-reflection, participants will engage in hands-on exercises to strengthen their leadership effectiveness. The session emphasizes the importance of inclusive practices, adaptive leadership, and strategic thinking in navigating change and driving institutional success.
Coaching Skills for Academic Leaders: Bringing Out the Best in Yourself and Others
Susan Robison, Professor Destressor
The interpersonal aspects of academic leadership, such as annual reviews, performance evaluations, or other difficult conversations with faculty, can be especially challenging to the inexperienced chair/dean. In this session, you will practice several powerful brain-based coaching skills drawn from Improv games to increase your skills and confidence for leadership that matters: transformational coaching conversations that build institutional collegiality, civility, and engagement. Participants will apply a structure for shaping such conversations in dyad practice and then contribute to a facilitator/volunteer demonstration of these skills.
Dismantling the Chair: Navigating the Shift to Self-Directed Teams
Linda McNeely, Brenau University
This session explores the transition from a traditional department chair model to a self-directed work team structure within a higher education setting. Presenters will detail the motivations behind this shift, including the desire for improved collaboration, research productivity, and curriculum planning, while also addressing anticipated concerns such as communication flow, conflict resolution, and the redistribution of responsibilities. Attendees will gain insight into how shared leadership and distributed responsibilities can foster innovation, streamline decision-making, and support a more sustainable leadership model—particularly relevant at a time when institutions are rethinking traditional hierarchies and roles.
Institutional Faculty Development in Trauma Informed Pedagogy: Building Resilient Systems
Karen Gordes, Mary Jo Bondy, and Violet Kulo, University of Maryland Baltimore
This session will describe the design, implementation, and evaluation of a multi-discipline/multi-school faculty development program grounded in best practices and designed to generate a pipeline of faculty trained in the principles of trauma-informed pedagogy. The impact of training at the individual faculty level (changing instructional practices) and the collective program level (reformed policies, practices, and culture) to reflect trauma-informed principles will be highlighted with quantitative/qualitative data. Based on shared recommendations and lessons learned, attendees will be able to formulate steps to develop a faculty development model to foster a trauma resilient educational system within their own institution.
Bridging Perspectives: Navigating Leadership Growth Through Diverse Career Paths
Jeffrey Stevens and Jennifer Noble, Alfred State College
Leadership in higher education is not a one-size-fits-all journey. Institutions require diverse, adaptable leaders who bring unique experiences, strengths, and approaches to leadership. This session explores the evolution of leadership through two distinct career trajectories: one from a traditional academic pathway and the other from a non-traditional background. By sharing our journeys, including challenges, successes, and pivotal moments, we aim to provide insight into how different experiences shape leadership styles and institutional impact. Participants will engage in reflective activities to assess their leadership styles, discuss barriers they may encounter, and develop actionable plans for continued growth.
Leading Up! How to Survive and Thrive during Leadership Transitions
Jim Godfrey, Utah Valley University
This session explores the concept of “leading up” during leadership transitions in higher education—particularly when navigating relationships with newly hired supervisors. Attendees will learn best practices for supporting new leaders while also leveraging the transition as an opportunity for their own growth and influence. The session will address common challenges new leaders face, offer strategies for mutual success, and highlight how leadership perspectives from the arts can provide valuable insights across disciplines. Participants will walk away with practical tools to foster successful leadership transitions, build strong partnerships, and advance their own professional trajectories through intentional, upward leadership.
The Antecedents of Transformational Leadership Practices
Violet Kulo, University of Maryland Baltimore
Transformational leadership has been espoused as one of the most effective leadership styles and is associated with high levels of performance and job satisfaction among team members. This session will discuss the predictors of transformational leadership based on the literature and findings from a recent quantitative research study. Attendees will gain insights into the five practices of exemplary leaders and antecedents of these practices, including leader efficacy and emotional intelligence. Attendees will walk away with more targeted professional development strategies to strengthen transformational leadership practices and cultivate a positive, high-performing working and learning environment.
Advisory Board Session
Can You Let It Go? Building Trust to Delegate in Academia
Gretchen Oltman, Creighton University
Leaders in higher education settings often have difficulty delegating their responsibilities, often thinking it’s just easier to complete a task themselves than to put it in someone else’s hands. This session explores how to build a delegation-friendly environment in academia– one in which trust to delegate is built, the importance of time management is prioritized, and leaders are empowered to make strategic decisions about where to put their time and effort. Participants will devise an individual plan identifying tasks that might be delegated, how to build a delegation pipeline in their environment, and ideas on where more impact can be created when delegation is done well.
Invited Session
The Care and Feeding of Mid-Career Faculty: Professional Development Across the Career Life Cycle
Lynne Texter, La Salle University and Summit Search Solutions
To build and sustain faculty currency, vitality, and engagement, leaders must find ways to support and encourage faculty at all career stages. While there are many formal and informal development opportunities for junior faculty, there is often less support for faculty at mid-career and beyond who may be exhausted, disillusioned, or unclear about how to continue their development. There is thus a need to commit to support ongoing professional development. This session will explore the challenges for mid- and late-career faculty; propose programs and activities for continued professional development; and share best practices for institutions, chairs, and faculty.
Advisory Board Session
The Evolution of Leadership: Managing Transitions in Higher Ed
David Bucci, North Carolina State University
In this session, attendees will explore the landscape of leadership transitions in higher education, covering perspectives from advancing faculty members to those shifting administrative roles within student or academic affairs, and even those moving from formal leadership to more subtle or unofficial positions. This discussion will address various challenges and opportunities, including personnel dynamics, working through policy challenges, and other shifts within the higher education landscape. Although experiences vary widely, formal training and knowledge sharing on managing these changes are often lacking. Through interactive dialogue, participants will discuss best practices, innovative strategies, and personal insights, gaining actionable solutions to enhance their leadership skills in a constantly evolving academic environment.
Advisory Board Session
Know Thyself: Building Self-Awareness for Leadership Growth
Stephanie Delaney, Renton Technical College
A lack of self-awareness is one of the most common reasons leaders struggle. This interactive session introduces four widely used leadership assessments that illuminate your strengths, blind spots, and growth opportunities. You’ll explore how each tool can support your development as a more emotionally intelligent and effective leader. By the end of the session, you’ll walk away with a personalized professional development plan and actionable next steps tailored to your leadership journey.
Advisory Board Session
Restorative Practices in Action: A Process-Oriented Approach to Conflict Mediation in Higher Education
Patricia Gagliardi and Craig Hlavac, Southern Connecticut State University
Leaders in higher education frequently report interpersonal conflict as a key factor contributing to inefficiencies and tension within departments and organizational units. While human resource personnel provide direction when policies are violated, most behaviors do not escalate to that level—but are nonetheless destructive. This session offers leaders valuable strategies for using restorative practices to address and resolve interpersonal conflicts while refocusing efforts on the mission and goals of the organization. Through active participation in activities and scenario-based learning, attendees will experience and apply foundational restorative practices and leave with resources to learn more.
Global Expertise, Local Barriers: Challenges of International Faculty in America
Katherine Robertson, University of Utah
The number of international faculty in American universities is increasing rapidly, and the advantages of hiring them are clear; however, they face a myriad of unique challenges that disadvantage them professionally, and many universities are failing to retain them at the same rate as domestic faculty. In this session, participants will gain a better understanding of their own cultural awareness as well as the unique challenges that impede the wellbeing and professional development of international faculty. Participants will identify strategies to better support the integration and professional success of international faculty at their institutions.
Invited Session
Doing DEI as a Senior Leader in a Time of Crisis
Nimisha Barton, California State University Long Beach
Against the nation-wide assault on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, many higher education institutions have begun to scale back their equity and inclusion initiatives. Drawing from her recent book, A Just Future: Getting from Diversity and Inclusion to Equity and Justice, Dr. Nimisha Barton will discuss the history of DEI in higher education and suggest a path forward in these tumultuous times. In particular, she will discuss how social justice advocates have weathered political crisis before, highlight effective institutional strategies, and provide recommendations for action that higher ed leaders can implement immediately.
Advisory Board Session
The Future of DEI in the Higher Education Workforce
Edna Chun, Columbia University
Based upon a forthcoming book by Edna Chun and Alvin Evans, this session highlights key developments in the ongoing controversy surrounding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in American higher education over the past two decades. The session discusses the impact of legal shifts and advocates for a recalibration of HR/diversity processes in organizational structures that transcend institutional silos and address new workforce realities. Amid current controversies, the session will share next-generation DEI strategies that reflect institutional mission, values, and goals, support student success, and offer the potential for attaining greater equality and inclusion within the higher education workplace.
A Journey Beyond Burnout: Neuroscience-Informed Pathways for Healing Moral Injury and Rekindling Courageous Academic Leadership
Mays Imad, Connecticut College
Over the past decade, and especially since 2020, senior academic leaders have faced a cascade of ethically charged pressures: pandemic triage, sudden budget austerity, roll‑backs of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, state‑level mandates censoring curricula, and rising political polarization that threatens academic freedom. These forces routinely compel deans, provosts, and presidents to implement or defend policies that conflict with their convictions about justice, campus wellbeing, and the public mission of higher education. While the resulting exhaustion is usually labeled “stress” or “burnout,” this session proposes that many leaders are grappling with moral injury: a deeper rupture characterized by shame, anger, guilt, diminished trust, and a loss of moral agency. In this session, attendees will first unpack moral injury through the lens of higher-education leadership, tracing how chronic ethical dissonance reshapes the brain’s threat-detection, social-cognition, and imagination networks. Building on this foundation, a neuroscience-grounded framework for restoring moral agency will be introduced—one that nurtures moral courage, moral imagination, and, ultimately, moral transcendence. Participants will then translate the model into action, co-designing both daily micro-practices and institution-level strategies they can begin implementing immediately on their own campuses.
Transforming Institutional Culture and Climate through Purposeful Values-Driven Leadership
Fatima Bailey, Sharjah Education Academy
Institutional culture and climate are foundational to faculty engagement, student success, and long-term organizational effectiveness. This session will equip higher education leaders with evidence-based strategies to transform, manage, and sustain a values-driven institutional culture. Grounded in research and real-world application, participants will engage in case studies and scenario-based discussions to tackle common challenges such as faculty resistance, communication gaps, and organizational misalignment. Attendees will leave with practical tools to embed core values into policies, decision-making, and everyday operations—fostering trust, collaboration, and strategic alignment across all institutional levels.
Empowering Cultural Change Through Inclusive Leadership Development
Jennifer Deranek, Indiana University South Bend
Creating a positive and inclusive institutional culture begins with recognizing the leadership potential and humanity of every team member. This session will explore the outcomes of a six-month leadership development program designed to foster a culture of support, purpose, identity, and joy among faculty and staff in a college of health sciences. Through practical activities and reflective strategies, attendees will learn how to elevate the strengths of their academic teams, particularly during times of institutional transition. The session will offer actionable takeaways to cultivate meaningful engagement, shared leadership, and cultural transformation that can be adapted across diverse campus settings.
From Awareness to Action: Creating an Inclusive and Supportive Climate in Higher Education
Lisa Tereshko and Mary Jane Weiss, Endicott College
A sense of belonging—marked by inclusion, respect, and shared purpose—has been shown to enhance academic achievement, engagement, and retention for students and increased job satisfaction, productivity, and collaboration for faculty and staff. To foster a sense of belonging for everyone in the university community, institutions must implement culturally responsive strategies that address systemic barriers and promote equity. This session will explore key assessments and initiatives aimed at improving institutional culture and climate through intentional policies, leadership engagement, and community-building efforts and provide participants with resources for enhancing the climate of their own setting.
Culture Club: Leading with Values to Rock Your Campus Vibe
Cathy McKay, Jason Cohen, Crystal Neumann, and Amber Daub, American College of Education
Institutional culture and climate are foundational to how colleges function, lead, and evolve—but understanding their distinct roles is essential for effective leadership. This session examines how university leaders can assess, manage, and intentionally shape culture and climate at both the departmental and college levels. Participants will explore how clearly defined and consistently reinforced institutional values guide acceptable behaviors across faculty, staff, students, and administrators. Drawing on evidence-based practices, the session offers actionable strategies to build inclusive, values-aligned environments that improve operational efficiency and strengthen resilience in the face of emerging challenges in higher education.
Reframing Faculty Engagement: Leadership Strategies for a Changing Academic Landscape
Russell Carpenter and Kevin Dvorak, Eastern Kentucky University
The past few years have been particularly turbulent for higher education – including post-pandemic return-to-work initiatives, diminished public trust in higher ed, the spread of campus protests, the introduction of generative AI, which challenges so much of the work we do, to name only a few – so it is no wonder that there has been an increased focus on faculty burnout (Pope-Ruark, 2022, 2023; Vyletel, 2023) and subsequently, ways to improve faculty engagement (Carpenter, et al., 2024; Kimmel, 2024). While initial post-pandemic reports concluded that faculty had become increasingly disengaged (McClure, 2022; Musgrave, 2022), more recent reports suggest that working conditions, especially those beyond the classroom, have not improved (Lu, 2025; McMurtrie, 2025). The goal of this session is to apply current research on faculty (dis-)engagement to help academic leaders at all levels better understand the complexities of faculty engagement and develop strategies for improving faculty engagement at their institutions.
Advisory Board Session
Upstream Approaches to Nurture a Healthy Workplace for Downstream Impact
Kathy Burlingame, Galen College of Nursing
Leaders are responsible for fostering a culture that focuses on the employees’ well-being, resilience, satisfaction, and success so that they can, in turn, teach, mentor, and coach students to be empowered change agents. The presentation aims to share strategies, critical factors, and resources needed to support work-life balance, resilience, and employee engagement for online, remote, and on-campus employees. Implementing best practices and biannually evaluating the team’s feedback and commitment to shared goals is essential. When the employees feel like they are in a healthy work environment, they have the energy, passion, and tools to impact students and other members of the team.
Advisory Board Session
Loneliness: An Epidemic in Higher Education
Robert Cipriano, ATLAS – Academic Training, Leadership & Assessment Services
Loneliness is a universal human emotion that is both complex and unique to everyone. It has no single and widespread cause. Therefore, the prevention and treatment of loneliness as a potentially damaging state of mind can vary dramatically from person to person. A sad reality of modern life is that loneliness is pervasive and on the rise. In fact, since 1985 the number of people in the US who indicated they have no close friends has tripled. Younger generations—college age students—are significantly more lonely than older generations. This session will provide the attendees with specific strategies to facilitate our students, as well as faculty members and administrators, to feel more connected and less isolated, while cultivating strong positive connections with people to bring meaning and well-being.
How AI Can Uncover Student Interests Without Bias
Hollis Robbins, University of Utah
As students are going to be increasingly comfortable and conversant with AI models, universities may be able to leverage this comfort to elicit and uncover intellectual interests in first-year students. We know human bias can limit opportunities. Can AI do better? Higher education leaders will leave with a clearer understanding of AI’s potential—and limitations—in fostering more inclusive, student-centered academic pathways.
The Quantified Impact of Proactive Outreach on Student Achievement
Catherine McBride and Cindy Solari, Colorado Technical University
Despite investments in robust curricula and student support systems, many institutions still struggle with student persistence and performance—often due to a lack of meaningful faculty-student engagement. This session presents findings from a study of over 3,000 online business course sections comparing reactive versus proactive faculty outreach strategies. The results reveal that early, personalized, and intentional communication significantly improves student persistence, reduces failure and withdrawal rates, and boosts academic achievement. Participants will explore the critical role of emotional connection in online learning, examine communication strategies that drive success, and learn how to apply data-driven insights to improve faculty development, instructional practices, and institutional policy.
Transforming Student Retention: Implementing the Unified Student Success Model
Edward Robinson, 3-I Innovation
Student retention remains a top priority for institutional leaders seeking to drive long-term success and equity in higher education. This session introduces the Unified Student Success Model (USSM), a strategic framework that integrates foundational retention theories into a cohesive, data-driven approach. Designed to support proactive and sustainable initiatives, USSM offers a clear structure by distinguishing between pillars, themes, objectives, goals, and strategies—making it easier for leaders to align student success efforts with institutional priorities. Through empirical analysis and real-world case studies, participants will gain actionable insights into implementing the USSM to improve student engagement, retention outcomes, and strategic planning across diverse campus environments.
Changing Student Outcomes Through Corporate Partnership
Tony Pittarese and Brian Bennett, East Tennessee State University
The BlueSky Tennessee Institute, a pioneering collaboration between East Tennessee State University and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, offers a transformative model for reimagining higher education through public-private partnership. This session will explore how the program’s 27-month accelerated degree, combined with hands-on workforce training, addresses workforce shortages, increases access for underserved students, and strengthens the alignment between academic and industry needs. With a focus on diversity, affordability, and real-world readiness, attendees will gain insights into the program’s high-impact design, including executive mentorship, debt-free education, and impressive retention outcomes. Leaders will walk away with practical strategies for building scalable, workforce-aligned programs that enhance student success and restore public trust in the value of higher education.
Adaptive and Self Reflexive Leadership for Student-Centered Success
Heather Moore Roberson, Allegheny College
Institutions of higher education thrive with compassionate, self-aware and self-reflexive leaders who continually assess how their personal and professional experiences equip them with the skills to successfully lead. In this session, attendees will explore key dimensions of their experiences—such as pain, grief and labor—to help better understand the challenges students face on and off campus. As today’s student population grows increasingly diverse, including more first-generation, adult, and nontraditional learners, higher ed leaders must cultivate greater empathy and adaptability. Participants will explore how to strike a balance between confidence and humility, become more resilient through personal challenges, and develop the self-awareness needed to lead with a strong moral compass in an evolving academic landscape.
The Call is Coming from Inside the House: How Grades Affect Learning and Jeopardize Student Wellbeing
Josh Eyler, University of Mississippi
Getting a good grade is supposed to be a marker of excellence, but research shows that grades diminish our intrinsic motivation and emphasize the outcome rather than the process that leads to what researchers refer to as deep learning. Grades also mirror and magnify many of the systemic inequities that are a part of higher education. Further still, rates of anxiety and depression have spiked dramatically, and academic stress tied to grades is a factor contributing to this escalation. In this talk, Eyler will offer a range of strategies we can try in order to be more equitable in our classrooms by mitigating the damaging effects of grades.
Leading through Crisis and Change: Building Resilient Campuses through Effective Communication
Lee Abraham, Columbia University
In the ever-evolving landscape of 21st-century higher education, where campus crises are increasingly common, effective communication is essential for fostering transparency, maintaining trust, and ensuring timely, coordinated, and effective responses. By engaging with real-world scenarios, attendees will examine how to engage with stakeholders and learn how communication can be coordinated and integrated across their institutions to provide consistent, proactive, and empathetic communication and feedback. This interactive workshop will also explore strategies for building resilience and advancing campus renewal in the aftermath of crises.
Building Your Plane As You Fly: A Dean’s First Year
Craig Leager and Amy Taylor, Indian Hills Community College
Stepping into a college leadership role presents both opportunity and complexity, especially for those new to the position. Anchored in the experiences of two newer college leaders, participants will explore research-based strategies to address key themes including: casting vision, identifying priorities, achieving early wins, navigating challenges, and investing in relationships. Participants will gain practical strategies for navigating the complexities of college leadership. This session is designed to fill critical gaps in early leadership preparation and provide a clear, confident path forward for new college leaders.
The Psychology of Leadership: Creating an Environment Where Faculty Thrive
Erin Martin, Lindenwood University
Navigating the complexities of academic leadership as a department chair demands more than just administrative skills; it requires creating a departmental environment that fosters trust, collaboration, inclusivity, transparency, resiliency, and creativity. In other words, it requires creating psychological safety. In this session, participants will learn about the importance of psychological safety and the role of emotional intelligence in fostering a psychologically safe environment.
Can’t We Just Get Along? Managing a Multigenerational Workforce in Higher Education
Marcine Pickron-Davis and Alicia Hahn, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Today’s workforce spans five generations—Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Baby Boomers, and Traditionalists—each bringing unique perspectives, values, and work styles. Millennials currently make up the largest share, followed by Gen X and Baby Boomers, while Gen Z is quickly emerging as the most racially, ethnically, and socially conscious generation. Expected to comprise 70% of the workforce by 2030, Gen Z is already the predominant group in medical school. These generational differences influence workplace culture, performance, and dynamics. As the workplace becomes more diverse, challenges exist in everyday communication, work styles and values, and performance. This session will help higher education leaders build the skills necessary to address these challenges and provide tools that they can use to positively impact workplace culture and performance.
You Were Swarded! Now What? A Toolkit for Effective Grants Management
Rhyan E. Romaine, Ellucian
Securing a grant is just the beginning—effective management is key to ensuring impact, compliance, and sustainability. This session offers higher education leaders a practical, compliance-first approach to managing the full lifecycle of grant-funded projects, from launch to closeout. Attendees will explore strategies for aligning grant initiatives with institutional goals, maintaining regulatory compliance, mitigating risk, and using performance metrics to drive success. Through real-world insights and a post-award toolkit, participants will gain the knowledge needed to steward grant resources responsibly, enhance institutional credibility, and position their campuses for continued funding and long-term success.
Bridging Generations: Mentorship Strategies for Senior and Emerging Higher Education Leaders
Andrew Smith, Post University, and Peter Madonia, Southern Connecticut State University
Leadership transitions are inevitable, yet the gap between senior leaders nearing retirement and emerging leaders stepping into key roles presents challenges. Generational differences, evolving workplace expectations, and the rise of virtual and hybrid environments demand new approaches to mentorship. This session will facilitate a conversation addressing approaches to support both senior and aspiring leaders with strategies to navigate these complexities. Participants will explore research-based best practices for fostering meaningful mentorship, leveraging technology, and ensuring leadership continuity in diverse institutional settings.
Advisory Board Session
Your First 90 Days as Chairperson: What You Need to Know to Start Strong
Craig Hlavac, Southern Connecticut State University
The academic department chairperson is perhaps the most influential–and demanding–roles in the contemporary university. Unfortunately, few institutions provide adequate preparation, and formal training is costly. This session is designed to support new chairs by outlining what they can expect in the first 90 days. Attendees will learn the roles, tasks, and conflicts typical of the position, followed by suggestions for clarifying expectations with colleagues and your dean. Practical strategies for building community within the department as well as addressing conflicts will also be explored.
Leadership and Transformation: Navigating Rapid Change in Higher Education
Reinhold Hill, Joan Poulsen, and Lori Montalbano, Indiana University Columbus
Change has become a near constant in US higher education, with institutions grappling with enrollment declines due to changing demographics and reduced funding from shifting political priorities. In this environment, positive leadership is essential for navigating successful organizational transformation. Leaders who articulate a clear vision, build change-ready cultures, and empower their teams are best positioned to guide their institutions forward. This panel explores strategies to create a culture of respect and collaboration, emphasizing people-driven change and community buy-in.
Leading with AI: Strategies for Chairs and Deans
Shannon Scott, Texas Woman’s University
Academic department chairs and deans face intense cognitive demands and complex decisions. This session demonstrates how AI can serve as a transformative leadership ally—streamlining tasks (from policy analysis to curriculum evaluation) and enhancing decision-making through advanced prompt engineering. Grounded in cognitive psychology (cognitive load, schema, mindset, bias) and positive psychology (values- and strengths-based leadership), attendees will learn practical strategies to integrate AI for decision support, recognize and counter biases, and deliver strengths-based feedback. Participants will leave with a toolkit of AI use cases and prompts to responsibly leverage AI in their leadership practice.
Using Data to Drive Continuous Improvement in Online Course Assessments
Cindy Solari and Catherine McBride, Colorado Technical University
Data-informed decision-making is essential for continuous improvement in online education. This session will explore how faculty and academic leaders can collect, analyze, and apply assessment data to enhance student learning outcomes, refine course design, and boost engagement. Participants will gain practical strategies for identifying learning gaps, aligning assessments with course objectives, and personalizing instruction to meet diverse student needs. Emphasizing evidence-based teaching and institutional alignment, the session will offer actionable tools that support ongoing instructional success and broader institutional goals such as retention, course effectiveness, and graduation rates—ensuring online education remains responsive, impactful, and student-centered.
Generative AI Policies and Practices in Higher Education
Maggie McDonnell, Concordia University
This session addresses the crucial need for proactive leadership in navigating the integration of generative AI in higher education. Faculty require guidance on ethically and effectively using AI tools in teaching, moving beyond simple bans towards flexible, best-practice policies (McDonald et al., 2025). Attendees will explore both the challenges and opportunities presented by AI, emphasizing the importance of addressing academic integrity, data privacy, equitable access, and ethical considerations (Michel-Villarreal et al., 2023; Williams, 2024). Drawing upon existing frameworks (Université de Sherbrooke, 2024), this session will facilitate discussion and collaborative policy development, equipping participants with practical strategies for responsible AI integration within their institutions.
The Role Experiential Learning in Faculty Leadership Development: Perspectives from Faculty Interns
Sara Zeigler, Russell Carpenter, Jill Campbell, Anne Cizmar, Matthew Howell, Shijin Kozhumal, & Lisa Middleton, Eastern Kentucky University
How can we create faculty leadership development that is impactful, practical, and immediately applicable? What program designs can support transferable leadership development? Experiential learning can serve as a powerful approach for faculty leadership development that moves beyond top-down or “sit and get” programming or dense theoretical books. An experiential learning design in faculty leadership development provides a hands-on approach where faculty learn by actively engaging in experiences and reflecting on those experiences—engaging with others and applying leadership skills gained in different contexts. It allows faculty to apply leadership principles in ways that are immediately relevant to their daily work. Academic administrators at all levels are in a position to support, mentor, and guide faculty as they prepare for various levels of responsibility within and across the institution. The Provost’s Faculty Internship Program at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) develops leadership skills at the university level among faculty, building significant capacity among faculty ranks. As a complement to the University’s Provost’s Leadership Institute, the program’s goal is to build skillful and nuanced leadership by supporting individual faculty development. Through this program, faculty participate in a range of mentoring and learning opportunities and collaborate with colleagues in the Office of the Provost and other academic and administrative offices across campus. This session focuses on strategies for designing experiential learning in faculty leadership development.
Advisory Board Session
Fostering Ethical AI Use in Collegiate Environments
Oliver Dreon, Millersville University
As artificial intelligence tools become more deeply integrated into higher education, institutions face urgent questions around ethical implementation, academic integrity, student privacy, and equitable access. This session explores how college and university leaders can proactively shape campus-wide approaches to AI that reflect institutional values and prioritize responsible use. Participants will examine emerging challenges such as generative AI in coursework and the ethical implications of AI-powered predictive analytics. Through case studies and collaborative discussion, attendees will gain insights into building inclusive frameworks that balance innovation with accountability.
Advisory Board Session
Leading with Courage & Wisdom: Impactful Tools for the Evolving Academic Landscape
Kathy Burlingame, Galen College of Nursing
Leadership in higher education is not for the faint of heart. Leadership requires courage, humility, and adaptability. Leading up, down, and across an organization is complex and requires a cadre of tools in one’s toolkit and wisdom to utilize the optimal approach at the right time. If you are interested in dialoging about best practices, fostering accountability, and leaving with new or revised strategies to equip you for the current academic environment, this is the session for you!