Plenary Sessions
The Leadership in Higher Education Conference will present two plenary sessions and an advisory board panel discussion. Hear from innovative professionals with engaging thoughts on trends and opportunities in higher education today.
Resilience and Vitality in Today’s
Higher Ed Context
By Rebecca Pope-Ruark, Director, Georgia Institute of Technology
The world of higher education has changed dramatically since 2020, with pandemic, social and political unrest, and ongoing trauma part of our daily context. Many faculty and academic leaders were on the edge of burnout before 2020, and the coping skills of the strongest among us have been tested since. How do we thrive in our current climate? Or better yet, how do we reclaim our academic context as a place where thriving, vitality, and excellence are not only manageable but joyful? In this keynote, we’ll explore the roles of resilience and vitality in faculty and academic leadership careers and identify ways institutions of higher education can come together to effect change that enhances well-being and satisfaction on our campuses.
Know your presenter:
Rebecca Pope-Ruark, PhD is the director of the Office of Faculty Professional Development at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Ga. An experienced educator, facilitator, and coach, she is the author of two books: Unraveling Faculty Burnout: Pathways to Reckoning and Renewal (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2022) and Agile Faculty: Practical Strategies for Managing Research, Service, and Teaching (University of Chicago Press, 2017). She is also the host of the Agile Academic, a podcast for women in higher education.
Creating Durable Change: A Guide for
Higher-Education Leaders
By Stephanie Delaney, Renton Technical College
Throughout the conference, you’ll have gathered wonderful and actionable ideas for incorporating change at your institution. In this hands-on plenary presentation, you’ll learn how to make the time to do the things you learned as well as all the work necessary to create durable change while still keeping up with the day to day.
Know your presenter:
Stephanie Delaney, PhD is the vice president of instruction at Renton Technical College. She is also a certified change manager and productivity executive coach focused on supporting equity work. Delaney has a strong background in Guided Pathways and eLearning and she has spoken nationally on issues related to leadership, productivity, technology, and effective online teaching and learning. She earned her PhD in educational leadership in higher education/distance education at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. She also holds a law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law and a master’s degree in environmental law from Vermont Law School. She earned her BS at Georgetown University.