Interact With Avatars, Develop Strategic Plans at AACTE Academy
In just a few weeks, new and aspiring academic leaders from across the country will gather in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for AACTE’s annual Leadership Academy. This popular professional development experience provides attendees the opportunity to advance their leadership skills while exploring a wide range of topics including garnering and allocating resources, promoting your unit and program, and managing your personal and professional time.
Even if you have attended AACTE’s Leadership Academy in the past, you might want to consider returning this year, June 24-28, as the program has implemented new, interactive content that will continue to develop your critical skills. (View the full schedule here.)
In 2017, Academy faculty reimagined the content and delivery of the already-popular “Managing Conflict” sessions by incorporating avatars into the program. Given a series of contentious scenarios likely to be faced by administrators in academic leadership, groups of job-alike attendees work together to create responses. Their conflict-response plans are put to the test in simulated encounters, as volunteers from each group meet with avatars such as “George” and “Stacey,” who challenge attendees on topics ranging from tenure-track discussions to issues of academic integrity.
“I really enjoyed the simulations we participated in,” said one attendee from the 2017 Leadership Academy about the new avatar experience. “They provided an opportunity to plan, take notes, and reflect upon how I would handle these situations.”
New in 2018, the Leadership Academy has added a session designed to focus on the question of “How do I lead my unit strategically?” Participants will engage in activities designed to discover their top priorities as a leader as well as begin planning how they will accomplish them using their unit infrastructure and the skill sets of their faculty and team members.
“A key component of leadership is developing a strategic vision,” said Academy faculty member John Henning. “This session will help you develop a vision for leading your unit by guiding you step by step from goal setting to strategic planning.”
“As a new academic administrator and leader, you will want to take time to listen, observe, and learn,” added Academy faculty member Kandi Hill-Clarke. “Doing so will assist you with identifying strengths as well as areas for growth and opportunity. This session provides new and emerging college of education administrators just-in-time reflective tasks focused on moving effectively through the strategic planning and implementation process.”
You, too, can participate in this revised and reimagined Academy experience by joining us June 24-28 in Milwaukee. But hurry, as the registration deadline of June 1 is fast approaching, and space is limited! Visit aacte.org for details and to register.
Tags: events, Leadership Academy, membership, technology
