09 Jun2022
By Matthew Wales
Time is running out to join your colleagues at AACTE’s 2022 Leadership Academy! Whether just beginning your career in academic leadership, or a seasoned and experienced leader with years of experience, this reimagined Academy provides professional development that is essential and applicable to everyone. And at a registration price point lower than at any time in the last 10 years, there’s no better way to gain essential training while being mindful of your budget as well.
As the education climate continues to evolve, leaders today find themselves navigating a number of hot topics. At this year’s Leadership Academy, attendees will have an opportunity to explore these pressing items. Whether reviewing case studies that are “ripped from the headlines,” or interacting in roundtables to brainstorm solutions to problems of practice, participants are sure to walk away from this Academy with action items to implement upon returning to their institutions.
07 Jun2022
By Matthew Wales
Today, representatives from several AACTE member institutions, along with AACTE staff, representatives from both the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP), and colleagues from the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE), committed to leveraging their resources to support the adoption of the EPP Digital Equity and Transformation Pledge.
In a signing ceremony at the U.S. Department of Education with Deputy Secretary Cindy Marten, the following AACTE members, on behalf of their respective institutions, committed their educator preparation programs to expanding and scaling digital equity and transformation in learning:
07 Jun2022
By Matthew Wales
As we prepare for AACTE’s upcoming 75th anniversary in 2023, this is an early reminder that membership expires at the end of 2022. To thank you for your continued backing during this historic time, dues rates for 2023 membership will remain at 2022 levels for you, our valued and loyal members. You may renew your institution’s membership in one of the following ways:
26 May2022
By Matthew Wales
In this climate of ever-increasing polarization, where a recent study suggests that one third of the population cannot understand or empathize with differing points of view, the pressure on academic leaders to mitigate conflict is greater than ever. Add in the varying backgrounds of faculty and staff, as well as different work styles and remote environments, and you have the potential for a tense and anxious work environment. As a result, today’s academic leaders find themselves challenged to improve and advance their programs and institutions amidst an increasingly contentious climate.
At the same time, academic leaders find themselves navigating the media spotlight thrust upon their programs due to the politicization of education. Whether it’s national reporting, local coverage, or the various social media platforms, a picture of education and teacher preparation is being painted, with or without the perspective and insight of our educator preparation programs.
18 May2022
By Matthew Wales
Earlier last month, AACTE announced that its signature, Leadership Academy convening would be returning in 2022 with a new, in-person format. The reimagined programming allows academic leaders to customize their learning experience while minimizing time spent out of the office. And at a reduced price point, attendees can participate in essential professional development while saving money on registration and hotel costs.
But why should new and seasoned leaders attend the Academy? Here’s what a few of this year’s confirmed registrants had to say regarding their decision to attend in 2022, and what they hope to gain from the experience:
12 May2022
By Matthew Wales
Over the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the pace of change, and the time to respond to those changes, has seemingly accelerated. Today’s leaders are tasked with making informed decisions to solve new problems, but often with minimal information and without an opportunity for collaborative input. As a result, successful leaders are relying upon detailed, strategic plans as guides to ensure their decisions are in alignment with the goals and priorities of their institution and their constituents.
One benefit of strategic planning is that it creates a single, forward-focused vision. As a part of its strategic plan, AACTE aligns its ongoing commitment to high-quality educator preparation with its commitment to leveraging opportunities to address the future challenges that come from an ever-changing educational landscape. To that end, AACTE is working with deans, program chairs, and other academic leaders to ensure their strategic planning processes are forward-thinking and revolutionary, while also representative of the diverse, equitable, and inclusive learning environments AACTE and its members want to create. To provide this support, AACTE is proud to offer the following session content in both the dean and chair strands of the 2022 Leadership Academy:
04 May2022
By Matthew Wales
In today’s world, diversity, equity, and inclusion can sometimes feel like simply buzzwords. They are trendy to say, and deemed important to acknowledge strategically, but are the actions taken by academic leaders truly enhancing diversity amongst our faculty and candidates? Is there a collective, shared sense of what equitable practices look like? And most importantly, are the decisions of leaders today creating and cultivating spaces that are inclusive to all?
As a part of its strategic plan, AACTE and its members are committed to increasing the diversity of their faculty and the students they prepare, so that educators more accurately reflect the diversity within PK-12 schools. As such, AACTE firmly believes in the need to continually assist deans, program chairs, and other academic leaders in navigating and managing the ever-changing landscape of diversity, equity, and inclusion within educator preparation. To that end, AACTE is proud to provide session content in both the dean and chair strands of the Leadership Academy that will address the following key questions:
- Why is it important to foster and promote diversity, and develop inclusive environments?
- What cultural implications do I need to attend to in the areas of teaching, research, and service?
- What specific actions are necessary to address the cultural implications in the areas of teaching, research, and service?
Working within job-alike cohorts, attendees will engage in several activities designed to “disrupt” the normal thinking around diversity, equity, and inclusion. Participants will define their own characteristics of what makes an equitable environment, and then with outside collaboration from peers, dig deeper to see just what gaps may need to be filled to create more inclusive practices and spaces. In the end, attendees will leave the session with an action list of practices to implement, which can be customized for their institution.
Don’t miss your chance to participate in this engaging and interactive look at diversity, equity, and inclusion in academic leadership. Join us June 26-30, 2022, at the Renaissance International Plaza Hotel in Tampa, FL, where you can choose from one of three track options
- New Chairs and Academic Leaders – June 26-28
- New and Seasoned Deans – June 28-30
- Full Conference (All Sessions) – June 26-30
Be sure to check out the schedule of content to be offered this year and reserve your spot today for AACTE’s new and improved Leadership Academy experience.
18 Apr2022
By Matthew Wales
During AACTE’s 2022 Annual Meeting last month in New Orleans, deans from across the country participated in a listening session with President and CEO Lynn M. Gangone. As has become tradition, this session provides academic leaders a platform to discuss the value of AACTE membership, as well as reflect upon how the association can best serve both their individual and institutional needs over the next year. Some of the opportunities expressed during this session included the following:
- Expanding access to virtual/online trainings that target various levels of academic faculty
- Providing guidance and assistance in developing a career trajectory as an academic leader
- Offering practices and exemplars for collaborating effectively with legislators
- Demonstrating how current data can be used to inform programmatic decisions
- Aligning advocacy at the national level with state affiliate initiatives
- Utilizing technological platforms to expand and improve programmatic offerings
05 Apr2022
By Matthew Wales
What’s new at AACTE’s 2022 Leadership Academy? In response to requests for tailored programming, AACTE will offer its high-quality leadership training in two distinct program sessions—one for new chairs and academic leaders, the other for new and seasoned deans.
With a focus on advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, both sessions explore critical components of academic leadership. Attendees will understand the complex roles and functions of their positions while building key leadership skills and forging networks with other professionals in similar leadership roles.
24 Jan2022
By Matthew Wales
In just over a month, AACTE’s 74th Annual Meeting, Rethink, Reshape, Reimagine, Revolutionize: Growing the Profession Post Pandemic, will commence March 4-6, 2022, in New Orleans, LA. As conference preparations continue, know that the AACTE team remains committed to providing an enriching and engaging educational experience in an environment that promotes health and safety and follows the local COVID-19 guidelines and recommendations.
As of January 25, 2022, the city of New Orleans remains in Phase Three of their COVID-19 recovery plan. However, new regulations have been added to combat the spread of the Omicron variant. As a result, the following guidelines are currently in effect within the city:
10 Jan2022
By Matthew Wales
It’s not too late to be a part of the action during AACTE’s virtual Leadership Academy. Start your new year off by planning for the future during the Academy’s third session on January 25, 2022.
During the session, entitled Reimagining the Future: A New Vision for Academic Leaders, a panel of innovators and thought leaders will energize your thinking about the future of higher education. Presenters will address multiple themes, including 1) diversity, equity, and inclusion; 2) rethinking leadership; 3) re-envisioning student access and success; and 4) reimagining the nature of the work. The session is designed to stimulate and provoke discussions through collective discoveries and interactive discussions, in an effort to shape a new vision for academic leaders.
03 Jan2022
By Matthew Wales
AACTE cannot wait to welcome you to its 74th Annual Meeting, Rethink, Reshape, Reimagine, Revolutionize: Growing the Profession Post Pandemic, March 4-6, 2022 in New Orleans, LA. As we prepare to welcome you to the “The Big Easy,” the AACTE team is committed to providing an enriching and engaging experience that promotes health and safety and follows the local COVID-19 guidelines and recommendations.
15 Nov2021
By Matthew Wales
In the second session of AACTE’s 2021 virtual Leadership Academy Series, attendees explored the benefits of When Thinking Wrong is Right: Purposeful Disruption of the Status Quo. Facilitated by Kandi Hill-Clarke, dean of the College of Education at the University of Memphis, and Patty Alvarez McHatton, senior vice president at Branch Alliance for Educator Diversity, participants engaged in a number of activities inspired by the book Think Wrong: How to Conquer the Status Quo and Do Work That Matters.
During the first part of the session, facilitators engaged in a review of the six practices that enable disruptive, yet productive and forward-thinking, work. These practices include 1) be bold, 2) get out, 3) let go, 4) make stuff, 5) bet small, and 6) move fast. Attendees were then challenged to reflect upon how thinking wrong is needed, both within colleges of education and the education field overall, and to consider how these six principles could be used to create deflection points that would enable a shift from how things are to how things might be in the future.
26 Jul2021
By Matthew Wales
Military personnel, airline pilot, newscaster, public relations executive, and event planning professional. What do these careers all have in common? The answer: In 2020 (prior to the start of the pandemic), these professions all ranked among the ten most stressful jobs in the world, according to an annual report. For those who plan large events, the pressure and challenges of preparing for as many possible scenarios, outcomes and situations imaginable is a daunting feat. Add a global pandemic and increased demand for previously underutilized and unfamiliar virtual technology, and that stress score only increased in 2021. However, as we begin to gather in-person again for conferences and events, how will the experience, and the planning, be different for AACTE’s 2022 Annual Meeting?
05 May2021
By Matthew Wales
Connect360 is the place for you to tap into the knowledge of the AACTE community anytime, from anywhere. Watch the video to learn more about AACTE Connect360 and visit aacteconnect360.org to get involved. For the latest in what’s happening with AACTE’s new online community, follow us at #AACTE360.
