Day 1, Thursday, April 19

11:00 AM-NOON
Registration

NOON-1:00 PM
Lunch
Welcome and Introductions

1:00-1:45
Learning to Love the Politics
Universities are just like small cities: We must examine the myriad of factors that shape how decisions are made, how leaders become entrenched, how competition gets nasty, how insecure attitudes get formed, ways faculty-types succeed and thrive, and how you can develop a winning game plan.

2:00-2:45
Five Things Politically Smart People Do…and Three You Should Never Do
Politically savvy higher education leaders pay close attention to a handful of very important things, and know never to do others. These are the things your mentor (or the mentor you wish you had) probably taught you. This session is a refresher on the do’s and don’ts. How many of them are you paying attention to?

2:45-3:30
Advancement Officers as Change Agents
The higher education landscape is shifting and the advancement professional is often at the epicenter of this change. A flatter world, an uncertain economy and increasing competition for charitable gifts bring demands for relevancy, efficiency and return on investment. Higher education is under the microscope and under the gun. Advancement professionals are change agents. We confront internal politics as we seek to move an institution in a new, different or more compelling direction through our daily work.  We are responsible to secure the funding that allows strategic plans to be implemented and leadership agendas to be realized. At times, our institutional colleagues and the stakeholders we rely upon for help do not embrace change. The session will be an open discussion of the political landscape in which we function. Explore why we sometimes deal with odd comments, reactions and even stone-walling as we simply try to do our jobs. Strategies for combating resistance will be suggested and gathered from participants.

3:45-4:30
Identifying the Issues that Concern You
In these roundtable discussions, you and the participants at your table will identify and discuss the urgent political issues, barriers to progress, difficult people and potential crises you are facing or problems you see happening around you.

4:30-5:00
Report Back: Wrapping-Up the Day
Participants from each roundtable will report on their top political problems and concerns, and the faculty will offer feedback.

5:00-6:00
Networking Reception

6:00
Institute Adjourns for Day
Dinner on your own

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Day 2, Friday, April 20

8:30-9:15 AM
Continental Breakfast

9:15-10:00
Solutions for the Issues Concerning You
We begin the day with the faculty reviewing the top problems and concerns voiced at the conclusion of day one and offering ideas and solutions for dealing with each one.

10:15-11:00
Essential Survival Tools
There are typical problems that can be addressed by employing fairly standard tactics, and we will review those basic survival tactics. There are also difficult, complex people who somehow got into influential positions. Review some tried-and-true strategies for effectively working with those who are a bit more challenging.

11:00 AM-NOON
A University President’s Perspective
Presidents see political issues from inside and outside. Inside, they deal with faculty, deans, professional staff and us. Every kind of issue imaginable comes to their desk. Outside are trustees, donors, alumni and the rest of the world. We will hear one president’s perspective on these and other issues, and then everyone is invited to participate in a general discussion.    

NOON-1:00 PM
Lunch

1:00–1:30
Roundtable Discussion: Solutions to Take Away
One final discussion with the group at your table. This time, the focus will be on solutions for the most pressing problems participants will face back on campus.

1:30-3:00
Report Back: Wrapping-Up the Institute
Each table will report the results of their discussion and faculty will respond with final suggestions.

3:00
Institute Adjourns