When it comes to higher education, it seems there is no shortage of discussion dedicated to the dynamics and landscape changes happening in the sector. Today, you will have an opportunity to hear from those who represent the highest level of leadership in academia-the university president and hear about their journey, the growing importance of philanthropy as the business model evolves, and advice on how we navigate towards our best future.

You’ve had a chance to learn about the anatomy of an ask now it’s time to put everything into practice. Through a series of role plays, we will explore in this session not only the sort of preparation required to ensure your meeting is fruitful and enjoyable, but also what a conversation during an actual visit might sound like.

This session will focus on cultivation and stewardship and the importance of developing rapport and an effective working relationship, understanding expectations and intent, executing a productive project management plan, and strategic communications with all stakeholders including the donors, university administration, advancement executives, and the broader university community.

For all the assets faculty bring to building relationships with alumni and supporters, it can take some time to discover shared goals with them in advancement work. For this workshop, we’ll look at some ways of illiciting shared interests and goals with faculty related to this work, and then spend some time applying that to your own domain toward new collaborations with them.

Enjoy this opportunity to hear directly from philanthropists about their motivation and commitment to supporting higher education. This conversation will explore their experiences as donors, their philosophies for their philanthropy, and will offer insights into how they engage with institutions and what contributes to their decision to give. The discussion will also explore what our panelists expect from the institutions they support and their motivation to invest so generously.

Campaigns are now ubiquitous in college and university fundraising. What used to be periodic efforts to increase funds raised for projects or buildings are now regular and sustained fundraising efforts that are more frequent, longer in duration, and pursue ever larger goals. We will review the basic planning framework of a campaign, review the stages of a campaign, and explore the dean's role within it. All the basics of a campaign will be covered. By the end, you will be able to differentiate between a capital and comprehensive campaigns and outline what role your institution expects of you.

As a dean, what metrics should you review to assess the health of your development program? While advancement programs have access to robust information systems it’s easy to get overwhelmed and lost in the data. Leaders need to focus on data that drives productivity. This session will help you think about using data to determine staffing, prioritize prospects, and allocate resources, as well as develop meaningful scorecards that lead to positive advancement outcomes.

Creating development strategy is critical to an effective fundraising effort, and is less daunting than you think. We will explore the fundamentals of how deans and development professionals can craft and execute a solid development strategy in a way that will transfer to any context.

Have any final burning questions? Select faculty leaders will recap some of their conference key takeaways and provide the opportunity to ask any specific questions attendees may have before heading back to their institutions.

Ethical issues are more top of mind than ever in development. Transparency, accountability, and the highest ethical standards of personal and institutional conduct are vital to our success. In this interactive session, we’ll review ethical issues related to our work in development and consider the tools and approaches we use to ensure we all remain on the highest ethical ground. We'll then wrap up the conference with an opportunity for final thoughts from the Faculty and recommended next steps as you go back to your institutions.