1:00-2:30 PM
Welcome, Introductions and Opening Key Session

The Cost of Missing Something

Data-driven decision making is a very popular buzz phrase, but there is such a thing as a bad decision made by data. Tricia Wang demystifies the pitfalls of big data and shares her thoughts on how integrating "thick data" can help us avoid bad decisions, and thrive in the unknown.

Tricia Wang, Co-Founder, Sudden Compass, and Global Tech Ethnographer

2:30-3:00
Marketplace Opens

3:00-4:00
Key Session

So You Want to Talk About Race: The Conversations We Aren't Having—But Need to Have— to Advance Our Institutions

Higher-education students and faculty are often on the vanguard of social movements, not least because college is often the first time people from different backgrounds are brought into contact in meaningful and sustained ways. As the United States reckons with the legacy of slavery and segregation and the ongoing reality of racial injustice, Europe grapples with ever-growing waves of immigration from Africa and the Middle East, people with cultures and religions vastly different from those of once homogenous European societies. In this context, it is important that higher education advancement leaders deepen their understanding of race, culture and inclusion and their capacity to engage in challenging conversations across human differences

Writer and activist Ijeoma Oluo, author of So You Want to Talk About Race, addresses a range of urgent, charged topics: the n word, intersectionality, eurocentrism, white privilege, microaggressions, and why we need to be able to discuss them.

Ijeoma Oluo, Writer, Speaker, Internet Yeller

4:00-4:30
Refreshment Break in the Marketplace

4:30-5:45 
Concurrent Sessions

• From Preservation to Aspiration: Reshaping the Future of a Small College
  In March 2015, the then administration of Sweet Briar College announced the school would close its doors in June. Within days of that announcement, alumnae from around the nation banded together and hired a legal team to stop the closure. At a time when it seems that many small colleges are at risk of closing or merging, Sweet Briar College is serving as an example for rescue and resilience to small liberal arts colleges around the country. This session details the true story of how Sweet Briar College was saved and is being sustained. Discuss the challenges of raising millions of dollars, and particularly $21M in three months with no donor records, no database, no prospect research, no 501(c)(3), and no guarantee of success. Learn about the rebranding and marketing campaign that is changing the narrative on Sweet Briar. The near tragedy created an opportunity for Sweet Briar to reposition itself as a women’s college for the 21st century. The messaging coalesces with the idea that modern women are multifaceted, and that Sweet Briar has been graduating women leaders all along. Damsel-in-distress be damned, this is FIERCE.
  Mary Pope Hutson, Vice President for Alumnae Relations and Development, Sweet Briar College; David King, President and CEO, Alexander Haas; Melissa Richards, Vice President for Communications and Enrollment Management, Sweet Briar College; and Sara Stern, Executive Vice President, Philanthropic Marketing, Lipman Hearne
• Leveraging Engagement Metrics to Inform Decision-making and Program Priorities
  Presented in partnership with the Council for Alumni Association Executives (CAAE)
  From debates about whether to score alumni engagement to developing a comprehensive framework for measuring engagement, alumni metrics is a hot topic. Join colleagues from the University of California, Los Angeles, as they present a case study highlighting their Alumni Impact Dashboard. Learn how to collect and measure what’s important, how to present data in a way that will support and advance your efforts and review strategies for deepening volunteer commitment to data collection and data sharing. Discover how to interpret the data and engagement metrics to inform strategy, programmatic priorities and decision-making across the unit and find out how this data can help advance stewardship and fundraising efforts. Review tangible examples and explore how this framework could be adapted to serve your institution.
  Julie Sina, Associate Vice Chancellor, Alumni Affairs; and Katrina Ward, Director, Strategic Outreach and Engagement, University of California, Los Angeles
• Moving from Data to Action: Using Research on Gender and Diversity to Grow Giving
  Worrisome trends are emerging in U.S. philanthropy. Although overall charitable giving is growing, the share of Americans who give is declining, and the incidence of giving is down in most every age group. This giving gap opened because of complex reasons, but one thing is clear: We are seeing fewer Americans give because we are applying the same approaches we’ve used since the 1960s to today’s very diverse donors. Diverse donors have diverse motivations for engaging and giving—whether the diversity involves race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender or other factors. What is the opportunity cost for not adapting our alumni engagement and fundraising to these differences? We lose support, funding and are part of widening the giving gap. This session looks at the research that was applied at William & Mary and Syracuse University to grow new engagement, dollars, donors and leaders from women and diverse communities. Learn how to shift your mindset about current advancement behaviors that may not resonate with today’s diverse donor communities and gain actionable steps for reimagining how you approach all donors.
  Angelique Grant, Senior Consultant and Certified Diversity Recruiter, Aspen Leadership Group; Matthew Lambert, Vice President for University Advancement, William & Mary; Kathleen Loehr, Senior Consultant, Aspen Leadership Group; and Rachel Vassel, Assistant Vice President, Office of Multicultural Advancement, Syracuse University
• Talent Trends that Require Attention from Advancement Leaders
  Two higher education consultants-turned-talent managers share their observations, experiences and outlook of the advancement industry and the for-profit and nonprofit trends and practices they are seeing in recruitment and retention, organizational health and performance. This presentation takes an industry-wide perspective on talent-forward leadership strategy that works and challenges assumptions we make as leaders in large, mission-driven organizations. Join the discussion and watch a lively debate on issues like recruitment tactics, the pros and cons of incentive pay, #MeToo, creating inclusive organizational cultures and growing the talent pipeline from the ground up.
  Tahsin Alam, Associate Vice President, Talent Management and Organizational Development, Rutgers University; and Chelsey Megli, Senior Director, Strategic Talent Engagement, University of Oregon
• The Future of Donor Stewardship: A Case for Digital Transformation
  Gone are the days of the sloppy hand-written thank you letters from your scholarship recipients. You no longer need to spend hours pulling student data to create individual donor reports that you then hand package and ship to your scholarship donors. The future is now, and it is digital. Discuss the power of technology to help you revolutionize your current donor stewardship process. Review examples of how institutions like yours have streamlined their stewardship process, saving time and energy across the board.
  Rachel Kimball, Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship, Southern Methodist University; and Kaela Mazzola, Senior Solution Marketing Manager, Blackbaud
• The Role of the University in a World Where Students Never Graduate
  Presented in partnership with the Council for Alumni Association Executives (CAAE)
  Completing a three-to four-year university degree will no longer mark the end of studying, as training and upgrading of skills become more important in a rapidly evolving economy. National University in Singapore has pledged to play a greater role in supporting the ongoing education of alumni by drawing up plans for each students’ career and learning path, for up to 20 years from the time he or she is admitted. Boston University has recognized the potential to both extend and add value to the connection the university has with its alumni through lifelong education and career advice. Through its “Creating a Next Education” Commission, Georgia Tech expressed a commitment to providing alumni with programs, products and services that are relevant throughout their lifetimes. These expressions of focus and commitment have always been a part of alumni engagement strategies; what is new is the academy’s broader recognition of the connection between the core mission of the university and the needs of both society and alumni. Explore this disruptive view of the role of university education extending beyond the conventional undergraduate or graduate degree framework.
  Rafael Bras, Provost and Executive Vice-President for Academic Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology; Chris Dellarocas, Associate Provost for Digital Learning and Innovation and Richard C. Shipley Professor in Management, Boston University; and Ho Tech Hua, Senior Deputy President and Provost, Tan Chin Tuan Centennial Professor, National University of Singapore
• Understanding the Changing Landscape and Costs of Advancement Technology
  You’re not alone in trying to decide what to do about your data and technology. Advancement as an industry is undergoing rapid change. Without an IT background, who do you trust and how do you chart a wise course through these ever-changing waters? Join a collaborative presentation between MIT and Yale advancement technology leadership that will give you a framework for how to think about data and technology as we enter the 2020s. You will walk away with a better understanding of:
  • Why the data and technology changes you make (or don’t make) today are critical to your future advancement effort,
  • What is most important in anchoring your decisions about technology investments,
  • How you can cut through vendor smoke screens and marketing speak to get real about the benefits of your investments,
  • Why databases are going the way of rolodexes, and what that means for your leadership and your team, and
  • Why “change management” is no longer a “nice to have” in an age of ever-increasing technology change.

Deborah Cunningham, Executive Director, Strategic Information Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and Michael Felberbaum, Director, Advancement Services, Yale University

5:45-6:45
Welcome Reception

6:45
Marketplace Closes for the Day
Conference Adjourns for the Day
Dinner on your own

7:45-8:45 AM
Breakfast in the Marketplace

8:45-10:00
Executive Education Sessions (repeat at 10:30 AM)

• Making Your Work (More) Meaningful
  80,000 hours. That’s decent estimate of the amount of time you’ll spend at work in your lifetime. Given the time we invest, most of us want work that is personally meaningful – that is, work that is engaging and worth doing. However, Gallup suggests that approximately 87 percent of workers are not engaged in the work that they do. In this session you’ll learn of the two biggest barriers to meaningful work, and how to overcome them. You’ll also come to understand the 6 major pathways to meaningful work, which path(s) you prefer, as well as how to use this information to better motivate yourself -- as well as your team -- by making work more meaningful. 
  Michael Pratt, O’Connor Family Professor, Management & Organization Development, Carroll School of Management, Boston College
• Addressing Historical Injustices at Modern Universities
  When the present-day values of an institution don’t align with the actions of the past, what are the best actions to take to acknowledge, repair and respect injured parties and heal our communities? Melissa Nobles’ research and teaching have focused on the comparative study of racial and ethnic politics and issues of retrospective justice. Drawing from this background and her book, The Politics of Official Apologies, she will help participants to understand how to learn about historical injustices and how to think about appropriate responses for today.
  Melissa Nobles, Kenan Sahin Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, & Professor of Political Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Decision Aids to Improve and Reduce Bias in Personnel Decisions
  Even well-intentioned experts are susceptible to many cognitive and social biases that subtly influence their decisions. Discover what decisions we make well, how bias seeps into our decisions, and learn how to use simple tools that improve many complex decisions made in our professional and personal life, from whom to hire and promote to which home to choose.
  Carey Morewedge, Professor, Questrom School of Business, Boston University. 
• Solving for Blind Spots: Explaining Unintentional, Unethical Behavior
  For every uplifting and inspiring story about higher education in the headlines, there is a balance of stories that leave the public feeling disheartened and mistrustful. At the heart of those stories you’ll often find peers who engaged in unethical behavior causes by motivational blindness. They’ve let their “want” self act where a “should” self would have made a decision in line with their moral compass. Max Bazerman, author of Blind Spots: Why We Fail to Do What’s Right and What to Do About It explores these concepts and discusses how they can impact personal and institutional ethics.
  Max H. Bazerman, Jesse Isidor Straus Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School

10:00-10:30
Refreshment Break in the Marketplace

10:30-11:45
Executive Educations Sessions Repeated

• Making Your Work (More) Meaningful
  80,000 hours. That’s decent estimate of the amount of time you’ll spend at work in your lifetime. Given the time we invest, most of us want work that is personally meaningful – that is, work that is engaging and worth doing. However, Gallup suggests that approximately 87% of workers are not engaged in the work that they do. In this session you’ll learn of the two biggest barriers to meaningful work, and how to overcome them. You’ll also come to understand the 6 major pathways to meaningful work, which path(s) you prefer, as well as how to use this information to better motivate yourself -- as well as your team -- by making work more meaningful. 
  Michael Pratt, O’Connor Family Professor, Management & Organization Development, Carroll School of Management, Boston College
• Addressing Historical Injustices at Modern Universities
  When the values of an institution don’t align with the its actions in the past, what are the best actions to take to acknowledge, repair and respect injured parties and heal our communities? Melissa Nobles’ research and teaching have focused on the comparative study of racial and ethnic politics and issues of retrospective justice. Drawing from this background and her work presented in The Politics of Official Apologies, she will help participants understand a way forward.
  Melissa Nobles, Kenan Sahin Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, & Professor of Political Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Decision Aids to Improve and Reduce Bias in Personnel Decisions
  Even well-intentioned experts are susceptible to many cognitive and social biases that subtly influence their decisions. Discover what decisions we make well, how bias seeps into our decisions, and learn how to use simple tools that improve many complex decisions made in our professional and personal life, from whom to hire and promote to which home to choose.
  Carey Morewedge, Professor, Questrom School of Business, Boston University. 

Noon-2:00 PM
Awards Luncheon and Annual Membership Meeting

2:00-2:30
Dessert Reception in the Marketplace

2:30-3:45
Concurrent Sessions

• Advancement and the #MeToo Movement
  With the current #MeToo and Time’s Up movements in the spotlight, advancement leadership has been reminded of the difficult situations our team members encounter when interacting with alumni, volunteers and donors. Caltech’s Development and Institute Relations Department has taken steps to proactively address these situations by providing education and support for staff through group trainings, role playing activities and onboarding sessions. There are many ways we can help keep our staff and ourselves safe when working with external constituencies. Join a rich discussion around this sensitive topic and explore avenues that can help keep advancement professionals safe and successful.
  Christy Cates, Executive Director of Advancement Services, California Institute of Technology
• Back Door? Examining the Relationship Between Admissions and Advancement
  While advancement professionals were not involved in the illegal scheme to cheat admissions at colleges and universities uncovered by “Operation Varsity Blues,” reporters and others covering the scandal have questioned the role of philanthropy and legacy in the admissions process. On Capitol Hill, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) has announced his intention to introduce legislation that would eliminate the charitable deduction for certain gifts to colleges and universities, labeling advancement and the admissions scandal as part of “the same corrupt system.” How can CASE and higher education institutions address the concerns raised about the relationship between advancement and admissions? How can we ensure that lawmakers, the media and the public understand the vital role that philanthropy and alumni engagement play at colleges and universities? A panel of leaders representing admissions and advancement tackle these, and other questions related to the scandal.
  Brian Flahaven, Senior Director for Advocacy, Council for Advancement and Support of Education
• It's the Job: How We've Failed Our Graduates and Why We're Paying Now
  Students tend to fully immerse themselves in the universe of their institutions. The mistake we make in advancement is assuming we are still their universe after graduation. We must remember that we are but one piece of the multifaceted, exciting, dynamic lives our alumni lead. How then, can we be relevant and hold a share of their affinity and attention in a market (and a world) that fiercely competes for it? Studies confirm that the primary reason students attend college is the expectation of being better prepared, more connected and better positioned for their careers. If we do not focus our attention and hold ourselves accountable to students’ long-term success and professional mobility, we will not deliver on our value proposition, and we will continue to foster suspicion and apathy among our alumni. Find out how the University of Denver has committed to the success and achievement of its students and alumni by integrating career services with advancement, driving sustainable success through unprecedented student and alumni engagement levels.
  Armin Afsahi, Vice Chancellor for Advancement; and Brandon Buzbee, Associate Vice Chancellor, Advancement, University of Denver
• Managing Reputation in an Age of Disruption and Distraction
  An institution’s reputation is its most critical asset, affecting prospective student interest and student retention, alumni engagement and philanthropic success. In an age when a rumor can circumnavigate the globe in a millisecond, and when six in 10 Americans read no more than headlines, building and protecting institutional reputation takes strategy and vigilance. It requires disciplined attention to communications, market trends, financial responsibility, student and employee satisfaction and much more. Learn how to maximize the reputation-enhancing effects of positive events and recover from negative ones, with focus on the role of campus governance, leadership and culture.
  Laurie Fenlason, Vice President for Public Affairs and Strategic Initiatives, Smith College; Leslie Gaines-Ross, Chief Reputation Strategist, Weber Shandwick; and Maggy Ralbovsky, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, RW Jones Agency
• Not Just the Big Dogs: Building Best Practices at any College or University
  Explore how university and advancement leaders from the University of Dayton and Furman University are taking best-practice concepts in fundraising and making them successful at their universities. Review effective approaches to assessing an institution’s advancement capabilities, working with academic leaders who are new to fundraising, building a culture of philanthropy, increasing the engagement of alumni and friends, and generating a shared vision for the future, among other topics.
  Elizabeth Davis, President, Furman University; Suzanne Hilser-Wiles, President, Grenzebach Glier and Associates; Jennifer Howe, Vice President of University Advancement, University of Dayton; Heidi McCrory, Vice President for Development, Furman University; and Eric Spina, President, University of Dayton
• Transforming Millennial Giving
  Millennial alumni represent nearly half of our potential donors, but they are giving at less than half the rate of older alumni. Young people give differently, and to causes they see as more exciting. In 2018, we surveyed more than 10,000 millennial grads of five top-ranked institutions, and investigated the giving, volunteering and behavioral data of these alumni. Our research included cause preferences for donors and non-donors, how young alumni like to receive information, and how alumni satisfaction and connection to the institution impact giving. We explored the impact of social proofing through peers, advocacy and the synergy with cause-related giving like social justice, politics and healthcare. Learn about what we discovered, and the next generation of strategy currently being tested for millennial alumni giving engagement.
  Brian Gawor, Vice President, Ruffalo Noel Levitz; Jason Patenaude, Executive Director and COO, Schuler Scholar Program; and Sophia Shaw, Cofounder and Managing Partner, Acorn Advisors
• Using Data to Drive Engagement and Giving Strategies Across the Alumni Lifecycle
  Presented in partnership with the Council for Alumni Association Executives (CAAE)
  The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association has been considering two questions: What is the most meaningful way to engage recent graduates that leverages their high affinity and builds a sense of alumni community? What is the most effective approach to solicit recent graduates for annual giving—if there is one? Their pursuit of the answers has led them on a path with much broader implications and an emerging alumni lifecycle model to apply across their advancement enterprise. Using cluster analysis within the alumni affinity survey and the alumni/donor database, they found six unique age segments based on alumni behavior. Applying life-stage development theory to these data findings suggest new and differentiated approaches to engagement and giving across the alumni lifecycle. Find out how they are using data to prioritize engagement activity and inform solicitation strategies for recent grads and all age segments.
  Jim Kennedy, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association; and Sarah Schutt, Chief Alumni Officer, Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association and Executive Director, WAA, University of Wisconsin-Madison

3:45-4:00
Refreshment Break in the Marketplace

4:00-5:15
Key Session

Engines of Social Mobility: How Education Does—and Doesn't—Transform Communities

According to the Brookings Institution, relative social mobility—or moving from the bottom to the top income quintile—is lower in the United States than in other nations. And while most children born in 1940 were more prosperous than their parents at the same age, the same is not holding true for those born in 1980. A group of researchers from Stanford, Brown, and UC Berkeley have used big data to show how college education levels the playing field, which can have outsize benefits for the poorest Americans. This panel discussion includes a presentation of data from the Equality of Opportunity Project (now Opportunity Insights, based at Harvard) and a lively discussion of how postsecondary institutions can harness the findings to improve access, mitigate inequality and create a stronger economy.

Speaker: Raj Chetty, William A. Ackman Professor of Public Economics, Harvard University
Moderator: David Leonhardt, Columnist, The New York Times
Panelists: Nancy Cantor, Chancellor, Rutgers University Newark; Raj Chetty, William A. Ackman Professor of Public Economics, Harvard University; and Kim Wilcox, Chancellor, University of California, Riverside

5:15-6:15
Reception in the Marketplace

6:15
Marketplace Closes for the Day
Conference Adjourns for the Day
Dinner on your own

7:30-8:30 AM
Breakfast in the Marketplace

8:30-9:30
Key Session

Addressing the Public Perception of Higher Education: A Leadership Conversation

Higher education’s sometimes-negative public perception requires us to consider how we might lead differently and respond to criticism with greater transparency.  The international leadership panel of presidents, moderated by CASE President and CEO Sue Cunningham, will discuss how to improve the public’s understanding of the vital role our institutions play as vehicles for transforming lives and society. The panel will focus on the role senior leaders play in this conversation, and will explore effective methods to improve both how we communicate about what we do, and what we might do differently in response to the public’s genuine concerns. On a more personal note, we hope panelists will share what inspires their leadership and what resources they seek when leading during challenging times.

Moderator: Sue Cunningham, President & CEO, CASE,
Panelists: Robert A. Brown, President, Boston University; Fernando León-García, President, CETYS University System; and Carolyn Stefanco, President, The College of Saint Rose

9:30-10:00
Refreshment Break in the Marketplace

10:00-11:00
Closing Key Session

A Quiet Revolution: Changing How We Work, Lead and Innovate

Did you know that many of the most effective business and political leaders possess traits typically associated with introverts (e.g., “soft-spoken,” “quiet,” “thoughtful”) Did you know that some of our most creative and innovative moments come during times of solitary introspection, as opposed to in group or team settings?   As todays leaders are all too aware, one of the central challenges of any business is to bring out the best in its employees—employees of vast and varied personality types and abilities.  This is true regardless of institution—military, government, private or public.  Drawing on years of research and the latest in neuroscience and psychology, Susan Cain—best-selling author, Co-Founder of Quiet Revolution, and renowned expert in leadership and innovation—delivers an enlightening, relatable and practical presentation that will radically change your view of the best way to develop leaders, manage teams, make smart hires and stimulate innovation.

Susan Cain, Author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

11:00
Summit Adjourns

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