2017 Leadership Institute

Leadership Institute for Scaling & Sustaining Institutional Change:
Advancing Campus Projects in STEM Education

August 2–4, 2017
Portland, OR

We are no longer accepting applications

Institute Description

The ASCN Leadership Institute is designed to support campus change agents in using institutional change strategies to advance STEM change projects to greater scale and sustainability. Campus teams will bring existing projects, envisioned or started, that they need help bringing to scale or longer-term sustainability. Campus teams may be struggling with leadership turnover, lack of resources or infrastructure, team dynamics, shifting project goals and priorities, or other challenges. Institute participants will learn about the national context and drivers for change, theories and frameworks of change and the logistics of managing change projects to advance them to scale and sustainability. Institute participants will be mentored throughout the year by STEM leaders, researchers, and change agents who have experience with reform projects.

Who Should Attend

  • Members from institutional teams who have initiated a STEM change project that go beyond a single course and focuses on program, department, college or university-wide reform but have hit a plateau, feel the need to rethink project elements, or are looking for more guidance for next steps.
    • Institute teams should consist of 2-5 people who are involved in the project as key personnel and/or leaders in the project.
  • STEM change projects should target outcomes that make significant changes toward improving student learning, experiences and success. Change projects focused on these outcomes are central to improving retention, graduation, and closing the achievement gap for underserved populations, such as underrepresented minority (URM) or first-generation students.

Institute Dates and Location

Dates: Aug 2-4, 2017

Location: Portland, OR

The Institute will begin in late afternoon on August 2, 2017 and end by 4 pm on August 4, 2017.

Virtual progress meetings will also be scheduled throughout the following year, and mentors will make one site visit to each team's institution.

Institute Outcomes

As a result of participating in this institute, campus change agents will:

  • Understand the national context and drivers for STEM reform in order to apply them to local institutional context
  • Understand and apply theories/frameworks of change to institutional change projects
  • Understand the local campus change process, identify important levers, build and lead a change team
  • Develop a plan to advance the existing campus project to meet project goals, including scaling and sustaining efforts

Benefits of Participation

Participants will benefit from close mentoring by accomplished change agents who will help shape their project plan during the summer meeting, check in monthly for advice, and make a campus visit for mentoring in context. Participating individuals will increase their knowledge of how to effectively lead change through access to Institute resources, mentors, and other participants. Teams will become more cohesive and see improved success related to their project goals. Participating institutions will build campus leadership capacity for change.

Sponsorship and Personnel

This Institute is supported by funding from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Trust as an activity of the Accelerating Systemic Change Network.

Project mentors are experienced change agents: Susan Elrod (Provost, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater), Benjamin Flores (formerly Dean of the Graduate School, University of Texas El Paso), Judith Ramaley (President Emerita, Portland State University), and Sue Rosser (Special Advisor for Research Development and External Partnerships at California State University, Chancellor's Office).

Institute Applications

Applications will be accepted online from February 1-28, 2017. Institute tuition of $2500 covers on-site meeting costs for up to 3 team members (programming, access to mentors, group meals, and 3 nights lodging) as well as follow-up activities. Additional team members (up to 2) can attend for an additional cost (approximately $750/person). Tuition does not cover travel expenses to Portland. A small number of need-based tuition and travel scholarships are available.

Application deadline: March 20, 2017
We are no longer accepting applications

Contact Us

For additional information about the institute, please email us at: cricpe-ascn@wmich.edu


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