Administrators at UGA and institutions of higher education nationwide are faced with a number of challenges-from recruiting and retaining outstanding faculty to managing budgets and complying with myriad institutional policies and federal regulations. A new workshop series sponsored by the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost aims to foster discussion among administrators on best practices in issues such as these and others.
The Academic Leaders Workshop Series for vice presidents, deans, department heads, directors and other administrators kicks off Sept. 20 with a discussion on faculty recruitment. Panelists include Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Dean Alan Dorsey and faculty from the industrial-organizational psychology program, the Institute of Higher Education and staff from Human Resources.
Other workshops this semester offer insights into budgeting decisions and overviews of policies such as the university’s Non-Discrimination and Harassment Policy and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The fall semester workshops conclude Dec. 4 with a presentation by C.K. “Tina” Gunsalus, author of The College Administrator’s Survival Guide.
“We have a very strong leadership team on this campus, and my hope is that these workshops will facilitate in-depth discussions that will benefit experienced and new administrators alike,” said Libby V. Morris, interim senior vice president for academic affairs and provost.
The university has sponsored occasional professional development workshops for administrators for the past several years, but the creation of a regular series of workshops will encourage administrators to build connections across campus and to serve as sounding boards for ideas and initiatives, said Dorsey, who is co-organizing the workshops with interim Vice Provost Hugh Ruppersburg and Office of Faculty Affairs Director Jayne Smith.
“These workshops will help administrators understand the context for their work and provide them with new ideas and tools to support our faculty and students,” Dorsey said.
Invitations to the workshops will come from the deans of UGA’s schools and colleges and the university’s vice presidents. Workshops for spring semester already are being developed, with potential topics such as strategic planning, promotion and tenure, and diversity.
For more information on the workshops or to suggest topics for spring semester, contact Jayne Smith at smithjl@uga.edu.
Fall 2013 Workshops:
Sept. 20: “Best Practices in Faculty Recruitment.” Presenters are Frank DiGiacomo, senior director, UGA Search Group; Alan Dorsey, Franklin College dean; Hugh Ruppersburg, interim vice provost; Jayne Smith, director, Office of Faculty Affairs; and Kecia Thomas, professor, industrial-organizational psychology program and interim associate dean, Franklin College.
Oct. 11: “Legal Issues: Doing the Right Thing at UGA.” Presenters are Beth Bailey, interim executive director, Office of Legal Affairs; E. Janyce Dawkins, director, Equal Opportunity Office; and Rebecca Hanner White, dean, School of Law.
Nov. 22: “Show Me the Money! An Inside Look at the Budget.” Presenters are Chris Miller, associate provost for academic fiscal affairs; Ryan Nesbit, interim vice president for finance and administration; and Svein Øie, dean, College of Pharmacy.
Dec. 4: “The College Administrator’s Survival Guide.” Presenter is C.K. “Tina” Gunsalus, director of the National Center for Professional and Research Ethics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.