This summit is broadly applicable to Faculty Affairs and faculty development leaders at both the central and unit levels. Both VP/AVP and Dean/Associate Dean-level leaders charged with Faculty Affairs and/or faculty development will benefit.

Your registration fee includes full access to all conference sessions and materials, breakfast, lunch, and access to the networking reception on Wednesday, breakfast on Thursday, as well as refreshments and snacks throughout the conference.   

Day One – Wednesday, March 27, 2024 

8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. MT (local time in Denver, CO) 

Registration & Breakfast 

8:00 – 8:30 a.m.  

Welcome: The Current State of Faculty Retention  

8:30 – 9:30 a.m.  

To set the stage for the conversation, we will share findings from our 2022 Faculty Retention Survey. You will then discuss the implications of the survey results with your peers as they pertain to the morale, engagement, and retention of faculty both broadly and within your unique institutional context.   

Creating a Culture of Belonging  

9:40 – 10:50 a.m.  

Belonging is a key component of retention, but it requires intentional cultivation. For this session, our Head of Practice for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Dr. Sandra Miles, will overview strategies and techniques for creating the conditions for belonging, including navigating conflict and frustrations in the workplace. You will learn how to practice intentional engagement, versus moving past uncomfortable scenarios, to arrive at a place where you can actively take part in solution-oriented conversations even when they are uncomfortable. 

Reflection and Group Discussion  

11:00 – 11:30 a.m. 

By this point in the summit, we will have started to unpack some of the key factors in faculty retention. Now, you will reflect on and situate those factors within your institutional context. This session will be part individual reflection and part discussion among the group.   

Lunch 

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 

The Role of Equity Across Workload, Promotion, and Compensation in Faculty Retention  

12:30 – 2:00 p.m.  

What rights and responsibilities do Faculty Affairs leaders have in addressing workload equity? This session will look at how Faculty Affairs leaders can balance listening, understanding, and negotiating with data to make informed decisions around workload equity. Dr. Debbie Thorne, Senior Vice Provost at Texas State University, will outline key indicators to help you strategically evaluate where you have influence and what kind of impact you can make.   

Retaining & Supporting Faculty of Color  

2:10 – 3:20 p.m.  

Drawing on years of research, Dr. Raquel Wright-Mair, Associate Professor of Higher Education at Rowan University, will overview how you can move your institution from merely recruiting faculty of color to retaining and supporting faculty of color and their long-term success. Topics such as revaluating the tenure and promotion process, redefining success, supporting faculty engaging in equity agendas, and institutionalizing well-being and mentoring will be explored. 

Speaker Panel & Group Discussion  

3:30 – 4:00 p.m. 

We will conclude Day 1 with a speaker panel to explore emerging questions, patterns, and ideas, and we’ll also connect your reflections from the morning with the afternoon sessions.  

Networking Reception 

4:00 – 5:00 p.m.  

This informal reception hosted by HireEd Careers, Academic Impressions’ diversity-focused job board, is your chance to decompress, have some refreshments on us, and expand your network of connections. Our programs are intentionally designed for smaller groups, so this is a great time to catch up with attendees and speakers with whom you may not have connected yet. 

Day Two – Thursday, March 28, 2024 

8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. MT 

Breakfast  

8:00 – 8:30 a.m. 

Faculty Agency and Recovering from Burnout  

8:30 – 9:40 a.m.  

The pandemic brought faculty burnout to the forefront of higher education. Now, a few years out from the pandemic, how does the conversation around faculty burnout need to shift? In this session, Dr. Dana Veron, Associate Provost for Faculty Development at the University of Delaware, will explore how to make these shifts to help faculty recover from burnout and find their agency within the institution. 

Closing: What Next?  

9:50 – 11:30 a.m.  

To conclude our time together, our Assistant Director of Coaching, Dr. Corinne Nicolas, will guide you through a reflection and planning process that will allow you to take what you have learned from the summit and put it into action at your institution.   

The training will be conducted in person at Academic Impressions’ Denver-based office at:
5299 DTC Blvd, Suite 1400, Greenwood Village, CO 80111

Nearby hotel suggestions:

Hyatt Place Denver Tech Center – 3-star hotel
8300 E Crescent Pkwy, Greenwood Village, CO 80111
303-804-0700
Distance from office: 0.5 miles if driving, 0.3 miles if walking

A room rate of $114/night is available if you book your room using this link. 

This reduced rate and room availability are subject to general hotel availability and not guaranteed. So, we recommend booking as soon as possible! 

Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center – 4-star hotel
7800 E Tufts Ave, Denver, CO 80237
303-779-1234
Distance from office: 1.1 miles

Denver Marriott Tech Center – 4-star hotel
4900 S Syracuse St, Denver, CO 80237
303-779-1100
Distance from office: 0.9-1.2 miles, depending on route