Department Leadership Workshop
Innovations in Master's Programs
Changes, Challenges and Strategies for the Future
June 19-22, 2013 • Boulder, Colorado
You are invited to the 10th annual workshop devoted to strengthening departmental leadership across the discipline. The workshop is for all geographers interested in improving their programs‐‐chairs, deans, associate chairs, academic advisers, provosts and other administrators, as well as all faculty interested in leadership issues. The workshop is particularly well suited for individuals who may soon assume leadership positions. The main workshop sessions will begin with a dinner/reception on Wednesday, June 19 and end on the morning of Saturday, June 22 (ending at 11:45 am). For those wishing to stay over until Sunday, 23 June a free fieldtrip will be available into the Rocky Mountains on the afternoon of 16 June. Participants may stay in the historic Hotel Boulderado, a beautiful national landmark property one block from Boulder's Pearl Street pedestrian mall, or register for housing on the CU campus.
This Year's Theme
The theme of the workshop will be Innovations in Master's Programs: Changes, Challenges, and Strategies. Master's education is one of the fastest growing and most innovative areas of geography in higher education. In addition to new programs being established, geographers are experimenting with a wide range of certificate programs, Master's in GIScience curricula, and other efforts intended to help prepare students for a wide range of careers. The workshop will provide a forum to focus on these changes, especially the issues of curriculum content, interdisciplinary hybridity, delivery methods, faculty staffing and support, relationships to employers and employment opportunities, funding and tuition models, and longevity. The workshop will address issues related to stand-alone master's programs and master's/doctoral programs. Participants will have ample time to share their experiences in creating and growing their programs.
Other Topics
In addition discussion of the workshop theme, other workshop sessions will focus a wider range of topics of interest to department leaders such as:
- Conflict resolution & difficult communication
- Strategies for promoting diversity and inclusion
- Getting started as a department chair
Time will also be set aside for participants to share and discuss their own concerns and experiences. One of the most important elements of the workshop is the opportunity it affords all participants to learn from and network with new and experienced leaders and administrators. Participants will also have an opportunity to meet and share some meals with early career faculty attending the Geography Faculty Development Alliance workshop being held in Boulder in the same week (http://www.colorado.edu/geography/gfda/gfda.html).
Program Committee
With the help of past participants and leaders, the program and schedule for the workshop is being developed by Ken Foote (U of Colorado), former department head and AAG president (2010-11); J.W. Harrington, Jr. (U of Washington), vice-chancellor for academic affairs (U Washington Tacoma) and former department head; Michael Solem, AAG Director of Educational Affairs and principal investigator on the EDGE project; Jan Monk, long-term Executive Director of the Southwest Institute for Research on Women (U of Arizona) and AAG President (2001-2002). and others.
Cost, Registration, Accommodation and Travel
Workshop cost is $275 and will include workshop materials, instructor expenses, field trip expenses, and attendee breakfasts, lunches, and two dinners. Participants may stay at the Hotel Boulderado where the University of Colorado has negotiated a room rate of $165 per night for the workshop. This same discounted room rate may be extended both 3 days prior to and 3 days after the workshop if you wish to arrive early or depart later. The hotel will hold this rate until May 19, 2013. Please make your reservation by calling (800) 433‐4344, emailing reservations@boulderado.com or visiting http://www.boulderado.com/. Mention that you are with the CU Geography workshop to get the reduced rate. On‐campus accommodations are also available near the meeting site (single room, shared bath, breakfast, and internet) for approximately $250 total. Please contact Ken Foote if you are interested in on‐campus accommodation. The workshop meetings will take place both at the Hotel Boulderado and the University of Colorado. Boulder is a beautiful college town at the foot of the scenic Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. The town is served by an excellent system of hike and bike trails leading from downtown to many local mountain parks and open spaces. The Denver regional bus system links Boulder directly to Denver International Airport and downtown Denver. So, if you are traveling by air, you can fly directly to Denver and then take either a Denver RTD "AB" bus or an airport shuttle to Boulder. Visitor information is available from http://www.bouldercoloradousa.com, http://www.explore‐rocky.com, and http://www.colorado.com. If you have questions about the workshop program, please contact Ken Foote, k.foote@colorado.edu or 303‐641‐3346. If you have questions about registration or payment, contact AAG Conference Director, Oscar Larson, olarson@aag.org or 202‐234‐1450.
Field Trip
An optional field trip will be available at no additional cost for workshop attendees on Saturday, June 23. The trip will extend into the Rocky Mountains west of Boulder to the continental divide. Participants will be able to purchase dinner at one of the stops on the way back to Boulder.
About the Healthy Departments Initiative
The workshop is part of the Healthy Departments Initiative launched by AAG Past President Vicky Lawson to strengthen leadership and administrative skills among geographers. The project has organized a series of workshops to facilitate sharing of successful strategies for maintaining healthy departments. The Healthy Departments website (at the URL listed above) is intended as a resource to assist leaders by providing practical resources and information that can improve program quality.
