One of the most essential competencies for creating lasting and authentic change in sustainability education is the development of personal agency – a sense of confidence and knowledge regarding how to get things done. In many ways this is just “leadership” (of self and others). But true efficacy arguably requires more: it requires informed leadership – leadership coupled with an understanding of the system, context, and stakeholders involved in any given change initiative. While this is as true (or more) in higher education as it is in any field or sector, leadership training in higher education is at best ad hoc and at worst neglected entirely. When it comes to sustainability, generally well-meaning stakeholders (students, staff, faculty, administrators) run the risk of bull-dozing their way enthusiastically forward without the depth of understanding necessary for true, meaningful, transformation toward campus sustainability. This short course is designed to help participants develop an in-depth understanding of the various factors that affect change, and thus movement toward improved sustainability education.

Participants will explore:

• the “pieces and parts” of a university that lead to or prevent change (organizational structures and financial/budget models);
• university “power” dynamics and how informal and formal power operates to influence decisions; and
• the “people” or social dynamics that support or hinder change efforts (stakeholder groups, cultures and mindsets). 

Taught by two long-term senior academic leaders with experience in continuing and adult education, the course will draw on participant lived-experience and ideas and support the development of a network of informed change agents and leaders. By the end of the course, through working on a project of their choosing, participants will be able to generate a “change map” related to a challenge of interest to them, they will have a plan for managing the stakeholders, a sense of the power dynamics that might be at play – and an awareness of where the critical levers for change are. Further, they will have developed the sense of personal agency necessary to take action toward the change they want to see.

Key Details

Schedule:

The course will meet over 6 bi-weekly sessions on Tuesdays from 3-4:30 p.m. ET: January 21, February 4 and 18, March 4 and 18, April 1. All sessions will be recorded and made available to registered participants.

Registration Fees* 

* To check if your organization is a current AASHE member, please search the AASHE Membership Directory.

A limited number of scholarships are available to individuals who need financial assistance to participate. Please apply two weeks before the program begins to be considered for a scholarship for this workshop.

Registration Policies:

• Registration deadline is.
• Payment is accepted in the form of Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover cards.
  If you need to pay by check or ACH, please contact us at least 5 weeks prior to the event start date. Registration using these forms of payment must be received 4 weeks prior to the event start date and full payment must be received by AASHE within 2 weeks of event start date.
• Cancellation Policy: A 20% processing fee applies to any cancellation processed up to ten days before the program starts. No refunds will be given after that date.
• No substitutions are allowed.
• Registered participants will receive access to the recording after the live event.
• Review all Terms & Conditions.

Register today

Facilitators

Teri Balser, Professor, University of Calgary
Professor Teri Balser is a passionate scholar and senior university leader. Formerly provost and vice-president (Academic) at the University of Calgary, she has also been interim president and provost at Dalhousie University. An internationally known educator, she has received numerous awards and recognition for her work in soil and environmental science. Throughout her career she has sought to connect and empower people across public, academic, and private sectors in working together toward a sustainable future. She brings that lens, coupled with the perspective of university leadership, to bear on how we can contribute toward a response to the climate emergency and move into a new future.

Dianne Tyers, President and CEO Advance Consulting for Education, Inc.
Dr. Dianne Tyers’ experience and expertise includes thirty years in the education sector in multiple countries (Canada, U.S.A., Australia, Japan, South Korea, China, United Arab Emirates). She has held teaching, institutional management, regional management, training, program development, program evaluation and senior administration positions with public and private sector educational organizations. Dianne completed her PhD at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University, as well as an MBA from the Ivey School of Business, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada, a Master of Arts from the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia and a Bachelor of Physical and Health Education from the University of Toronto. Dianne founded Advance Consulting for Education, Inc. in 2001 to share her expertise and experience with organizations to further impact education leadership, strategy and delivery.

Any questions about the workshop?
Please contact Daita Serghi, education@aashe.org

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