8:00 - 9:00

REGISTRATION and REFRESHMENTS

Foyer, C 101

9:00 - 9:15

WELCOME

Steve Hanson, Interim President, Renton Technical College

C 101

9:15 - 10:30

KEYNOTE: Leadership As Stewardship of the Common Good

Bill Grace, President, Grace and Associates

This address reminds people of the benefits that come from leadership as stewardship of the common good. In addition this seminar inspires participants to discover the heart and soul of leadership – integrity and the common good.  Participants will be inspired to rededicate themselves to lives of integrity while courageously pursuing the common good. The Common Good is an essential part of a democratic and civilized society; yet the common good becomes manifest through the choices we make as citizens and leaders.

C 101

10:30 - 11:45

BREAK and COFFEE

Foyer, C 101

10:45 - 11:45

BREAKOUTS

A. Using Positive Psychology to Create New Possibilities

Cal Crow, Program Director, Center for Learning Connections

Many organizations are rethinking their approach to success.  They are moving from problem-solving to problem prevention, and spending less time overcoming weaknesses and more time identifying strengths.  They are also discovering that how they frame issues can significantly affect their success in dealing with them.  This session will show how positive psychology can help us define and frame difficult situations in ways that make them more manageable, and help everyone become more successful.  Handouts will be provided. 

C 111

B. Developing Moral Courage

Bill Grace, President, Grace and Associates

Leaders who aspire to serve as transformational change agents will likely encounter intense resistance and push back from the status quo.  Moral courage is essential for those who dare to envision and pursue transformational change. But what is courage and where does it come from? This seminar will focus on exploring the roots, nature and sources of moral courage.

C 101

C. Emotional Intelligence:  Pathway to Positive Change

Barbara Kerr, Consulting and Coaching for Higher Education

We can no longer afford to pretend that emotions are not part of the workplace.  In fact, ignoring emotions can result in costly lawsuits, lack of productivity, contentious bargaining, and loss of good employees.   But the good news is that we can not only measure emotional intelligence but also learn ways to enhance it—providing a pathway to positive change.  We can improve our skills in managing our emotions, we can learn effective ways to cope with that difficult employee or that insensitive boss, and we can build resilience despite the inevitable stresses and changes in our lives.

This session is a brief introduction to the What? So What? and Now What? of emotional intelligence, including a sneak peek at Dr. Kerr’s interactive computerized game, Creating An Emotionally Intelligent World, published in September by HRDQ, and inspired by the many people she has worked with within the Washington community and technical college system. 

C 110

12:00 - 1:00

LUNCH and ANNOUNCEMENTS

H 103

1:00 - 2:15

The Power of Positive Leadership
Rich Cummins, President, Columbia Basin College

Joe Montgomery, Dean,  Institutional Effectiveness, Columbia Basin College

Leadership occurs at every level of an institution, and the opportunity to build ourselves, our colleagues, and our organizations in a positive manner can be furthered by using some basic tools from the growing field of Positive Psychology.  This session will start with a brief history of Positive Psychology and then provide an overview of such concepts as mindfulness versus rumination; categorical versus conditional thinking; mental models and social constructs; neuroplasticity and how choices about how we process experience actually build our brains; reframing; common thinking errors; and character strengths and virtues. Handouts and bibliography will be provided.

C 101

2:15 - 3:00

CLOSING SESSION: Making Positive Changes Real

Cal Crow, Program Director, Center for Learning Connections

Rich Cummins, President, Columbia Basin College

The closing session will lead participants through a guided summation of what they learned during the day, and how it will help them use The Power of Positive Change to increase Organizational Hope in their colleges. This will be an opportunity to reflect, exchange ideas with colleagues, and leave the conference with the excellent take-aways provided by presenters.  

C 101

3:00 - 3:15

CLOSING REMARKS and DOOR PRIZES

C 101

SAVE THE DATES:

Winter ASSOCIATION Conference
March 5, 2010
Location TBA

Summer ASSOCIATION Conference
July 15-16, 2010
Location TBA

Special thanks to: PEMCO Insurance Company