WELCOME

Lori Banaszek, Academic Vice President, Clover Park Technical College

KEYNOTE: The Adaptive Executive: Unprecedented Change  

Jennifer James

One of the most difficult aspects of adapting to rapid change, particularly when it is accompanied by complex technology and multiplying data sources, is the ability to give up an old construct about the way things ought to be and develop a new one based on the current realities.  Accepting a new version of reality, essentially telling a new story, requires cultural intelligence.  Cultural intelligence is the ability to observe, learn and understand our own culture as well as the culture of others.  It is an essential skill in education management.

There are four stages to adaptation: technology, economics, demographics and culture.  We adapt easily to new technology, we accommodate new economic structures, we welcome new workers, but we resist changing patterns and models of operation.  Culture is basically the beliefs we have about the "way things ought to be."  Culture always lags behind technological, economic and demographic shifts.

As we increasingly become “cyborgs,” part technician and part human consciousness, successful adaptation requires changes in our concepts of education and leadership.  Today’s students and staff prefer to work and learn as part of a diverse, empowered team with maximum independence and minimum management.  They have different skills and a different character than any previous generation. 

Our current leadership assignment requires a re-making of our staff, our organizations and ourselves into more civilized, responsible and productive cyber forms. The adaptive executive is future oriented, he or she understands both the current education environment as well as the adaptations community college educators must make.

CONCURRENT SESSIONS

A. Awareness of Patterns

Jennifer James

Change often seems chaotic regardless of our age or education.  In fact, most societal changes are predictable in form, if not in the specific details.  The inability to see the normal patterns of evolutionary and adaptive change leads to anxiety and resistance  which may be expensive and destructive.  Anthropologists review millions of years of history and thousands of cultures to establish the basic patterns of change.  This breakout session will examine the ability to anticipate change and to perceive which elements of change are positive or negative.

B. Staying Resilient During Times of Change

Cal Crow, Program Director, Center for Learning Connections

Resiliency—the ability to handle and rebound from setbacks—resides in everyone.  We are born with it.  During times of change or upheaval we need to stay resilient in order to avoid becoming “victims” of events we can’t control.  Participants in this session will:

1) learn about earmarks of resilient people, and
2) acquire strategies for tapping into their own resiliency and helping others do the same. 

C. Leadership in Real Time: Through the Strait of Messina to the Unchartered Territory of Wrangell Island

Lee Lambert, President, Shoreline Community College

Oftentimes in the workplace, we are confronted with situations where our academic and/or theoretical preparation to problem solving seems inadequate for the task at hand.  Like Odysseus navigating between Scylla and Charybdis, or Ada Blackjack Johnson surviving the harsh climate of Wrangell Island, how do our life experiences shape our leadership styles?  This session focuses on leadership development through real life experiences, whether personal or professional.  What requires us as individuals to reflect on our experiences in terms of understanding our thoughts, feelings and reactions to the situation at hand?   

A. Taking Community Needs Seriously: How to Explore Community Needs and Find New Sources of Support

Barbara Leigh Smith, Senior Scholar, Special Assistant, Enduring Legacies Reservation-Based Project

As state resources decline, we cannot stand still. Business as usual will not be enough. We need to find new ways to innovate, address community needs, and support higher education. In this session, we will explore ways to find funders, build relationships over time, and creatively explore community needs while looking at a case study of a recent successful effort to do just that.  

B. Staying on Track in a Volatile Market

Brad Tucker, Director, Field Consulting Group, TIAA-CREF

Tucker will discuss how to adjust to the changing economic times and stay on track for retirement. Key points include:

• Understanding equity market volatility,
• Identifying opportunities during downward moving markets,
• When to consider rebalancing or reallocating your portfolio,
• Importance of asset allocation and diversification, and
• How to get started.

C. Leadership in Real Time: Through the Strait of Messina to the Unchartered Territory of Wrangell Island

Lee Lambert, President, Shoreline Community College

Oftentimes in the workplace, we are confronted with situations where our academic and/or theoretical preparation to problem solving seems inadequate for the task at hand.  Like Odysseus navigating between Scylla and Charybdis, or Ada Blackjack Johnson surviving the harsh climate of Wrangell Island, how do our life experiences shape our leadership styles?  This session focuses on leadership development through real life experiences, whether personal or professional.  What requires us as individuals to reflect on our experiences in terms of understanding our thoughts, feelings and reactions to the situation at hand?   

PANEL DISCUSSION   
Going Beyond the State Allocation — Building a Culture and Systems for Self Support Funding
David Cordell, Vice President, International Education, Edmonds Community College 
Rich Cummins, President, Columbia Basin College   
Jean Floten, President, Bellevue College
Michele Johnson, Chancellor, Pierce District

The ad on the billboard reads:  Need College Money?  Written for potential college students, the ad could have been directed to college administrators. The recession and ensuing budget cuts have increased the spotlight on diversified funding as a strategy to help sustain missions and support student learning.  But, such funding opportunities are generally long term propositions that require substantial initial investment of both administrative effort and scarce dollars. The same fiscal constraints that make alternative funding programs appealing also make beginning,  or expanding, such programs more difficult than ever. Moreover, as money becomes more scarce, competition heats up and the funding requirements become daunting.  In recessionary times, can we justify the allocation of limited funds for deferred benefits?  Is all funding worth our pursuit?   What makes sense and why?  This panel will discuss several approaches to alternative funding, what it takes to be competitive, and what "investments" yield the highest returns.

Please visit vendors: TIAA-CREF, PEMCO Insurance and School Employees Credit Union