Influence and Decision-Making in a Data-Rich World

Friday, April 8, 2011
Southern New Hampshire University

Get ready for this year's conference at Southern New Hampshire University's spacious new conference facilities in Manchester! The theme reflects sessions ranging from personal presentation and assessment to higher education information presentation and assessment.

Keynote Speaker:

• Katherine Haley Will, senior consultant for the Witt Kieffer Higher Education Practice

Registration

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$60 per person. Includes conference registration, continental breakfast, lunch, parking, and the post-event networking reception.

Agenda

General Session and Keynote Speaker

8:30-9 a.m.
Assessing Leadership Potential: A Conversation with Kate Will

NHWHEL is honored that Katherine Haley Will, a senior executive search consultant with Witt/Kieffer's higher education practice, will be joining us to share her thoughts on evaluation and decision-making surrounding higher education talent, including how women most effectively present themselves as prospective institutional leaders.

Speaker: Katherine Haley Will, senior consultant for the Witt Kieffer Higher Education Practice

Katherine Haley Will, Ph.D., is an executive search consultant in Witt/Kieffer's higher education and not-for-profit practice. She conducts senior leadership searches, particularly at the presidential level, on behalf of colleges and universities. Kate brings personal experience and first-hand knowledge of today's higher education landscape to her executive search practice. Prior to joining Witt/Kieffer, Kate served as the first woman president of Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA. She has also held the positions of president of Whittier College, Whittier, CA; provost and professor of English at Kenyon College in Gambier, OH; and dean of graduate study and director of general education at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD. Kate is active in a number of associations that seek to improve the state of higher education. She has served as chair of the Annapolis Group, the professional organization of the presidents of the nation's leading liberal arts colleges. Kate has also served on the boards of National Association of Independent Colleges, the Council of Independent Colleges, the Eisenhower Institute, the Lincoln Prize Board and the Gettysburg Foundation.

BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Track 1

10:30 a.m.-Noon
Compiling Compelling Data

Whether educating an audience about new research or developing data for decision-makers' use, good methodology is important to follow from the first step of designing a survey to the last step of presenting its results. This session will focus on the right approaches to collect and convey useful and compelling information. Learn the principles of proper survey design, tools for collecting and analyzing data from a survey, and tips on how to draw on the analyzed data to present one's case in a manner that readers or live audiences can understand.

Presenter: Mary Ellen Fleeger, Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, University System of New Hampshire

Mary Ellen Fleeger, PhD, is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, which also includes Institutional Research and Information Technology for the University System of New Hampshire (USNH). She is responsible for research, assessment, and issue analysis in support of systemwide activities, priorities, and initiatives. Other responsibilities include coordinating the System Academic Planning Council and Student Affairs Council, academic program review, strategic planning, and special systemwide initiatives including collaborations with the New Hampshire Community Technical College System and P-16 efforts. Prior to joining USNH in 2003, Dr. Fleeger was Vice President for Research and Communication at Southern Oregon University and a former dean and professor of nursing.

1:30-2:45 p.m.
Making the Most of College Board Resources

This presentation will introduce valuable data, data services, tools, and reports available from the College Board. Our focus will be on how these resources can be employed by enrollment managers, institutional researchers, and communications specialists to better understand enrollment trends and patterns, and inform recruitment and outreach planning and other decision-making.

Presenter: Patty Blanchette, College Board

Patty Blanchette is Senior Director for K-16 Initiatives with the New England Regional Office of the College Board. Prior to joining the College Board, Patty worked in a variety of teaching, research, and enrollment management positions in higher education and secondary schools, including the University of California, Stanford University, F. W. Olin College of Engineering, and Phillips Exeter Academy. Patty holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Track 2

10:30 a.m.-Noon
Collegiate Learning Assessment

The CLA is a standardized test that measures critical thinking, analytic reasoning, problem solving and writing. The test provides the first non multiple choice standardized test available for assessing the degree to which students have developed these skills. Presenters from Franklin Pierce University and Keene State College will share their experiences with the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA), and recent findings from a study by Arum and Roksa (2011) that resulted in the nationally renowned book, Academically Adrift.

Presenters:

Karen Brown is the Assistant Dean of the College at Rindge at Franklin Pierce University. She is co-chair of the General Education Review Committee, which is in the final stages of a the creation of new general education program. Her responsibilities include general education administration, strategic planning, oversight of the summer session program, and administration of the CLA. Karen earned her M.B.A. from Franklin Pierce University and is currently a student in the Doctor of Arts in Leadership program.

Dr. Ann Marie Rancourt currently serves as the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs at Keene State College. She holds a PhD in Educational Leadership from Florida State University. Current responsibilities include administrative oversight of the Integrative Studies Program, the College Honors Program, the Center for Writing and the individualized major, co-chairing the Integrative Studies Program Council and Advisory Board, reviewing departmental assessment plans and reports, and serving on the Academic Affairs Assessment Committee. She also directs the Academic Enrichment Program. Her leadership has contributed to Keene's Integrative Studies Program being recognized by the AAC&U as an exemplar program. In line with her responsibilities, Ann's expertise lies in curriculum and instructional development, and in assessment. She currently serves on the New England Educational Assessment Network Board, co-chairing the Academic Assessment Summer Institute.

1:30-2:45 p.m.
Assessment through Technology

The education reform movement that began in the 1980s led to a focus on assessment and outcomes-based education. When we talk about assessment in higher education, we are not just talking about the formative and summative assessments of our students, but course assessment (course evaluations) and program assessment. With the advent of new technologies and the internet, technology is changing the options we have for assessment and replacing paper in the gathering and reporting of associated data. This session will look at the need for and the nature of assessments, changes in the ways we do assessment, and tools available for conducting and reporting on assessment.

Presenter: Ellen Marie Murphy, Coordinator of Online Education, Plymouth State University

Ellen Murphy is the coordinator for online education at Plymouth State University. Prior to her position at Plymouth, she was the director of instructional technologies at The Sage Colleges in the capital region of New York. Ellen became a passionate advocate for the effective use of instructional technologies in 1995, while working at an inner city high school. Ellen moved to Vermont in 1998 and became one of the first educators in Vermont to introduce the use of e-portfolios in K-12 education, winning a substantial grant to assist with the development. She is a strong supporter of Open Source technologies, particularly in regards to Learning Managements Systems and ePortfolios. She has experience as an administrator for Moodle and Mahara. Ellen also teaches in the virtual world of SecondLife.

Track 3

10:30 a.m.-Noon
Financial Benchmarking for Higher Education Decision-Making

Kris Bristol has been embroiled in benchmarking the finance and operations division of Southern New Hampshire University for the past two years, creating most of the reports related to the university finances and guiding the creation of reports from the various functional groups. She compiled all the reports into one document so that the overall report is in one voice intended to be readable by the entire university community. Kris will share what she has learned in the process of developing financial benchmarking reports, including sources of information, helpful references, tips for overcoming challenges, and use of the information gathered. She welcomes sharing of sources, references, tips, and uses from other session participants. Although Kris' examples will be largely related to finance and operations, the session is likely to be helpful to individuals from all divisions.

Presenter: Kristen Bristol, Southern New Hampshire University

Kris Bristol, MBA, MS, has been an accountant and financial analyst at Southern New Hampshire University since 2008. In addition to her work on financial benchmarking, she also prepares other reports for the board of trustees and various committees that inform decision-making. For six years prior to her work in the business office, Kris was Associate Director of SNHU's Center for Financial Studies where she taught undergraduate finance courses, developed and delivered numerous academic papers, seminars, workshops, and training sessions, and chaired the university budget advisory committee which worked with the accounting and finance staff to develop a scheme for in-depth cost analysis. Before moving to higher ed, Kris prepared personal and small business tax returns and taught tax courses. She still maintains her Enrolled Agent license with the IRS in case her academic gig doesn't work out but hopes it's not necessary – she loves being in higher ed.

1:30-2:45 p.m.
Ask the Auditors

Ever have a question about higher education audits or auditors (and maybe you were afraid to ask)? Here's your chance. What's an "A-133" audit?" Why does the IRS audit tax-exempt schools? What should I do if I suspect a coworker of p-card fraud? What's an "underwater" endowment? Do you have to have an accounting degree to be an auditor? The panel of auditors and consultants from public accounting firms and internal audit offices will provide an overview of the most common types of audits for college campuses, open the floor to audience questions, and pepper their answers with some interesting tales from the audit trail.

Presenters:

Gwen Spencer is a Partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers where she leads the Exempt Organizations Tax Services practice for the northeast and the west coast. She has over 14 years of experience providing advice regarding tax and business issues associated with higher education, healthcare, and other tax-exempt organizations. One of her many clients is the University System of New Hampshire. Gwen serves as an Adjunct Professor for the Masters in Taxation Program at Northeastern University, and is an author and regular presenter for audit industry publications and conferences. Gwen received a BS from Eastern Connecticut State University, a Juris Doctor from the University of Connecticut, and an LL.M. (Taxation) from Boston University. She is a member of the Bar in Massachusetts and Connecticut and a Certified Public Accountant.

Pam Martel has worked primarily in the Higher Education and Healthcare Provider sector of PricewaterhouseCoopers for the past five years. She has assisted with a range of issues impacting the Higher Education sector including alternative investments, interest rate swap transactions and gift and pledge revenue recognition. A New Hampshire resident, Pam earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from Bryant University and her Master of Business Administration from Bentley University. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Massachusetts Society of CPAs.

Suné Pieterse is a Supervisor in the Accounting and Auditing Group of CBIZ Tofias & Mayer Hoffman McCann and a member of the company’s Not-For-Profit & Education Practice. She has over six years of experience performing audits and reviews of financial statements, including as the Audit Supervisor on the engagement team for Southern New Hampshire University. Prior to joining CBIZ Tofias, she was a manager in a South African firm where she worked with not-for-profit organizations and international companies. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree and Honors Degree from Stellenbosch University in South Africa, and she is a member of the Massachusetts Society of CPAs and a Chartered Accountant in South Africa.

Vicki Escalera is in her fourth year as the Director of Internal Audit for the University System of New Hampshire. Prior to USNH, Vicki led the internal audit function of Brown University for 19 years, taught internal auditing for Johnson & Wales University, and worked in bank auditing, public accounting, and several administrative positions in higher education. She is a CPA, Certified Internal Auditor, and Certified Fraud Examiner, and she holds a baccalaureate degree from Wellesley College, a Master of Arts from Salve Regina University, and a Master of Science in accounting from the University of Rhode Island.

General Session

2:45-3:45 p.m.
Expanding Your Influence with Style

Join us for a fun workshop on Leadership Style! We're not talking about your management skills here, but rather your actual sense of style. Raise your awareness on how image impacts your personal brand and career goals and how it can have an impressive advantage to your credibility and advanced skill set. So come and learn the impact of color, fit, fabric, and learn the tricks of having an executive level look!

Presenter: Susan Osborne, President of Be Image Consulting and New Hampshire's sole Certified Image Consultant

Susan Osborne, an Image and Fashion Consultant, Licensed Makeover Stylist and Image Strategist, is President and founder of Be Image Consulting. As New Hampshire's sole Certified, Association of Image Consultants International (AICI) Image Consultant, Susan's professionalism, genuine character, dynamic style and creative flair have motivated and inspired men and women in the corporate and private sectors to project a polished, confident and successful image. Susan is a keynote speaker and seminar/workshop leader and trainer. She is an author, feature writer, personal and executive image coach and media spokesperson. Susan specializes in communication and branding, executive and professional image consulting, wardrobe consulting, personal shopping and makeovers for men and women.

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