About the Institute Program

The Institute Program focuses on developing participantsā organisational management skills, particularly those related to managing oneās interactions on the campus and to managing other people. The Program provides a foundation of management skills that are essential to the successful motivation and deployment of people. This program is of benefit to those who manage functions within central campus information resources organisations, those who are relatively new to management, and those who may be relatively new to higher education. 

General Sessions

Higher Education and Information Technology
An examination of the major trends in higher education and how these trends are impacting information technology departments on campus. 

Organisational Issues
Some would argue that organisational issues are the most critical factors in the success of a technical project. The interrelationships between organisational and technical issues define the reality with which any new technology must mesh. Technologists must understand this reality and develop the perspective required to engage the key stakeholders in the success of the project. This topic will be covered in two sessions. The general session will provide an overview. The breakout session will identify specific problems and suggest solutions.

Personal Communication Skills
The session will focus in the key elements of good communication with the goal of making each participant aware of how he/she perceives and is perceived in the communication process.

Topic Sessions

Situational Leadership
Approaches useful in influencing an individual or a group in efforts toward achieving goals, adopting effective leadership styles, anticipating customer needs, and building effective campus IT organizations. The session will briefly explore some of the history of leadership and management theory and focus on a particular leadership model. Participants will work in small teams to apply the model in a case, and will have the opportunity to assess their own leadership styles. 

Managing For Performance
Approaches to getting things done through application of prioritization techniques. How to tell what is important; how to manage your time; how to avoid procrastination; and how to manage stress when everyday tasks become overwhelming. 

Career Management
This session will explore an approach to changing your career on purpose in order to further personal objectives. Changing careers needs to become a proactive part of our job descriptions - not a description of something that happens to our jobs. 

Effective Teams
A review of the concept and characteristics of a team and the process of building team cohesiveness between information resources organisations and their customers. Specific attention is paid to the unique challenges of projects and cross-functional teams. 

Developing a Service Culture
The session explores the concept of a service culture and the methodologies, techniques, and tools which can be used to develop a service culture. In particular, it explores the development of service charters as an effective tool to effect cultural change.

Strategic Relationships
This session will reflect on the importance of key relationships in fulfilling our roles to promote effective use of IT in higher education. In our stressful, rapidly changing, and complex environments, it is essential to tap into the benefits of exchange with and commitment from the people around us. The session will explore current thinking about relationship-building and try out some tools for identifying and improving the key relationships we have at work.

Case Study
Participants are divided into small work groups for a highly interactive problem-solving activity. On the final day of the Institute program, groups will present their solutions in creative and innovative ways.