As you probably know, I’m a big fan of the Future Trends Forum with Bryan Alexander. Every Thursday afternoon, Alexander hosts some really fascinating higher education authors/leaders in a virtual forum that encourages questions from the audience. Back in March, I blogged about his conversation with Dr. Paul LeBlanc, president of Southern New Hampshire University. Years ago, Alexander introduced me to the work of Dr. Tressie McMillan Cottom — author of “Lower Ed: The Troubling Rise of For-Profit Colleges in the New Economy.” Since then, Dr. Cottom has received a MacArthur “genius grant” award … and now she’s a New York Times columnist! So what I’m trying to say is that I always learn something cool when I tune into the forum. And here’s a bonus tip: If you can’t join the live conversations, Alexander posts YouTube recordings here. I usually carve some time out on Fridays to watch any forum recordings I’ve missed. On Thursday, Sept. 16, the forum will host Kelly M. Mack, Ph.D., who will help explore the question: How can we best support underrepresented populations in STEM study? Below are the details, followed by my roundup of free professional learning opportunities for September. And don’t forget about our “How to Design a Successful Innovation Grant” virtual… Continue Reading September: Free professional learning opportunitiesRead More
Image from The Mindful Manager I’ve written before about the book “Traction,” and how it has changed my life. “Traction” is where I encountered Stephen Covey’s “Rocks” analogy for the first time. The visual is powerful, so I promise reading this entire passage is worth it: Picture a glass cylinder set on a table. Next to the cylinder are rocks, gravel, sand, and a glass of water. Imagine the glass cylinder as all of the time you have in a day. The rocks are your main priorities, the gravel represents your day-to-day responsibilities, the sand represents interruptions, and the water is everything else that you get hit with during your workday. If you, as most people do, pour the water in first, the sand in second, the gravel in third, and the rocks last, what happens? Those big priorities won’t fit inside the glass cylinder. That’s your typical day. What happens if you do the reverse? Work on the big stuff first: Put the rocks in. Next come the day-to-day responsibilities: Add the gravel. Now dump in the sand, all those interruptions. Finally, pour the water in. Everything fits in the glass cylinder perfectly; everything fits into your day perfectly.… Continue Reading Let’s ROCK our priorities this semesterRead More
Illustration by Crystal Hall Have you looked through the Fall 2021 In-Service Agenda yet? I’m a former calendar editor who LOVES to sift through itineraries, choosing my own adventures, so that’s what I’ve done below. The Adult Learner Summit, part of our five-year Get REAL project, is a series of sessions peppered throughout the week. Some sessions are offered more than once, and all will be available through Zoom, offering maximum flexibility. Check it out: Monday, Aug. 16 3 to 4 p.m.: VWCC CPL OverviewZoomThere’s a lot more to CPL than just AP classes. Join Cathy Ferguson for a brief overview of this vital program and its benefits. 4 to 5 p.m.: Faculty Resources for Career ReadinessZoomJoin Shonny Cooke as she identifies what career resources are available for VWCC students and the crucial role faculty play in directing students toward them. Tuesday, Aug. 17 3 to 5 p.m.: Adult Learner AdvisingST 114/ZoomBased on the AL360 survey results, this session will give participants a chance to consider how VWCC can better incorporate career advising into its student orientation module and provide a more holistic advising and referral process. Presented by the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL). Wednesday, Aug. 18… Continue Reading Calendars, ready?: Adult Learner Summit scheduleRead More
About Shelley
Shelley Lyons is glad to be back on campus as she is a Virginia Western alum, and has served as the Administrative Officer for Grants Administration at Virginia Western since early 2022. Prior to VWCC, her career focus was within the Human Services and Arts fields. She wrote her first grant in 1996 on a whim and has continued to plan and learn since that time. She most enjoys seeing a well-planned project come to fruition, where funder, project manager and beneficiaries can all feel success and see impact.
Recent Posts
- Why Try An LOI? May 10, 2024
- Grant Nerds Unite! March 12, 2024
- The Power of Collaboration November 17, 2023
- Time to Innovate October 4, 2023
- How to tackle grant season? August 14, 2023