Engagement Academy Developed for University Leaders

Plans are underway for the first Engagement Academy, a program designed to help university leaders across the country be responsive to critical societal issues during this time of unprecedented global economic competition.

Engagement Academy for University Leaders will be held June 9-13, 2008 at the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center and is being offered by Virginia Tech's Center for Organizational and Technological Advancement.

Politicians, companies, communities, non-profits, and individuals have called for an expanded role for higher education to partner with those outside its walls for mutual benefit. Because of their responsibility to the public, higher educational institutions are uniquely positioned to engage with communities and spur innovation.

During the last decade, higher education leaders have used the term "engagement" to describe a renewed relationship between higher education and the public it serves, and increasing numbers of funders, accreditation agencies, and university classification systems treat public engagement as a measure of quality and responsiveness in higher education.

The Engagement Academy is designed for those leaders who are centrally involved with developing and implementing an engagement strategy as part of the broader strategic plans of their universities-often across missions, organizational lines, and disciplines. The intended audience include provosts; associate or vice provosts; vice presidents; and deans, associate deans, department heads, or directors with engagement strategy responsibilities.

For more information, visit: www.cpe.vt.edu/ea/ or contact Jeri Childers at jlc@vt.edu.