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UL President Joseph Savoie is spending a week in San Diego at a conference designed to provide new university presidents the know-how and tools to forge a solid presidency.
The New President's Academy is a program offered by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. The program focuses on the first 500 days of a new presidency, developing skills that help them become more effective institution leaders.
The program is geared to presidents serving in this capacity for the first time who have begun their presidency in the last two years.
The program consists of four full-day seminars focused on a wide variety of topics, such as facilities management, fundraising, financial management, strategic visioning and building a strong support team.
The program also deals with the personal side of the presidency, giving new presidents insight into the challenge of balancing the responsibilities of life and work.
The program is taught by current university presidents who have had personal experiences in their areas of instruction.
Dr. Randy Moffett, president of the UL System, is a member of the AASCU's professional development committee, which coordinates the New President's Academy.
He said the program helps prepare new presidents for a demanding role.
"The presidency of a university is a very public role," Moffett said. "You don't really know what you're stepping into until you spend time in the president's chair."
Moffett said the New President's Academy gives new presidents a chance to learn from those who have already been through the experience and know the pitfalls.
And Moffett believes the training isn't only useful to a new president like Savoie.
"In the end, it's beneficial to the campus as a whole," Moffett said. "Too often, they start out running at 100 miles an hour and burnt out. This program offers some balance to that."
Savoie will begin the full-day session today, and complete the Academy training on Saturday.
He is expected back on campus Monday.
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Cody Daigle •
cdaigle@theadvertiser.com • July 30, 2008
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