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(A message from Dennis Looney, MLA)

I hope the semester/quarter is ending up well. Come celebrate at the 2021 MLA Leadership Institute: Why Humanities Now: https://www.adfl.mla.org/Seminars/MLA-Academic-Program-Services-Leadership-Institute-Why-Humanities-Now

In addition to a robust set of plenaries and discussion groups (full program is online), there are three workshops that will be of interest: one for chairs, one for directors of graduate studies, and one for department leaders interested in using data for advocacy.

See below for brief descriptions. Use the link above for access to the full program and registration.

ADFL New Chairs Workshop, 6/2/2021 10:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
In the new chairs workshop, those about to start or just completing their first year as department chairs can gather practical advice and have questions answered by seasoned administrators about all aspects of chairing. Objectives include strategies for managing the responsibilities of the chair; programmatic goals and their priorities for your department; personnel and fiscal management; effective use of resources; leadership styles; and setting short- and long-term goals for your term as chair. Past participants also stressed the importance of connecting with colleagues in their discipline, and the value of forming a cross-institutional network that was available to them throughout their term as chair and beyond.

Transforming Graduate Education: A Workshop for DGSs, 6/2/21 10:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
This interactive workshop will use a maturity model for graduate career education to help faculty members assess the current status of professional development offerings in their departments. We will address high-level structural issues and more hands-on, granular steps departments can take, including working with ImaginePhD, a specialized individual development planning tool for graduate students in the humanities and social sciences.

Data and Advocacy, 6/9/21 10:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
An effective department leader needs to speak the language of the administration and that language is spoken through data. This workshop is designed for department leaders who want to learn strategies for using data to the best advantage of their department, program, or center. What data are most effective and where do you go to find them? How important is it to tell your department's story through data? How much do visualizations of data help? Bring your data stories (successes and frustrations) to share with colleagues!

Dennis Looney
Modern Language Association
Director of Programs and ADFL

dlooney@mla.org