Aspiring to the Presidency: A Symposium -- June 14-16

Southern New Hampshire University is proud and excited to host the 2009 President’s Symposium for aspiring university presidents.

The symposium, now in its fourth year, is designed to help mid- and senior-level college and university administrators as they consider whether to pursue the post of president. Past participants have included provosts, academic vice presidents, deans and other administrators; several have since become college and university presidents.

This 2 1/2-day conference will explore the characteristics and roles of a successful president, how one acquires the necessary skills and prepares to apply for the role, how the role of president can be a rewarding vocation and how the right presidential fit can make a difference in the lives of others.

This year's speakers will include renowned fundraising expert Jerold Panas and Judith McLaughlin, director of the Higher Education Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Educational Chair for the Harvard Seminar for New Presidents.

Three of our presenters have published books on the college presidency within the past 18 months.

Sample sessions include:

• Becoming an Effective Fundraiser
• No Boundaries: the Public and Private Lives of Presidents
• When Things Go Wrong: What Can We Learn?
• Surviving and Thriving the Search Process: It's Not So Bad
• Finding a Sense of Vocation: Meaning and Motivation
• The Preparation Checklist: Do I Have To Be Good at Everything?

The number of participants is intentionally limited to allow for a certain level of intimacy as well as informal chats and networking.  

Our campus is located only one hour north of Boston and 15 minutes from Manchester-Boston regional airport.