Small School Mentoring Workshops

(Early Registration: $45-49  / Late Registration: $55-59)

 

 

Growing Your Library without Spending Money

Armand Ternak – Sept 8, 2021
While developing your library can be so very expensive, there are many sources of free information, materials, equipment and even staff. With over 39 years of experience as a university librarian, Mr. Armand Ternak wants to show you where to find:

• Free online databases
• Free print materials
• Free furniture, computers and equipment
• Free staff

 

How to Develop a Board of Directors that is Real Help to Your College

John Curtis – Oct 13. 2021
An effective board is crucial for any school, especially a school with a Christian mission. With a properly engaged board, there is real help in developing your school. This session will teach how to use the following “Three Pillars of a Powerful Board:” 1) Empowered Culture, 2) Right Members, and 3) Targeted Rewards to develop a high impact board within the framework of a specific plan that targets goals for board development, and objectively measures results in developing a powerful board that helps to ensure your sustainability.

 

Recruiting, Retaining and Developing Faculty

Jim Adams – Nov 10, 2021
Finding and hiring great faculty members is never an easy task for a small institution. This workshop will include a discussion of good sources for finding faculty members, how to effectively use search committees and position descriptions, when a recruiter or recruiting website is a good option, how to develop your faculty, and the pros and cons of when to use adjuncts versus full-time professors.

 

Dealing with Destructive Behavior on Campus

Bruce Cannon – Dec 9, 2021
Destructive behavior on a Christian campus should be rare, but with the direction that society is moving, it is becoming more common. After this workshop you will be better equipped to identify and peacefully handle destructive behavior by board members, administrators, faculty, and students.

Specific topics and illustrations will include:
• Spotting personality traits that can lead to conflict and destructive behavior
• Responding to those above you who display destructive behavior
• Responding to colleagues around you who display destructive behavior
• Responding to students who display destructive behavior
• General principles of biblical conflict management
• Questions and Answer dialog (if time permits)

 

Are You Ready to Start Marketing Your School?

Shari Gannon – Jan 12, 2022
Every school has a story. Every story needs to be told. Start with a solid foundation.
So, what’s your story? What makes your school unique from all the others? Do you have a niche? Every school or business needs to have a brand foundation developed before they can truly market their idea. In this workshop, we will review your current brand and existing marketing materials and determine if you are ready to market your school. After the review, we will identify the foundational pieces that you still need to successfully market yourself and capture the results you want.

To Prepare for the Workshop:
Please compile the following brand assets for review and bring them to the workshop. Don’t worry if you’re missing anything! We’ll cover everything in the workshop.
• Description of your school including your main focus/purpose and where you offer classes (online, in person, both?).
• School Name, Logo and Tagline
• Mission, Vision and Value Statements
• Current Marketing Toolkit: Brochures, Flyers, Sell Sheets, Website, Videos
• Current Marketing Strategies: Social Media, Search Engine, Email, Blog, Ads, Commercials (Radio/TV), etc.

To Be Announced

Feb 9, 2022
Details to be announced.

Using Marketing to Attract THE RIGHT Students to Your School

Shari Gannon – Mar 9, 2022
Before you started your school, you may have noticed something missing from the other schools in your area or felt your methods would be better or more effective in educating students that would make them more successful after graduation. You dreamt of what classes you were going to offer, how you were going to run them, who you were going to serve and a multitude of other ideas that gave you a good reason to open a school in the first place. In the early stages of any school, the common goal is to get as many students enrolled for classes as possible, no matter who they are. But, let’s face it, NOT EVERYONE is a good fit for your school and THAT’S OKAY. In this workshop, we will determine who your ideal target market is based on your niche and discuss marketing strategies that will attract the right students.

To Prepare for the Workshop:
Please compile a list of the following questions and bring them to the workshop. Think about who you currently have in attendance at your school and who you would like to attract in the future.

Your School’s Background
• Why does your school exist?
• What do you like to focus on at your school?
• What are you really good at?
• Where do you need improvement in your school?
• What opportunities do you see for growth or reaching your goals?
• Who are your competitors and how do they differ from you?

Your Ideal Student
1. Where is your ideal student located?
2. What level of education have they completed?
3. What degree(s) are they pursuing?
4. What is their ethnicity?
5. How old are they?
6. Are they male or female?
7. What does their homelife look like?
8. What is their financial status? Do they need a loan for school?
9. In what environment do they learn best?
10. What time of day or length of time do they prefer to attend classes?

If you think of other good descriptions for your ideal student, please feel free to include them in your list.

Other Payments

Free Consultation List

One free consultation per topic of your choice. One free consultation per month.

Accreditation, etc.

  • How to Achieve Accreditation, Timelines, Costs, Procedures…
  • Self-study
  • Assessment

Marketing, Fundraising & Recruiting Students

  • First Steps to Marketing Your School on a Budget
  • Identifying Your Best Marketing Niche for Growth
  • How to Market to Your Best Niche (e.g., Social Media, How to Select Content and Images, What to Put on and Leave off a Website)
  • Digital Marketing Strategies for Social Media, Search Engines, Email, Blogs…
  • Brief Review of Your Marketing Materials (e.g., website, social media, brochures)
  • How to Start an Alumni Association That Is Useful to a Small Christian College
  • Planning Academic Programs That Attract Students
  • Cultivating Major Donors
  • How to Do Donor-Driven, Major Gifts Fundraising

Federal Student Financial Aid
(Title IV)

  • How to Apply and Begin Offering Aid
  • Policies and Procedures Needed for Compliance
  • Minimum Program Lengths Requirements
  • Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
  • Clery Act Requirements
  • How to Prepare for an Initial On-Site Visit
  • What to Look for When Hiring Financial Aid Officers

Mission, Purpose & Spiritual Issues

  • Strategies for Facilitating Spiritual Life on Campus
  • The Spiritually Accountable Colleges Assessment Project
  • Dealing With Mission Drift

Administration

  • How to Develop a Board That Is a Real Help to Your Small Christian School
  • The President's Relationships: Board, Staff, Faculty, Donors, Churches…
  • The President’s Role in Hospitality
  • Finding Resources for an Effective Presidency
  • Dealing With Destructive Behavior on Campus (e.g., from leadership, board members, team members, faculty…)

Academics

  • Recruiting, Retaining and Developing Faculty

Distance Education

  • Distance Education

Library

  • Growing Your Library Without Spending Money (free online databases, materials, equipment, staff, etc.)

Finance

  • Budget Planning

Request a FREE Consultation

Our consortium of professionals offers consultations on anything your school needs: Major donor cultivation, Marketing, Distance Education,  Accreditation, and so very much more.