WIBE Presents
Associate & Assistant Deans
Virtual Summer Summit
Where Your Leadership Heats Up
July 21 & 22, 2026
Virtual on Zoom • 11:00 AM – 2:15 PM ET
Hot Summer Days with WIBE
Leading in the middle of it all
This summer, we are bringing together Associate and Assistant Deans who lead from the middle. This is a space for honest conversation about the realities of your role, with people who get it. Come cool down and join us for sessions that sharpen how you lead right now.
People Who Get It
Confidential, small group discussions about budgets, governance, and the tough stuff. With peers who have been in the room.
Practical Strategy
Sessions on managing up, building consensus, and protecting your energy. So you lead by design, not by reaction.
Lasting Connection
Build your network and leave with a crowdsourced toolbox of resources you can use the very next day.
The Program
Two Days. Practical Tools. Your Peers.
All times Eastern (Washington, DC). Networking sessions take place in small groups and will not be recorded.
More speakers and updates added to the agenda soon
Day 1 — Tuesday, July 21 • 11:00 AM–2:15 PM ET
Opening Networking HourNot recorded
When the Heat Is On: Managing Budget Reductions and Rawness. In small groups, associate deans talk through the realities many schools face right now. Budget reductions, program cuts, staffing changes, and difficult trade offs. An informal, confidential conversation with peers who understand the pressure.
Keynote: Solar Power Your LeadershipKeynote
Wellness, Resilience, and the Pivot. Leadership roles in higher ed can drain your energy fast if you are not intentional about protecting it. This keynote explores how leaders stay resilient, adapt to changing environments, and pivot when realities shift.
Jennifer Askey, Executive Leadership & Mindfulness Coach for Higher Education
Sunlight and Shadows: Leading by Influence and Managing Up
Associate deans often lead without full authority. This session covers practical approaches to managing up, influencing decisions, and building productive leadership partnerships.
Day 2 — Wednesday, July 22 • 12:45–3:15 PM ET
Navigate the Heat: Patience and Persistence with Faculty Governance
Shared governance is your greatest strength and your worst challenge. Explore how leaders build consensus, navigate resistance, and move initiatives forward even when the process feels slow.
Wearing All the Hats: The Many Roles of the Associate & Assistant Dean
Firefighter, counselor, strategist, project manager, diplomat, or all of the above? This session explores how to manage the emotional and professional demands of wearing so many hats and keep one role from overwhelming the rest.
Closing Networking ExchangeNot recorded
Build Your Associate Dean Toolbox: The “Angie’s List” for Associate Deans. Crowdsource the best tools, platforms, professional development programs, and resources that make your work easier, including how associate deans are using AI. Ideas captured live on a shared Padlet.
A take-home toolbox resource will be shared with all participants.
★ The agenda is subject to change.
In Their Words
What members say about the room
This is an excellent opportunity, not only for professional development but also for networking, relationship building, and emotional support.
Amy McMillan
Associate Dean, East Carolina University
The content continues to be invaluable. I constantly look forward to the professional development offered through WIBE!
Mary Connerley
Associate Dean, University of Northern Iowa
Real community in WIBE is not about comfort. It is about challenge, raw honesty, and growth.
Isho Tama-Sweet
Associate Dean, University of Montana
Registration
Save your seat
Early Bird pricing ends July 18, 2026. Rates rise after that.
Best Value
WIBE Members
Free
Included with your WIBE membership.
Non-Members — Early Bird
$149
On or before July 18, 2026.
Non-Members — Standard
$249
After July 18, 2026.
Not a member yet? Joining WIBE makes the summit free. More information on membership.
Who Should Attend
Built for leaders in the middle
If you lead from the middle of it all, this room is for you.
Associate Deans
The most demanding seat in the building.
Assistant Deans
Holding the whole thing together.
Future Leaders
Preparing for the role before the title.
Center Directors
Driving programs, people, and results.
Plus anyone in middle management ready to uplevel their leadership.
Why Attend
Three reasons to be there
Real Connection
Small sessions, not another webinar.
Strong Community
Peers who actually get the role.
Practical Tools
Use them the very next day.
Where Your Leadership Heats Up
Two days of honest conversation, practical strategy, and connection. Save your spot.
July 21–22, 2026 • Virtual on Zoom
Not ready to register? Get updates and upcoming events in our monthly events newsletter.