Management Development Program - May 2026

• Seven modules of interactive coursework with reflection exercises, case studies, and management tools including corresponding participant workbooks.
• Experience, expertise, and guidance of three Management Development Program trainers.
• Networking with fellow participants and trainers.

You have been elevated to a managerial role.

If you’re often making critical management decisions for your team or office, the MDP can provide tools and frameworks to help you. Within the MDP you’ll gain tools to help you navigate performance management, manage change, and successfully advocate for your program or office’s needs.

You would like to build a network of International Education managers.

The structure of the MDP is designed to maximize collaboration with your fellow participants and the expert MDP Trainers alike. You’ll work with your peers in small groups to deepen your knowledge of the content. You’ll get key insight from experienced MDP trainers. Most importantly, you’ll build relationships with your MDP cohort.

You have been in a management program for a while and would like to update your skills.

The best managers are continually challenging themselves to refresh their skills, update their knowledge and expertise, and build stronger teams. Join MDP to not only share your valuable experience as a manager, but learn from others in the room to improve your practice.

You enjoy learning from a diverse group of leaders.

While the MDP uses a university setting in various case studies and examples, the underlying management principles and skills are generally transferable to all situations in the field of international education. The program touches on topics such as scanning your environment for potential changes and improvements, working with your supervisor by “managing up,” identifying potential connections and resources in other departments and organizations, and identifying strategies for managing your underperforming employees and your star employees.

The curriculum is reality-based, grounded in theory but focused on application. The content leverages participants' management experiences to illustrate concepts and identify solutions. To encourage participant sharing and learning from everyone's expertise and experience, class size is limited!

Module 1: Seeing Your Program in the Larger Context

• Anticipate and react to environmental factors.
• Conduct an environmental scan to assess external opportunities and triggering factors.
• Build capacity to manage the impact of environmental factors.

Module 2: Organizational Culture

• Examine the impact of organizational culture on your IE program.
• Analyze your own organization's politics.
• Assess and bridge gaps in financial responsibility.

Module 3: Responsive Leadership

• Adapt your leadership style to respond effectively to changing circumstances and challenges.
• Support team members by better recognizing their skills, motivations, and needs.
• Act with intention by engaging in honest, sometimes challenging conversations and practicing leadership in real-life scenarios.

Module 4: Performance Management

• Apply a performance management model to programs and staff.
• Identify opportunities to improve approaches to performance management.
• Develop a personal performance plan to manage both under-performing and high-performing employees.

Module 5: Managing Change

• Develop a systematic approach to managing change.
• Apply model to a past or an ongoing change effort.
• Determine the impact on your team.

Module 6: Increasing Support for Your Program

• Align program goals to institutional goals.
• Conduct a stakeholder analysis.
• Improve advocacy with stakeholders and decision-makers.

Module 7: Sustaining Yourself as a Manager

• Exchange insights and strategies for balancing work and life.
• Generate ideas and actions to manage stress more effectively.
• Review and identify the strategies and tools from MDP most likely to increase your effectiveness as an IE manager.

Closing

• Create an action plan to move forward

This program will take place in-person in Orlando, FL in conjunction with the 2026 NAFSA Annual Conference & Expo.

Sunday, May 24

8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Module 1: Seeing Your Program in the Larger Context

Module 2: Organizational Culture

Module 3: Responsive Leadership

Monday, May 25

8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Module 4: Performance Management

Module 5: Managing Change

Tuesday, May 26

1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Module 6: Increasing Support for Your Program

Module 7: Sustaining Yourself as a Manager