Concurrent Sessions 6

Concurrent Sessions 6 | Tuesday, October 1 – 1:00-2:00 p.m.

BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF HYBRID/REMOTE WORK

Since the end of the pandemic, there has been increasing pressure to return all employees back to the office 5 days a week, which could affect recruitment, retention and morale. In this session, presenters will explore these challenges through case studies, examining them from managerial, staff and HR perspectives. This session is sponsored by Cornerstone OnDemand. 

Erica Sebastian, Director, Global People Operations, and Sean Higgins, National Human Resources Manager, both of University of Pennsylvania

BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS: ONE INSTITUTION’S JOURNEY

Learn how one decentralized university has made significant strides in enhancing its support and strategic direction through the appointment of key leadership roles. Presenters will delve into the establishment of crucial roles and the pivotal importance of forging robust partnerships across the university landscape. This session is sponsored by Huron. 

Rythee Lambert-Jones, Assistant Vice President and Chief HR Officer, University of Maryland College Park; Susan Basso, Principal, Huron Consulting Group; Clint Eury, Program Director for Strategic Partnerships and Communications, University of Maryland College Park

CHANGING THE NARRATIVE ON TERMINATIONS

Learn how to transform the narrative around terminations from a negative experience to a more constructive and positive transition for both the organization and the individual involved. You’ll leave this session with tools, strategies and a new perspective on how to handle terminations. This session is sponsored by TIAA. 

Jennifer Rowell, Training and Development Manager, and Tara Dupre, Director of Human Resources, both of Southeastern Louisiana University

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE DIGITAL AGE: LEVERAGING GenAI FOR SUCCESS

Emotional Intelligence (EI) impacts all aspects of work and life. Interacting with others can be challenging, and everyone has room for improvement. This session will explore how to use GenAI to build self-awareness, develop habits that increase EI and guide yourself to emotionally intelligent responses. This session is sponsored by PageUp.

Jim Nieman, HR Director, and Kim Harris, Associate Vice Provost and Director, Academic HR Services, both of Duke University

EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUPS – LET’S GET TOGETHER

Institutions are looking to affinity and employee resource groups to provide space for employees to feel included while also supporting the institution’s mission, vision, values and goals. This session will share the affinity group framework at Stanford and implementation at MiraCosta College. This session is sponsored by TIAA. 

Cindy Cho, Senior Human Resources Business Partner, Stanford University; Charlie Ng, Assistant Superintendent/Vice President – Human Resources, and Wendy Stewart, Associate Vice President and Chief Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility Officer, both of MiraCosta College

LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT ALIGNMENT THROUGH A LEADERSHIP COMPETENCY MODEL

Explore the development and practical application of UTRGV’s leadership competency model. Learn how a leadership competency model can be the center piece for alignment when it comes to learning and development, performance management, hiring and succession planning. This session is sponsored by Cornerstone OnDemand. 

Nicole Englitsch, Organizational Development Manager, and Marco Garza, OD Director and Clinical Assistant Professor of Management, both of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

STRATEGIC COLLABORATION: ONE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM’S APPROACH TO SCALING LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT

Amid an environment of scant resources, one university system has partnered to create strategic alignment and system-wide state and global learning and development impact by focusing on their best asset: their people. Explore virtual ways to extend influence, foster a culture of continuous improvement, and ensure access and equity. This session is sponsored by PageUp.

Jill Wardell, Director, Talent Learning and Organization Development, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Michael Noll, Training and Development Manager, University of Baltimore; Namrata Ram-Andriessens, Assistant Director and Chair of USM Learning and Talent Committee, University of Maryland, College Park; Neena Narayanan, HR Coordinator, University System of Maryland; Amy Levine, Training and Organizational Development Coordinator, Towson University

THE INTERSECTION OF HARASSMENT, BULLYING AND THREATS: UNDERSTANDING AND PREVENTION

Learn how UIC improves difficult work environments through its Dispute Resolution Service, including mediations and conflict style assessments. Presenters will discuss harassment, bullying and threat assessment and will present an interactive case scenario. This session is sponsored by Progyny.

Caryn Bills-Windt, Associate Chancellor for Access and Equity, University of Illinois Chicago

WHAT MATTERS MOST TO HIGHER ED EMPLOYEES: RETENTION-RELATED FINDINGS FROM THE 2024 HIGHER ED WORKFORCE SURVEY

Although voluntary turnover in higher ed has declined from its all-time high in 2022-23, encouraging employee retention and job satisfaction remains top of mind for higher ed HR practitioners. In spring 2024, CUPA-HR and the TIAA Institute conducted the 2024 Higher Ed Workforce Survey to examine financial wellness, retirement readiness, and job satisfaction among full-time higher ed employees. This session will explore what higher ed employees want in exchange for the work they do — in particular, how they prioritize the importance of a range of job features and employee benefits. We’ll discuss how retention-related factors differ by employee type, employee age span, and whether employees are at risk of turnover. This session is sponsored by TIAA. 

Melissa Fuesting, Ph.D., Associate Director of Research, CUPA-HR; Paul Yakoboski, Ph.D., Senior Economist, TIAA