Student Life Summit

1-1:50 p.m.

Student Supervision *NSYNC: "It's Gonna Be Me"- Becoming the Adaptable Supervisor (pt 1)

Katie Kromer, Residence Life
Kourtney Spaulding, Armstrong Student Center

Student Staff Supervision *NSYNC Series: Supervising students? Come learn about various elements of supervision and how to adapt your supervision based on the various needs of your staff. We'll also discuss group dynamics and share techniques on how to handle staff conflicts.

Location: Armstrong 1082

Nat 20: Designing (Critical) Student Growth through DnD

Evelyn Mendlowitz, Residence Life
Jack Seelye, Student Counseling Service

This presentation utilizes Table Top Role Playing Games (TTRPGs) such as Dungeons and Dragons for student growth. Presenters will explain the role that TTRPGs play in student psychological development and how that connects to Student Affairs. Furthermore, this session highlights the importance of students learning “people” skills through “high impact, low stakes” environments. These environments can be created through semi-structured role playing encounters offered through TTRPGs or other role-playing scenarios.

Location: Armstrong 1080

Lowering the Temperature: De-escalation Methods for University Settings

John Ward, Student Counseling Service

This session provides essential, practical training for effectively managing and resolving emotionally charged situations within a higher education environment. Participants will learn de-escalation techniques designed to prevent conflicts from escalating, promote respectful communication, and maintain a safe and supportive campus atmosphere. Participants will gain confidence in promoting calm, setting firm but empathetic boundaries, and fostering positive outcomes.

Location: Armstrong 1086

Event Production: Shouldn't I Be Good At This By Now?

Sarah Meaney, Residence Life

Putting on an event can feel like something we should all be good at by now, but if you are new to Student Life this might be something that is not explicitly taught in professional staff training. If you feel lost when it is time to put on a program, this session will break the process down into manageable steps and then spend a significant amount of time working through the logistics steps for the event. (Simply put, how do you bring the plan for the event into actual reality?) We will also spend time working on adaptability as even the best plans are sometimes disrupted in the moment. You will walk out of this session with practical skills to help you and your teams stress less about executing programs.

Location: Armstrong 1066

2-2:50 p.m.

Supervision *NSYNC: "Pop" - Crafting the Perfect Training Mix

Ana Burt, Wilks Institute for Leadership and Service

This session will explore ideas of skill building, communication, personal and team development, and appreciation in the training and development process for student employees. Finding ways to make training both educational and entertaining is important for a successful training curriculum. Content will be shared in an interactive presentation and round table discussions.

Location: Armstrong 1082

Ready Player One: Leading Through Communication Excellence

Trent McKenzie, Residence Life

Level up your leadership by mastering the power-up that matters most (in my opinion): communication. This session introduces practical strategies for clear, confident communication and effective presentation skills while exploring how strong communicators lead teams through change and innovation. Participants will learn how to adapt their message, build buy-in, and inspire others in dynamic, evolving environments. Perfect for professionals looking to enhance their leadership impact and navigate transitions with clarity and confidence.

Location: Armstrong 1080

Building Community and Belonging within Rinella's Academic Support Programs

Gary Ritz, Rinella Learning Center
Kevin Carr, Rinella Learning Center
Melissa Hatch, Rinella Learning Center

Universities strive to build a sense of community and belonging among their students, so that same goal should be a focus among student staff members. The academic support programs within Rinella have implemented several activities for our student staff members to build that sense of belonging, which has helped with morale, pride, retention and recruitment of academic support employees. Several examples will be shared in the session. We have found that when student staff feel like they belong to a community, they enjoy their work and have better success as staff members.

Location: Armstrong 1086

Transition Survey 2.0

Gwen Fears, Student Life Leadership

This session builds on data shared during the December professional development overview of the transition survey by taking a deeper dive into specific student populations. Participants will examine survey findings across key demographics and student types to better understand the unique challenges different groups experience during their transition. The session will focus on translating these insights into targeted, actionable strategies for improving support and resources for diverse student populations.

Location: Armstrong 1066

3-3:50 p.m.

Tearin' Up My Heart: Delivering Feedback with Care

Kourtney Spaulding, Armstrong Student Center
Andrea Howard, Orientation and Transition Programs

Are you ready to say "Bye Bye Bye" to a stressful evaluation season? Delivering effective feedback—especially when it's tough—can feel like you're "Tearin up” your staff, but it doesn't have to be a painful process. This session moves beyond annual reviews to explore how continuous, compassionate feedback (in a variety of ways) can fuel student staff growth and build stronger teams. Join us as we share our expertise, frameworks, and practical tools to transform your approach to performance management.

Location: Armstrong 1082

ADHD in Focus

Annastashia Blesi, Miller Center for Student Disability Services

Adult ADHD is more than an attention disorder — it is a complex interplay of neurobiological, emotional, and contextual factors that shape daily life, relationships, and professional performance. This interactive session reframes ADHD through a neurodiversity-affirming and disability justice lens, highlighting the ways environments, not individuals, create barriers to success. Participants will explore how ADHD manifests across life domains, challenge common misconceptions, and identify actionable strategies to support students and colleagues with ADHD in higher education settings. Through reflective activities, tools, and lived experience storytelling, attendees will leave with deeper empathy, practical tools, and renewed commitment to creating ADHD-inclusive spaces.

Location: Armstrong 1080

Beyond the Title: Making and Keeping The Promises of Giants in Leadership

Alex Fields, Community Standards

Utilizing the lessons shared in John Amaechi's 2021 Book, "The Promises of Giants" this session shares the promises that leaders must make to those who they serve. Leadership is not something bestowed upon us through title, rather, it is something that all of us must strive for. This session will offer some lessons relevant to leadership in supervision, but is open to any attendee who seeks to make a difference and inspire others.

Location: Armstrong 1086

The Intersection of AI and Student Affairs - An Open Discussion

Geoff Combs, Armstrong Student Center

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the higher education landscape, from the classroom to administrative functions. This interactive session provides a timely overview of how AI tools are currently impacting our profession. Much of the session will be dedicated to an open discussion where participants are encouraged to share their current AI implementations, highlight ethical and practical challenges they perceive, and collectively explore the future role of AI in higher education and student life.

Location: Armstrong 1066