Student Life Summit

1-1:50 p.m.

Interrogating Barriers to Supporting LGBTQIA+ Students in Times of Political Uncertainty

Mat Hall, Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion

This session seeks to examine the ways that institutional reticence is erected in times of political uncertainty in a way that, despite intentions, can be harmful to historically marginalized students - in this case LGBTQ+ students. By historicizing this conversation through a lens of racialized and gendered socially constructed "moral panics," the session will position contemporary attacks on queer and trans inclusion in education spaces as one in a long line of identity (or population) based escape goats towards whom political ire is directed during times of political uncertainty. In doing so, the presentation will outline how retrenchment on LGBTQ+ inclusion in educational spaces because of political uncertainty results in experiences of betrayal trauma, institutional betrayal, increases the likelihood of bias, harassment, LGBTQ+ enrollment decline, etc. Finally, in looking at the concept of institutional courage, the session will encourage participants to collectively identify ways to combat retrenchment against inclusion.

Location: Armstrong 1086

The Transition Survey: So What?

Gwen Fears, Student Life

Did you catch the update from the transition survey results this fall? Whether the answer is yes or no, join this working session to dive deeper into what we can do to make changes, guided by the data, that will positively impact the transition process for first-year students. A brief recap of the fall 2024 data along with some longitudinal data will set the stage for us to expand the conversations about now what and putting the data into action.

Location: Armstrong 1080

Purposeful Professional Development: Growing Developmental Capacity

Sasha Masoomi, Office of Residence Life

Do you supervise full-time or graduate staff and want to further enhance their professional development experience? Join us to discuss how to target professional development toward staff members' developmental capacity, using concepts related to self-authorship, individual professional development plans, and Learning Partnerships Model. This session will offer specific and concrete strategies, as well as philosophical approaches, to developing staff that fosters developmental growth.

Location: Armstrong 1082

2-2:50 p.m.

Nurturing Student Well-being: Unique Programs, and Support Services from the US, UK and Ireland

Geoff Combs, Armstrong Student Center

This session will feature a variety of unique ideas collected from Ireland, the UK and the U.S. focusing on programs that nurture students and support their overall wellbeing. Program ideas will address mental health and financial stress, food/housing insecurity, digital well-being, as well as physical, spiritual, social, and emotional health.

Location: Armstrong 1086

Becoming a Neuro-inclusive Campus

Annastashia Blesi, Miller Center for Student Disability Services

Explore ways that institutions of higher education can become more inclusive environments for neurodiverse college students. The presenter aims to enhance awareness and understanding of neurodiversity (including autism spectrum, ADHD, dyslexia, and traumatic brain injuries), challenge deficit-based approaches to understanding diverse brain functioning, and propose action items to transform exclusionary campus cultures that have historically stigmatized and devalued neurological difference.

Location: Armstrong 1080

Grant Writing 101

Rebecca Young, Office of Student Wellness

When the going gets tough, the tough get writing! Grants can be a great way to supplement your budget or be a springboard for new projects. Just like student affairs has its own language, so does the grant world. Join Rebecca Young, Director of Student Wellness, to learn the basics of grant writing. Some topics include: identifying grant opportunities; submitting grant applications; limitations; and how Miami Grants and Contracts and Research and Innovation Offices can help. Rebecca has secured over $3mil in grants over the last 5 years and serves as a mentor to grantees at the state level.

Location: Armstrong 1082

3-3:50 p.m.

RIP Formstack: A New Age of Forms at Miami

Sarah Meaney, Office of Residence Life
Katie Kromer, Office of Residence Life

Formstack is departing Miami forever on July 1, 2025. Has your department started converting your forms? We sure have and have found Google Forms to be less than adequate to mirror the same capabilities as Formstack. This session will talk about why the university is moving away from Formstack, the limitations of Google Forms, and the benefits of Qualtrics. We will teach basic form creation in Qualtrics and participants will have a chance to practice making a form as well. 

Location: Armstrong 1086

SEAL of Secrets

Mattea Carveiro, Center for Student Engagement, Activities, and Leadership
JS Bragg, Center for Student Engagement, Activities, and Leadership
Camille McDonald, Center for Student Engagement, Activities, and Leadership

Wait, SEAL Ambassadors do more than student orgs? Join the Center for Student Engagement, Activities, and Leadership (CSEAL) as we share the new iteration of the SEAL Ambassadors program Escape Room style! Through a combination of presentation and interactive activities, participants will explore how CSEAL transformed our student leadership employment model to create more intentional opportunities for students to gain interpersonal and critical thinking experiences.

Location: Armstrong 1080

Miami and the Macabre: How Ghost Stories Impact Campus Culture

Evelyn Mendlowitz, Office of Residence Life

We have heard so many ghost stories but have we really looked into how those stories impact our campus culture? In this session we will explore how the various tales of ghosts at Miami affect the students, staff, faculty, and alumni as well as how ghost stories can influence the perceptions that people have surrounding the history and tradition of Miami. Furthermore, this session takes an exploratory approach into why we tell ghost stories and how those theories relate to mental health, unconscious biases, and campus culture as a whole.

Location: Armstrong 1082