Registration is now available for “Well-being in Higher Education: Raising Literacy and Advancing the Conversation.”
This inter-association effort features a series of free, virtual events taking place February 26–March 1, 2024. The goal is to raise the literacy for wellbeing among higher education professionals and to advance conversation among colleagues on and across campuses.
The goals of this event are emphasized in the event’s title—to raise the literacy around wellbeing and to foster opportunities for conversation between and across campus departments. We hope you’ll engage with partners across campus to view sessions together and/or dialogue afterwards about what you heard.
Scheduled sessions
A sessions schedule is available on the NASPA website. Sessions are generally programmed from 12:00pm-4:00pm Eastern/9:00am-1:00pm Pacific during the week. Like you might experience at a conference, there are a few “mainstage” sessions, but most time blocks offer multiple options for content and engagement.
All sessions during the week are open to all event attendees.
The core planning team – NIRSA, ACHA, NASPA, ACUHO-I, CUPA-HR, NACE, and ACPA have put together several sessions of general interest. A few highlights include:
Opening keynote session
Monday, February 26, 12:00pm-1:30pm, Eastern/9:00am-10:30am Pacific: Join us to kick off this week of learning and dialogue! Dr. Kevin R. McClure will present “The Caring University: A roadmap to reimagining the higher education workplace.” Explore case studies of organization-level changes to learn more about the structures and cultures that support employee wellbeing. This session will include both presentation by and a Q&A with Dr. McClure.
Wellbeing and Mental Health: A conversation
Tuesday, February 27, 12:00pm-12:50pm Eastern/9:00am-9:5/9:00am-9:50am Pacific: Wellbeing and mental health are frequently used interchangeably—both in higher education and in the broader societal lexicon. How are these two critical concepts different? Where are their synergies? How can campus work support both? Hear from Zainab Okolo (Senior Vice President of Policy, Advocacy and Government Relations, JED), Hollie Chessman (Director, Practice and Research, ACE), Joyce DeWitt-Parker (Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs- Health and Well-being at University at Albany, SUNY), and Kirk Dougher (Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Support and Wellness, Washington University) as they discuss these questions and more.
Presidential Fireside Chat
Wednesday, February 28, 1:00pm-1:50pm Eastern/10:00am-10:50am Pacific: Join NIRSA Executive Director Pam Watts as she chats with Lewis & Clark University President Dr. Robin Holmes-Sullivan about a president’s perspective on wellbeing and how campus departments can unite in this work.
Data and Wellbeing: A conversation
Friday, March 1, 1:00pm-1:50pm Eastern/10:00am-10:50am Pacific: Join data experts and survey architects Nicole Brocato, Senior Assessment & Analytics Scientist, Wake Forrest University; Sarah Lipson, Principal Investigator, Healthy Minds Network; Allison Smith, Co-founder, Action Network for Equitable Wellbeing (ANEW); and Bridget Yuhas (Primary Investigator, Student Well-being Institutional Support Survey (SWISS), as they engage in conversation. The session will focus not on the specific tools these speakers represent but about some of the larger questions regarding using and gathering data in the complex and dynamic work of wellbeing.
Closing session
Friday, March, 2:00pm-3:00pm Easter/11:00am-12:00pm Pacific: We may be closing out Wellbeing Week, but this session’s purpose is to look ahead to what’s next. This week was intended to be catalytic and momentum-building; our work is just starting! Join Kathleen Hatch (Morrison Family Associate Vice President for Student Well-being, Kansas State University), Oliver Tacto (Dean of Student Wellness, Maryville University), and Sherrá Watkins (Associate Vice President for Student Health & Wellness, University of Utah) in conversation about how to keep this work moving forward.
Each association was asked to contribute two sessions to the week-long event: one session created with its members in mind and one in collaboration with another association.
Mark your calendars for these two sessions from NIRSA:
NIRSA & AASHE joint session
Wednesday, February 28, 12:00pm-12:50pm Eastern/9:00am-9:50am Pacific: Join members of NIRSA and AASHE for “Systems Change: Wellbeing, Sustainability, and Justice.” Wellbeing, sustainability, and justice are all complex challenges that demand systems-level thinking to move the needle towards progress. Join us for this important conversation about thinking differently and how it relates to our everyday work. This session is moderated by NIRSA President Designee Erin Patchett (Director, Administration and Assessment, Colorado State University) and features NIRSA Health & Wellbeing Task Force member Mark Ferguson (Assistant Vice President, Well-Being, Ohio University), AASHE member Thomas Kelly (Chief Sustainability Officer, University of New Hampshire), and AASHE member Sophia Agtarap (Director, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges).
NIRSA for Wellbeing: Understanding Wellbeing through NIRSA Engagement
Wednesday, February 28, 3:00pm-3:50pm Eastern/12:00-12:5astern/12:00-12:50pm Pacific: Join NIRSA Health & Wellbeing Task Force members Josh Downing and Jake Eubank for this roundtable discussion. They will share foundational elements, current and future work of the task force, and highlight how the inter-association definition of wellbeing framework can be applied to campus recreation.
Registration
Registration is now live. Once you register, you will be provided with a passcode to access the WebEx platform for the event. Please note, if you do not have a WebEx account you will be required to create one. During the week, you’ll be able to use the passcode to access all sessions within the WebEx space. You’ll also be able to chat and connect with other attendees.
Participating associations include: AASHE, ACHA, ACPA, ACUI, ACUHO-I, AHEAD, APPA, ASCA, CAS, CUPA-HR, NACA, NACCU, NACE, NACUBO, NACUFS, NASPA, NASFAA, NIRSA, NODA, SCUP, URMIA.
- Questions related to registration and logistics can be directed to Emma Spalding, Associate Director of Well-being Initiatives and Statewide Coalition Projects, NASPA . Questions related to the event’s content more broadly and/or NIRSA’s role can be directed to Erin O’Sullivan at NIRSA.
Erin O'Sullivan is currently the Director of Advocacy & Strategic Partnerships at NIRSA.
