Professional Development Conference

In existence since 2011, Staff Senate’s Professional Development Conference (PDC) is designed to provide quality professional and personal development in a convenient location at no cost. This annual one-day conference is held the Tuesday of spring break with registration open to all university staff members.

PDC aims to:

  • Provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and learning experiences
  • Develop strategies and best practices through collaboration
  • Assist in the professional and personal development of university staff members
  • Encourage staff to connect with others across campus to enhance cooperation and camaraderie

Navigating our new normal. Staff Senate

Tuesday, March 14, 2023
Lowman Student Center

Navigating our New Normal aims to inspire attendees to become agents of change within their department, division, and the university. Developing change agents starts with you! With your help, we can immerse staff in new learning opportunities and support one another as we work towards growth and change that positively impacts our students, future leaders, and institution.

Please get in touch with us at staffsenate@shsu.edu if you have any questions.

  • SCHEDULE
    8:00am – 9:00am
    Check-in/Breakfast
    9:00am – 9:50am
    Opening Session
    10:00am – 10:50am
    Session 1
    11:00am – 11:50am
    Session 2
    12:00pm – 1:30pm
    Keynote/Luncheon
    1:45pm – 2:35pm
    Session 3
    2:45pm – 3:35pm
    Session 4
  • OPENING SESSION

    9:00am – 9:50am

    Navigating our New Normal
    Presenter: Dr. Drew Miller

    LSC Orange Ballroom

  • SESSION ONE

    10:00am – 10:50am

    Grace in the Workplace
    Presenters: Sarah Browning
    LSC 230

    What exactly is ‘grace’ and why does it belong in the workplace? Join in this workshop style session and discover how grace can be an agent for change both internally and externally.

    Career Resilience
    Presenter: Michelle Meers
    LSC 241

    Join a licensed Career Counselor in exploring aspects of Career Resilience--the ability to adapt to change and remain engaged amidst challenges. Learn about what resilience can look like behaviorally and in attitudes and work patterns that allow us to keep going and growing, even in difficult or uncertain times.

  • SESSION TWO

    11:00am – 11:50am

    Leveraging the Administrative Professional as a Business Partner

    Presenters: Megan Holloway & Julie Schwab
    LSC 230

    The Administrative Professional is more than a job. It’s a profession. Administrative Professionals (AP) are communication gurus. They are responsible for coordinating information to support an office environment, keeping executives organized and informed, networking with executives and external partners, and building teams. APs are dedicated support professionals who ensure efficiency and compliance. As the role of AP has evolved, the executive/director must also evolve and leverage their AP as a business partner. Join a panel of APs in this provocative session as they highlight the admin-evolution, identify power skills needed for the new AP, and provide insight into how you can leverage the AP at a greater capacity.

    Adopting Adobe Acrobat Sign for Electronic Signatures in the University Workplace

    Presenter: Chester Bammel
    LSC 241

    Are you frustrated waiting on documents that need to be signed or approved from the department across campus? Are you unable to figure out on whose desk and on which pile of paper that document is that needs to be approved by six different approvers? The implementation of electronic document routing and signatures has been a godsend in the university environment. The TSUS system has adopted Adobe Acrobat Sign as its electronic form signature platform. This tool is used for building forms that require electronic signatures and approvals is simple and easy to use. With a little practice, you can be sending out your own forms in no time. We will learn the basics of how to build your forms along with some simple tricks to maintain them and improve their functionality.

  • KEYNOTE/ LUNCHEON

    12:00pm – 1:30pm

    Navigating our New Normal
    Presenter: Dr. Michael Stephenson

    LSC Orange Ballroom

  • SESSION THREE

    1:45pm – 2:35pm

    Be Emotion Smart

    Presenter: Courtney Wilson
    LSC 230

    In this session, participants will review the impact emotions have on our interactions with others in the workplace and realize the escalation to conflict when emotions are left ignored. The presenters will introduce a near foolproof conflict resolution tool that participants will have the opportunity to apply to an example of an escalated emotional scenario.

    Navigating from the Middle

    Presenters: Dr. Meredith Conrey & Katy Pelton
    LSC 241

    Mid-managers operate in a vertical dyad, leading up, down, and all around. Join in a conversation to explore the mid-manager role at the university. Presenters will highlight research, resources, and engage the audience in a conversation to identify areas for action.

  • SESSION FOUR

    2:45pm – 3:35pm

    Free Your Creativity

    Presenter: Meghan Burton
    LSC 230

    The Internet is full of free resources and tools for creative projects. Join me for an overview of sources for free photos, videos, fonts, etc. and some helpful tools for working with them.

    Community Engagement: What's it all About?

    Presenters: Taylor Morrison & Sarah Burchett
    LSC 241

    SHSU sets itself apart as the only TSUS system campus with the Carnegie Foundation Classification for Community Engagement. In fact, we were one of the first in Texas to ever receive the designation back in 2010. Engagement is a common buzzword these days, but what does that really mean for us working here at SHSU? In this interactive workshop, we will explore what community engagement in higher education is, what it looks like on our campus, and how we as staff can be agents-of-change in our respective areas to help SHSU contribute to the public good.