Concurrent Sessions 1: Monday, April 27 • 10:30-11:45 a.m.
1A: What's Love Got To Do With IT — Labor Relations in Higher Education
Master Series
November's election brought forth a mandate for change. This session seeks to engage participants in lively discussion focused on the changing face of Labor Relations at colleges and universities today. Key topics include: promoting positive employee-employer relationships while sitting on the opposite side of the bargaining table; the role outside counsel plays sitting at and away from the bargaining table; and creating a culture of transparency and mutual respect.
Diane B. Patrick, Partner, Ropes & Gray LLP; Candace Baer, Vice-President for Human Resources, Rhode Island School of Design
1B: Got Ambassadors? Creating a Culture of Ambassadorship at Brown
Training and Development
Learn about the benefits of developing a recognition and retention program for high performers. The Brown University Ambassador Program exposes participants to both the big picture and "behind the scenes" of how the university operates; provides them with a clearer understanding of the value of their role within the university; and provides staff an opportunity to become more involved and connected to the university. We'll watch a video produced by the 2008 Ambassador Class and meet some ambassadors who will share with you the impact this program has had on their worklife at Brown. Learn how senior staff, corporation members, staff and faculty have contributed to make this program so successful.
Betsy Warner, Director of Compensation & Organizational Development, and Judy Nabb, Manager of the Center for Staff Learning & Professional Development, both of Brown University
1C: Job Evaluation as Transition to Effective Performance Management
Compensation/Rewards, HR Strategies/Leadership
Participants will gain hands-on experience and insight into the implementation of a new position classification system tailored to the organization's unique needs and culture. Also, learn about a competency-based performance system linked to classification and career development, offering opportunities to improve training and expand talent management.
Hunt Bartine, Director of HR Strategy, Planning & Compensation, Temple University
1D: Immigration: Legal Compliance in the Age of E-Verify and Worksite Enforcement
Legal Issues
It seems that every month brings new immigration-related federal government reporting requirements … and news of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids on employers! The agencies are clearly focusing on enforcement with their E-Verify and "No-Match" programs, which seek to root out unauthorized employees. I-9 penalties have been drastically increased. But every U.S. higher education institution strives to attract the best talent in the world and at least occasionally hires foreign-nationals. This session will consider best practices ensuring compliance with complex immigration and labor laws and reporting requirements.
David Ware, Attorney, David Ware & Associates; Michele Barosh, Assistant Manager of Visa Services, Human Resources, Pennsylvania State University
1E: Building a Successful Health and Prevention Program: What Works, What Doesn't
HR Strategies/Leadership, Employee/Labor Relations
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." This classic concept is being recognized by universities around the U.S. with the adoption of a variety of campus or other worksite health, prevention and disease management initiatives. University administrators, in response to escalating health care costs, have answered back with health and prevention programs that have reduced costs, lowered absenteeism, improved productivity and created happier staff and faculty (all of those positive results contributing to better financial results for universities).
Laura Kenerson, Director of Human Resources, University of Rhode Island; Anne Marie Ludovici, Hewitt Associates
1F: Strategies for Human Resource Leadership During Economic Downturn
HR Strategies/Leadership
Participants in this interactive session will build a repertoire of programs, approaches, tactics, policies and practices that have been successful and resulted in sustained employee commitment, engagement, performance and reward/recognition. Current practices such as talent management and investment in building internal leadership succession planning will be discussed so we can discover the contribution these practices can make during times of limited resources. When determining the strategies to which HR can contribute, it must select those with a positive outcome and must be willing to measure and be accountable for the results. Participants will practice this investment/measurement capability.
Barbara Butterfield, Senior Consultant, Sibson Consulting, a Division of Segal
1G: Faculty Behaving Badly: Issues and Interventions
Organizational Development, Legal Issues
What do you do when the colleagues of a popular, gifted professor complain that his or her behavior is disruptive? What steps do you take when complaints give way to statements of concern for their own physical safety and that of their students? Regardless of the size of your institution, managing people may well be one of your greatest challenges. This session examines how institutions confronted with difficult personnel crises can partner with their employee assistance programs to craft interventions that address the needs of the department, the faculty member, the institution and the students.
David Trainor, Associate Vice Chancellor, HR & Labor Relations, Connecticut State University System; Hamish Blackman, President, The Wellness Corporation
Concurrent Sessions 2: Monday, April 27 • 1:15-2:30 p.m.
2A: What Makes a College Great to Work For
Master Series, Recruitment/Retention, HR Strategies/Leadership
Examine early findings from The Chronicle of Higher Education's second annual Great Colleges to Work For survey. Discover industry trends in compensation, benefits and other employment issues and what employees value most about their workplaces. Learn how to apply the results to your recruitment and retention efforts.
Jeffrey Selingo, Editor, The Chronicle of Higher Education; Richard Boyer, Founder, Modern Think; Janet Walker, Work/Life & Communications Coordinator, George Mason University
2B: Holistic Retiree Health Care Plan Management
Benefits
The impact of new accounting standards for retiree health care continues to reverberate throughout the university community. Many organizations are utilizing the results of their actuarial studies to holistically manage their OPEB plans via an integrated approach with respect to plan design, funding alternatives and risk management. Organizations must balance the perceived value of the benefits by faculty and staff with the cost of the liability to the institution. Industry experts will discuss these far reaching impacts and talk about what every college, university or university system needs to know to respond effectively and assess their plan design and funding alternatives.
Noel Thomas, Retirement Consulting, Hewitt Associates; Phil Kivarkis, Director, Asset-Liability Management, Hewitt Investment Group LLC
2C: The Employee Free Choice Act and What It Means for Your Campus
Legal Issues, Employee/Labor Relations
This session will examine the likely provisions of the Employee Free Choice Act and help you understand what it will mean for your campus. Learn what you can and should do now to prepare for it.
John Gaal, Partner, Bond, and Louis DiLorenzo, Partner, Bond, both of Schoeneck & King, PLLC
2D: Succeeding at Succession Planning: HR's Role to an Institutional Imperative
HR Strategies/Leadership, Training and Development
This session will examine one of the most important challenges facing higher education and human resource professionals. Beyond addressing the immediacy of this issue, participants will be guided through a methodology that will provide assistance when implementing a succession planning model at their own institutions. Group discussion and case studies will be incorporated to enhance the learning experience.
Steve Riccio, Staff Development Coordinator, Dickinson College
2E: Managing Crucial Conversations
Training and Development, Organizational Development
We have all had workplace conversations with others about important issues that we wished had happened differently. Sometimes we avoid conversations for fear of making things worse. In this workshop, we will examine how to manage crucial conversations in the workplace. We will explore a model for focusing on having a successful conversation; examine ways to manage potential conflict; and practice the crucial conversation model.
Margaret Arsenault, Employee and Organizational Specialist, University of Massachusetts Amherst; Lee Ann Alden, Employee Training & Development Coordinator, University of Massachusetts Lowell
2F: Creating and Maintaining a High-Performance Culture (In Today's World)
Training and Development, Organizational Development
Learn how organizations can keep employees engaged and performing at high levels when tough economic times are resulting in frozen budgets, staff reductions and open positions are closed. Explore the use of practices such as aligning individual contributions to the organization’s goals; recognition programs; talent mobility; exposure to new internal opportunities; and targeted training and development. The session will include an active discussion among participants on performance management techniques they have used, both successfully and unsuccessfully at their institutions.
Charlene Moore Hayes, Vice President for Human Resources, Johns Hopkins University; Lynell James, Senior Vice President for Human Resources, TIAA-CREF
2G: From Quality Service Provider to Strategic Partner: Taking HR to the Next Level
HR Strategies/Leadership
Learn how one HR department took service quality to the next level and forged strategic partnerships across the university. In this session, we'll discuss how this generalist model works and its benefits and impact. We'll also share challenges and successes with each other.
Cynthia Fico-Simpson, Director of Human Resource Services, St. John's University
Concurrent Sessions 3: Monday, April 27 • 3:00-4:15 p.m.
3A: Advancing Diversity and Building Community Through Innovation
Diversity, Organizational Development
Explore strategies and techniques used in advancing diversity initiatives while building community on your campus. This session will engage participants in dialogue as they learn about Bryant University's nine-year diversity evolution. Participants will also have an opportunity to discuss innovative practices that can be used for preparing their campus for emerging issues in an increasingly diverse environment.
Jane Tuohy, Partner & Principal, Cambridge Hill Partners, Inc.; Linda Lulli, Associate Vice President of Human Resources, and Erika Paquette, Assistant Director of Human Resources, both of Bryant University
3B: Raising a University Through Collective Bargaining
Employee/Labor Relations
This session will examine the many facets of policy development and administration inherent in a collective bargaining environment. Attendees will engage in proactive challenge to common collective bargaining modalities, enabling them to view collective bargaining as an opportunity and not an obligation.
Robert H. Avery, Esq., VP & General Counsel, Roger Williams University
3C: Legislative Update
Legal Issues
Hear the latest from Washington during this update discussing legislative and regulatory initiatives impacting the workplace.
Josh Ulman, Chief Government Relations Officer, CUPA-HR
3D: Healthcare Trends & Strategies for Controlling Costs
Benefits, HR Strategies/Leadership
With the increasing interest in "consumerism" in health care, support services like health advocacy have become a valuable employee benefit. Employers recognize that professional support is needed to help employees and family members successfully navigate the complexities of health care and health insurance. Placed in the context of rising health care costs and compressed corporate benefit budgets, many employers find it cost effective to introduce services that relieve overburdened HR and benefits staff of the need to deal with these difficult issues. This session will address the present state of health care spending, the drivers of medical cost increases, consumer-driven health care, the cost of employee health care concerns to employers and how health advocacy programs fit into the suite of services employers may consider.
Dr. Abbie Leibowitz, Health Advocate
3E: The Future of Total Rewards at Emerson — Differentiating Pay and Performance
Compensation/Rewards, Recruitment/Retention
Learn why and how Emerson College redesigned its rewards philosophy, compensation and performance management programs to differentiate performance — all within 18 months. Given the evolving changes in the workforce, the future of rewards will definitely evolve with it. Find out how you can stay ahead of the curve.
Regina Sherwood, Principal, Mercer; Gwendolyn Bates, Associate Vice President for Human Resources & Affirmative Action, Emerson College
3F: OnBoarding: Getting Your New Employees up to Speed in Record Time
Organizational Development
Have you ever started a new job and sat down in front of your computer and wondered, "What do I do now?" Are you a manager wondering what to do with new employees during their first few weeks? Have you ever struggled to get acclimated to a new work environment? The onboarding process at any institution is paramount to grooming and retaining new employees. Learn how to create a successful and welcoming employee orientation process and how to educate new managers on their administrative responsibilities across the institution. You'll also have an opportunity to brainstorm in small groups about best practices from participating organizations.
Elizabeth Schirick, Organizational Development Specialist, Babson College
3G: Conducting a Systematic Review of University Policies: Opportunity and Excellence Coming Together Through HR Leadership
HR Strategies/Leadership, Employee/Labor Relations
Conducting a systematic review of university policies and procedures is a multi-faceted effort that includes collaborative leadership, long-term project management, research and benchmarking of best practices and, critically important, the engagement of diverse stakeholders. Participants will engage in a "real-time" assessment of the process currently underway at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) by comparing the preliminary project plan with current plans and outcomes. Participants will engage in a roundtable discussion to compare and contrast experiences and/or seek feedback from colleagues on initiating or adapting a similar initiative.
Kathleen Martin, Director of University Policy Review and Development, Rochester Institute of Technology
Concurrent Sessions 4: Tuesday, April 28 • 10:30-11:45 a.m.
4A: Better Search Committees: Selecting for Retention, Diversity and Fit
Master Series, Recruitment/Retention Diversity
It is not enough that your campus search committees hire qualified candidates, but rather candidates who will fit into your organization's culture, who represent the demographics of communities that your institution serves and who are engaged and committed to your school's mission. Learn how to structure and support selection processes in such a way as to improve their decision making. Better define HR's role with faculty and staff search committees that add value to the process.
Christopher D. Lee, Ph.D., SPHR, President, SearchCommittees.com & Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources, Virginia Community College System
4B: Just One Step
Diversity
This session will ask participants to examine their reactions to the claims of others regarding discrimination or harassment, and to examine those reactions vis-a-vis sensitivity to what others are feeling. How do our assumptions and stereotypes lead us to make decisions about others' sensitivity? Participants will be given strategies for enhancing their responsiveness to others in order to be more effective at supporting colleagues and students, and will learn how to respond to concerns and complaints that are brought to HR, including consideration for optimizing the response on behalf of the institution operationally, ethically and legally.
Susan M. Cypert, Associate Vice President for Human Resources, St. Lawrence University
4C: Update on 403(b) Compliance — Industry Roundtable
Benefits
This session will recap the U.S. Treasury's decision to move the required date for plan documents to January 31, 2009 and examine those regulatory elements that were not delayed and must be in place today to insure plan sponsors are acting in compliance with the new rules. The panel will also update attendees on new retirement plan proposals being considered by Congress and the new Administration. Part of this update will look at issues such as fee disclosures, appropriate target date methodologies and the mandatory purchase of annuities for all or a portion of a participant's balance in retirement.
TIAA-CREF, Fidelity Investments, VALIC, ING, Sibson Consulting, a Division of Segal
4D: Interview Exchange Applicant Tracking and Hiring Management System Modules
Tech Showcase
Discover the Interview Exchange Applicant Tracking/Hiring Management System — a suite of affordable, easy-to-use, solutions for requisition tracking approvals, sourcing, screening and selecting qualified job applicants tailored to meet your institution's needs. Interview Exchange web-based solutions delivers the latest in recruiting technology in a simple, browser-based product your candidates, managers and search committees can start to use in minutes. Study an overview of all Interview Exchange packages including "Pay Per Job ATS," a pay-as-you-go system. Take this opportunity to discuss and hear from other Interview Exchange users.
Naray Viswanathan, President, Interview Exchange
4E: EAP Choices, What Works Best for Your Money?
Benefits
As college campuses consider benefit options in an era of fiscal contraction, what EAP programs work best? This interactive panel discussion will be moderated by Ron Finch from the National Business Group on Health (NBGH). Ron was the principal investigator for NBGH's An Employer's Guide to Employee Assistance Programs. The panelists will include representatives from a university with an internal EAP program; a university with an external EAP program; and an insurance company that provides free EAP programs. Brought to you by the Wellness Corporation.
Barbara Saat, Human Resources Manager, University of Rochester; Nancy Costikyan, Director, Office of WorkLife, Harvard University; Adam Nadler, The Standard
4F: Implementing Criminal Background Checks at Brown
Legal Issues, Recruitment/Retention
Review Brown University's experience in implementing criminal background screening of all staff employees. Learn about the steps taken to build consensus and support, the decisions made and the gradual expansion of the policy to cover all staff employees (including temporaries) hired, promoted or transferred at Brown.
Toni Tinberg, Director of Human Resource Services, Brown University
4G: Training Without Boundaries: Communication in the Virtual Campus
Training and Development
A case study of how the Community College of Vermont and its 13 locations across the state integrate communication and training anytime and anywhere for its staff and faculty. Participants will apply this model to the context of their own institution and take advantage of lessons learned in a virtual campus setting.
Lisa Yaeger, Director of Human Resources, Community College of Vermont
Concurrent Sessions 5: Tuesday, April 28 • 1:15-2:30 p.m.
5A: Is Your Campus Prepared? A Team-Based Approach to Campus-Wide Emergency Preparedness Planning
Master Series, HR Strategies/Leadership
Implementing an all-hazards emergency preparedness program is a daunting but necessary task for the campus of the 21st century. This presentation will engage participants in a mock "tabletop" exercise, offer a quick look at new benchmark practices in the area of emergency preparedness and tell the story of how UMass Boston is creating a culture of safety awareness and emergency preparedness.
Anne-Marie Kent, Senior Staff Writer, and Richard Lee, Assistant Director for the Department of Public Safety, both of University of Massachusetts Boston
5B: Talent Management Made Easy!
Tech Showcase
Join us for an overview of the PeopleAdmin Human Resource Modules. PeopleAdmin is the leading provider of Human Resource solutions specifically designed for higher education institutions. More than 500 campuses use PeopleAdmin to reduce the staff time and cost associated with their Applicant Tracking, Position Description and Performance Management processes. Gain an understanding of system functionality, implementation, pricing and how PeopleAdmin can help simplify your HR processes.
Kevin Wilson, Director, Higher Education Sales, PeopleAdmin, Inc.
5C: Strategic Leadership to Integrate Transgender Identity in the Workplace
HR Strategies/Leadership, Diversity
Examine the emerging trend of transgender inclusion in the workplace. Using recent inclusion efforts at University of Vermont as a model and moving beyond the issue of diversity, we will discuss the strategic business reasons for creating an institution where transgender persons are able to participate fully. Discuss leadership's role in developing policy and leading the development of cultural competencies at all levels.
Tara Messier, Trainer, Barbara Johnson, Associate Vice President for Human Resource Services, both of the University of Vermont
5D: Early Intervention Program: Guide for Handling Disruptive Behavior Situations
Employee/Labor Relations
This session seeks to bring together the leadership in your college or university to build a foundation designed to recognize the early warning signs of an individual in distress. Learn what resources are available to address the situation and how to make referrals to providers who are skilled in providing such services.
Sarah Pillittere, Training and Planning Specialist, and Deb Spencer, Training & Planning Specialist, both of Rochester Institute of Technology
5E: Princeton University's Learning Journey
Organizational Development, Training and Development
Hear the story of how Princeton University created a university-wide learning and development department using limited resources. See the framework of its journey and compare it with yours to benchmark or get new ideas. Also learn how university employees benefited from their training. Princeton applied five key components of success that resulted in a doubling of its budget line and increased confidence in the HR function — hear first-hand how they did so.
Jane Whitmore, Manager, U.S. Education Channel, DDI; Maureen Imbrenda, Manager of Learning and Development, Human Resources, Princeton University
5F: Backup Care: Case Studies From Brown, Columbia and Princeton
Worklife/Wellness Issues, Recruitment/Retention
A growing number of institutions offer backup care programs to help address employees' childcare and eldercare concerns, reduce unscheduled absenteeism, boost productivity and morale, enhance recruitment and retention and support diversity initiatives. Directors from three universities share their unique stories, discuss why they offer this innovative benefit and outline the results they have seen. They offer suggestions on how to make the business case, implement the benefit and measure program success.
Alison Nelson, Director of Benefits, Princeton University; Carol Hoffman, Associate Provost and Director of Work/Life, Columbia University; Michelle Wise, Senior Benefits Special Programs Coordinator, Brown University
5G: Enhancing Recruitment, Hiring and Retention
Benefits, Recruitment/Retention
Come share your best practices for Web site designs that entice potential candidates to your institution. Learn how to integrate technology into orientation processes to enhance the new employee's experience. Start creating opportunities that help new employees develop relationships within your campus community.
Lisa Verge, Training and Organizational Development Consultant, and Kelley Hassenplug, Benefits Specialist, both of Bucknell University
Concurrent Sessions 6: Tuesday, April 28 • 2:45-4:00 p.m.
6A: Part-time Faculty Unions on Campus
Employee/Labor Relations
Part-time and contingent faculty are at the forefront of a growing trend of union organizing on college campuses. Our panel of campus practitioners will share their experiences with part-time faculty unions, review pending changes in labor law and provide a sampling of best practices on important first contract issues. Participants will be encouraged to share their experiences, issues, questions and concerns.
Jack Matson, Director of Staff Relations and Recruitment, Syracuse University; Peter Jones, Partner, Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC
6B: Risks Related to Personal Data and Identity Theft Laws
Legal Issues
Examine the issues raised by 44 state "data breach" laws and other data protection regulations that typically cover social security numbers and other personal information. Discuss the hidden risks posed by the collection, use, sharing and storage of personal information intra-institution, as well as with third parties. Share experiences with data protection policies and practices.
Allison Dolan, Program Director, Protecting Personally Identifiable Information, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
6C: Intuitive Leadership: Nature, Nurture or Experience
HR Strategies/Leadership, Worklife/Wellness Issues
Learn about intuitive leadership, why it is important and how to use it to make better decisions, even in times of crisis. Discover tools to shift awareness, broaden perceptual capacity, train attention and achieve clarity about ourselves, others and situations. Identify social intelligence skills available to us for use in times of stress and chaos.
Diane Hayes, Director of Human Resources, Vermont Law School; Lynne Hadley, Coach/Consultant, Lifeworks Coaching and Consulting
6D: Building the Leadership Pipeline: Overcoming the Barriers
Training and Development, HR Strategies/Leadership
What are the barriers to effective leadership development at colleges and universities, and what are best practices for overcoming these barriers? Learn how to design, implement and sustain a leadership development program which incorporates the best practices of Fortune 500 corporations within the constraints of an educational institution.
Karen Carpentieri, Vice President of Human Resources, Berkeley College; Seymour Adler, Senior Vice President, Aon Consulting
6E: HR Transformation and the Evolution of the Business Partner Concept
Organizational Development, HR Strategies/Leadership
Navigating the waters of power relationships, opinions and practice is increasingly difficult for HR and organizational development (OD) practitioners, as they attempt to pilot their organizations from a transactional operational perspective (status quo thinking) to a transformational operational perspective (strategic thinking). Only those OD practitioners who have established themselves as trusted advisors to management are being seen as business partners in their organizations. Learn how to become one of these trusted business partners by examining models and discussing techniques that can help you shed the "transactional" stigma.
John-Paul (JP) Lacombe, Manager of Organization & Staff Development, University of Connecticut
6F: Strategic Partnering: Making Room for Others at the HR Table
HR Strategies/Leadership
HR professionals often speak about needing a "seat at the table." We'll share how we set about to not only achieve that seat, but how we invited others to our own HR table, increasing the opportunities for strategic partnering and the value of HR to the institution. Our planning process places human resources within a broader institutional planning cycle that provides transparency, rationale criteria and institutional buy-in. Participants will be encouraged to share their own strategic partnering success stories and models.
Kimberly Harkness, Director of Human Resources, Keene State College
6G: Work-Life Best Practices: Prioritizing in Demanding Fiscal Times
Worklife/Wellness Issues, HR Strategies/Leadership
Whether you're just getting started with a work-life program or trying to keep your program in sync with the demands of difficult budget times, this session will provide insights for your campus on strategic approaches to work-life. Topics will include understanding the dependent care, flexibility and wellness needs of your workforce; addressing the needs of both staff and faculty; getting more mileage out of your programs; and getting the word out about your programs. Campus professionals will discuss strategies for optimizing budgets and programs to meet the work-life needs of diverse populations.
Jan Civian, Senior Consultant, WFD Consulting; Nancy Costikyan, Manager of the Office of Work/Life Resources, Harvard University; Kathy Simons, Manager of Child Care and Work-Life Initiatives, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Julie Nuter, Associate Vice President, DePaul University
Preconference Workshop: Sunday, April 26 • 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Understanding Higher Education Preconference Workshop
Higher education is a unique environment and human resources in higher education can be uniquely challenging. This workshop is specifically for HR professionals who have experience in HR management but are new to higher education. Here you will find:
- The orientation and understanding you need to thrive in this environment filled with protocols, traditions and unique vernacular;
- Resources you need to be proactive and successful;
- Insights into the priorities and purpose of key higher education associations;
- The future of higher education and the implications for its human capital: CUPA-HR's Think Tank Report; and
- War stories and real life examples of successful results.
This is your opportunity to learn from the leaders who have shaped higher education HR across the country. Take advantage of this one-of-a-kind workshop.
Peter Martel, Vice President of College Operations and Human Resources, Dean College
