During this segment, we'll focus on our current priorities and the challenges our campuses and HR teams are facing during the spring semester and looking ahead toward the summer and beyond.

Facilitated by Susan Norton, Senior Associate Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, University of Alabama

The last two years have been beyond anything we could have ever imagined. The pressure on all of us in higher education leadership roles has been enormous, but we have proven that we can use this pressure to our advantage as we sparked creativity and innovation and led change initiatives that we would have never imagined two years ago. We now face unprecedented turnover, and vacancy announcements that once attracted hundreds of applicants aren’t attracting needed talent and must go unfilled leading to many challenges, include the continuity of our operations and extraordinary workloads for colleagues who must do their best to fill the gaps.

During this three-part session, CUPA-HR President and CEO Andy Brantley will highlight the workforce issues framing where we are now, the challenges shaping the higher education workforce, and ways that higher ed leaders can recruit, retain and engage the talent needed now and into the future. He will also encourage us to push back when leaders insist on recruiting “purple unicorns.” Participants will also engage in small group discussions and hear from higher ed HR leaders who are embracing remote and hybrid work arrangements and making changes to their recruitment and retention strategies.

Andy Brantley, Ed.D., President and CEO, CUPA-HR

What have we seen thus far and what should we be preparing for regarding regulations and key policy initiatives under the Biden administration? What can we expect from Congress and its committees, including the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee? What initial and forthcoming executive action has and will continue to impact higher ed and the workforce? This session will provide insight into the legislative and regulatory landscape.

Josh Ulman, Chief Government Relations Officer, CUPA-HR

This time is dedicated to allowing you to connect with other CHROs in small groups and discuss what’s on your mind.

Facilitated by Susan Norton, Senior Associate Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, University of Alabama

As we begin to emerge from the pandemic, we’re pivoting to a return to work that carries a number of uncertainties and many unanswered questions. In this time of enormous change, we must prioritize workplace well-being to prevent employee burnout and increase motivation. We’re in a time, like no other in history, where organizations have been given an opportunity to redefine their workplace.

Jennifer Moss, globally recognized as an expert in workplace wellness and author of the book The Burnout Epidemic, will show us how to capture lessons learned from the pandemic. She will walk us through our current realities and provide tangible solutions to increase psychological fitness for a healthier and happier today, and in the new future of work.

Jennifer Moss, Journalist, Author and Workplace Culture Strategist