Morning Breakout Sessions: 11:10 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Future-Ready: Exploring the Proposed Updates to the ACPA/NASPA Competencies for Student Affairs

Chris Moody, ACPA Director & Amelia Parnell, NASPA President
McKinnon F (First floor of Moseley)

Ready to explore the future of student affairs? Join us for an exclusive first look at the proposed revisions to the ACPA/NASPA Professional Competencies—revamped to reflect the realities and demands of a rapidly changing higher education landscape. This session will unveil key changes, consider what they mean for our field, and offer practical ways to integrate the revised competencies into your daily work and long-term professional growth. Whether you’re just starting out or leading teams, come discover how the professional competencies can elevate your practice and help shape the next era of student affairs.

Infected & Inspired: Strategizing Success and Belonging Through Humans vs. Zombies

Sam Hauser & Jaden Epps, UNC Pembroke
McKinnon E (First floor of Moseley)

Grab your socks because we are about to talk survival! During this session, we’ll dive into Humans versus Zombies (HvZ), the thrilling, campus-wide game of tag that turns students into survivors (or zombies!) in a week-long, apocalyptic adventure. We’ll share how UNC Pembroke’s version of HvZ works, along with data, both quantitative and qualitative, that shows how the game boosts belonging, well-being, and student success. Participants will also hear firsthand from one of our fearless players-turned-moderators about surviving (and thriving) in the game. Beyond the laughs, HvZ has proven to be a surprisingly powerful tool for student connection—especially for those who don’t typically engage in traditional programming. We’ll close by exploring how other institutions can bring HvZ to life on their campuses. Join us to learn how a zombie apocalypse might just be the cure for student disengagement!

“Is Another Degree for Me?”: The Experiences and Considerations for Full-Time Professionals Pursuing Graduate Degrees

Luis Garay, Elon University
McKinnon D (First floor of Moseley)

In this panel session, panelists will discuss their experiences of being a working full-time professionals while pursuing a graduate degree (master’s degree, doctoral degree, etc.). Through sharing their experiences, the presenters will discuss their motivation and reasoning, lessons learned, networks of support, and future pathways for their career to illuminate important considerations for current and future higher education progressions, deciding if another degree is for them.

Leadership for Social Change: Empowering Students in their Changemaker Journey

Audrey Ashburn, Jarrod Rudd & Jordan Farmer, UNC Greensboro
Lakeside 212 (Second floor Lakeside in Moseley)

Are you looking to build a tiered program that blends civic engagement and leadership for social change? We know the buzzwords of leadership and civic engagement, but how do we empower students to create the positive social change they want to see in their communities? What is positive social change, and how can we all be champions of change? Come explore the relationship between leadership development and civic engagement to support your students as they learn to make a difference! We will discuss the Social Change Model of Leadership Development, drawing connections to leadership and civic engagement programming opportunities. Reflect on your current approach through your areas of influence to creating Changemakers, students who are active participants in society, bringing awareness to your leadership approach.

moMENtum: Engaging Men for Positive Personal & Social Change

Becca Bishopric Patterson, Kyle Anderson & Andrew Monteith, Elon University
Lakeside 213 (Second floor Lakeside in Moseley)

How can we engage men students in building strong connections, authentic leadership, and academic success? Many areas on campus, including academic and co-curricular programs, struggle with depth and breadth of participation from men. Beyond disparities in enrollment and graduation rates, men report struggling with loneliness and substance use. However, significant barriers prevent men from engaging with educational opportunities or even conversations related to cultivating the skills they need for connection and success. Male gender stereotypes and norms create very limited options for “acceptable” expression, which results in negative consequences from physical and mental health concerns, substance abuse, suicide, lethal violence (as victims or perpetrators), lack of connection within relationships, and lower life satisfaction for men. Facilitators will share about gender role conflict, the model gender majority myth, and other concepts important to consider in shaping strategies for engagement and development. Facilitators will share research on the state of men, knowledge on the barriers that exist to men’s development, strategies for engagement, and successes in approach and programming. Participants will leave with tangible strategies for engaging men and ideas for adapting and infusing practices into their current context.

Know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em: Centering our values when we find ourselves in challenging work environments

Brian Daniel, UNC Greensboro
Lakeside 214 (Second floor Lakeside in Moseley)

Whether we openly acknowledge it or not, institutional fit and alignment with organizational values significantly influence our success and satisfaction in the workplace—even more so when the stated values are not reflected in practice. This interactive program will facilitate an interactive and engaging session on exploring how misaligned institutional values, unhealthy work cultures, and unsupportive supervisors or colleagues can adversely affect our professional experiences. To help guide this conversation, participants will complete a brief work values inventory that will help them discover what values of theirs are most important to them in the workplace. Together, we will create a reflective space for participants to learn more about their values, share their own stories, learn from others with similar journeys, and foster a sense of community and validation. Through this facilitated and open dialogue, we’ll begin the important work of reconnecting with the passion that originally sparked our commitment to student affairs. This collaborative session also aims to help participants wrestle with a difficult yet familiar question: Should I stay or is it time to go?— echoing the timeless advice to “know when to hold ’em, and know when to fold ’em.”

Afternoon Breakout Sessions: 2:30 – 3:20 p.m.

Student Affairs at the Policy Table: Advocacy, Action and the Road Ahead

Jhenai Chander, Ph.D., NASPA Vice President for Research and Policy
McKinnon F (First floor of Moseley)

How do national and state-level policy decisions impact your daily work in student affairs—and what can you do about it? Join Dr. Jhenai Chandler for a timely and practical conversation on the evolving policy landscape and the intersections of public policy and student affairs practice. You’ll gain a clear, accessible overview of the issues that matter most to student affairs professionals today. This session will also introduce NASPA’s growing library of policy and advocacy resources, along with actionable strategies for engaging in the policy process through coalition-building, student-centered policy engagement, and community partnerships.

Showing Up Differently: Redefining Professionalism Through a Neurodivergent Lens

Tyeesha Wesley, UNC Greensboro
McKinnon E (First floor of Moseley)

What if “professionalism” in Student Affairs looked a little more human? This session explores the realities of working and leading while neurodivergent through managing sensory overload, boundaries, and burnout in spaces that rarely slow down. Participants will engage in conversations on how to foster offices that center empathy, flexibility, and genuine belonging. It’s time to re-imagine productivity, rethink what engagement looks like, and make room for everyone’s brain to thrive.

Burgundy Zone Workshop: Becoming a Disability Ally

Tina Vires & Susan Wise, UNC Greensboro
McKinnon D (First floor of Moseley)

You’ve heard of Safe Zone, Green Zone, and Indigenous Zone trainings—now it’s time to explore the transformative power of Burgundy Zone. This engaging workshop invites participants to deepen their understanding of disability inclusion and advocacy. Through interactive learning and reflection, you’ll gain the tools to become a Disability Ally, fostering environments where disabled individuals feel safe, valued, and empowered to be their authentic selves. Successful participants will earn a Burgundy Zone Disability Ally certificate, a visible symbol of your commitment to accessibility and equity. Display it proudly to signal that your space is one where barriers are actively removed and voices are heard. Join us in building a culture of belonging—one ally at a time.

From Day One: A Holistic First-Year Experience at Elon University

Emily Krechel, Jennifer Stephens, Brandy Propst & Kirsten Carrier, Elon University
Lakeside 212 (Second floor Lakeside in Moseley)

The transition to college can be both exciting and challenging. At Elon University, the First-Year Experience (FYE) provides a holistic framework that supports students academically, socially, and personally from their first day on campus. Through six interconnected pillars — enrollment, new-student programs, common reading, living & learning, Elon 1010 and first-year foundations — the FYE helps students build confidence, form meaningful connections, and develop habits for lifelong well-being.

This session explores how Elon’s integrative approach creates a strong sense of belonging and engagement while fostering student success across academic and co-curricular spaces. Participants will learn how collaborative partnerships between academic and student affairs shape a seamless support network, offering practical strategies that can be adapted to a variety of institutional contexts. Whether you’re developing orientation programs, designing first-year seminars, or leading student success initiatives, this session will provide concrete ideas for cultivating learning, connection, and thriving during the critical first year.

Supervising the Whole Professional: Supporting Women with Children in Student Affairs

Sam Lopez, Elon University
Lakeside 213 (Second floor Lakeside in Moseley)

Women working in student affairs often navigate complex intersections of care-giving and professional responsibility. Too often, supervisors are unprepared to support staff members balancing parenthood with the demanding, time-flexible nature of our field. This session invites supervisors, managers, and campus leaders to explore evidence-based strategies for supporting and retaining women with children in student affairs. Drawing on recent qualitative research that examined why and how mothers choose to stay in the field after childbirth, participants will examine the crucial role supervisors play in creating family-supportive environments. Together, we will unpack the impact of flexibility, empathy, and role modeling on employee engagement and retention. Participants will leave with practical tools for fostering inclusive supervision practices that affirm the identities of working mothers and cultivate cultures of belonging and sustainability across departments.

Building Bridges for Student Wellness: A Cross-Divisional Model for Supporting Basic Needs and Student Success

Christie Poteet, Evan Long, Leigh Parker, Willie Dial, Luciana Hunt, Ian Stroud & Pardon Ndhlovu, UNC Pembroke
Lakeside 214 (Second floor Lakeside in Moseley)

Student wellness is strengthened when institutions intentionally bridge divisions to create coordinated systems of care. This presentation highlights how one university has integrated departments across various divisions into a cohesive model through its Basic Needs Committee, CARE Team, resource sharing, and training initiatives. Attendees will learn practical strategies for cross-training, case management, and interdepartmental collaboration that improve student outcomes and foster a culture of shared responsibility for student wellness.