Professional Development Day
2023 Presentation Descriptions

Presenter
Alicia Stewart Voytek, Associate Vice President, Campus Living   

Abstract
Staff recruitment, selection, and retention is critical to the overall health, effectiveness, and ability of our departments to serve our students, develop and maintain a strong team, and bring our foundational values to life. This quick yet tangible session will focus on the importance of and the steps involved in aligning your job description, recruitment and selection materials, and hiring process in a clear and transparent manner. Learn about strategies for removing applicant barriers, expanding a more diverse candidate pool, and considering the opportunities and impacts of transferable skills. Explore ways to connect your recruitment and selection to your departmental values. Enhance your onboarding process to help new staff feel welcomed, connected, and prepared for their transition. If you are launching a process soon, or currently participating in one, bring any draft/current position descriptions, matrices, interview questions, and/or draft interview schedules, etc. with you to review, make notes, and actively apply the discussion to your process.

ACPA/NASPA Professional Competencies 
Law, Policy, & Governance 
Organizational & Human Resources 
Leadership 
Social Justice & Inclusion 

Session Type 
Presentation 
Discussion 
Workshop 

Audience
Open to all  

Presenters
Jessica Alcala, Hispanic, Latine Student Services Graduate Assistant, Office of Inclusion
Chelsea Hutton, Events and Orientation Graduate Assistant, University Admissions
Anahi Pina, First Scholars Graduate Assistant, 1st Generation Programs 

Abstract
As a Student Affairs professional, you balance not only your cultural and social identities but the recognition of how it influences a supportive dynamic. When you and your student hold generational differences, there may be distinctions in the importance of multicultural competence in higher education.    

Learning Outcomes
1. Develop a greater understanding of Multicultural competence, and its application to student affairs.
2. Exploration and understanding of a professional’s own personal identities and how they may impact everyday work with students.
3. Be able to recognize and understand the generational differences in how student affairs professionals work with students and other professionals. 

ACPA/NASPA Professional Competencies
Personal & Ethical Foundations
Social Justice & Inclusion
Organizational & Human Resources  

Session Type
Presentation

Audience 
Open to all

Presenters
Alix Ford, Health Educator, Intermediate, Health Promotion
Melissa Griffin, Director, Health Promotion

Abstract
The goal of this presentation and workshop is for attendees to create a collaborative plan to support student wellness based on current wellness trends and data. A short presentation comparing NAU student wellness data on topics of alcohol and other drugs, mental health, and sexual and relationship violence to sister universities and national cohorts will guide the conversation for attendees to develop interdepartmental plans using the socio-ecological model as a framework for collaboration.  

Learning Outcomes
1. Attendees will be able to identify current student wellness trends.
2. Attendees will recognize the importance of building collaborative relationships with other departments to address disparities and student health needs.
3. Attendees will understand their role in supporting student wellness.   

ACPA/NASPA Professional Competencies 
Organizational & Human Resources
Social Justice & Inclusion

Session Type 
Workshop 
Presentation 

Audience 
Open to all
Geared toward entry level professionals

Presenter
Dr. Aaron Cirzan, Director, Academic Success Centers and Peer Jacks

Abstract
The pandemic disrupted learning for the more than 50 million students in the United States as teachers and students alike shifted to online learning, for up to two years, utterly unprepared to do so.  This modality shift led to a precipitous drop in math, reading and writing scores, but also in general academic skills.  To compound the issue, the achievement gap between Students of Color and white students and students from low poverty schools and high poverty schools expanded.  To this day, academic normalcy, for some, still seems out of reach.  This presentation will provide data on the lingering academic effects of COVID-19 on students, with a specific focus on historically marginalized populations, to provide a clear understanding of the academic realities for students coming into the university.  It will also explore what we can do as academics, and student affairs professionals, to help students catch up.  Through lecture, discussion and activities, we will evaluate the realities of learning loss from the pandemic and develop meaningful take-aways to help support students in your program that you work day to day. 

Learning Outcomes
1. Participants will be able to identify the causes of learning loss due to the pandemic.
2. Participants will be able to analyze the impacts of learning loss on current NAU students.
3. Participants will be able to apply support mechanisms to counter the issues of learning loss with students in their program. 

ACPA/NASPA Professional Competencies
Leadership
Social Justice & Inclusion 

Presentation Type
Presentation
Workshop 

Audience
Open to all
Geared toward mid-level and senior-level professionals  

Presenter  
Hilda Ladner, Assistant Vice President Student Affairs, Inclusive Student Mentoring, Programming and Success  

Abstract
Focused on the work of Dr. Derald Wing Sue, this session will provide an overview of what microaggressions are and why, as student affairs professionals, we should work to intervene when we witness microaggressions. The presenter will introduce the use of microinterventions and micro-affirmations as ways to mitigate the impact of microaggressions.  

Learning Outcomes
Participants will:
1. gain a better understanding of what microaggressions are
2. learn about strategies for intervening against microaggressions
3. walk away with resources for learning more about microaggressions and how to intervene to mitigate the impacts of microaggressions 

ACPA/NASPA Professional Competencies 
Personal & Ethical Foundation 
Social Justice & Inclusion 

Session Type
Presentation
Workshop

Audience
Open to all
Geared toward beginner to moderate knowledge/understanding of microaggressions

Presenter
Shawna Bowen, Training and Development Coordinator Sr. Campus Living  

Abstract
Empathy Fatigue is a wide felt phenomenon happening across higher education. Successful author and speaker, Shawna Bowen, will offer a Wholistic approach to why we find ourselves feeling tired, unmotivated and lacking energy even though we want to genuinely connect with our students, our employees and do a good job. This presentation will offer an energetic explanation as to what empathy fatigue is and how to create a life to avoid burn out, fatigue and feel better as you work with people. This presentation will include an activity to promote self-awareness around empathy fatigue and offer a tool at the end to take home to use.  

Learning outcomes
Participants will:
1. learn to identify symptoms of burn out and empathy fatigue
2. learn about an energetic explanation as to why they are feeling burned out
3. identify how they personally get burned out and how they personally rejuvenate
4. receive energetic tips, tricks and tools to avoid burn out and fatigue in the future
 
ACPA/NASPA Professional Competencies
Personal & Ethical Foundations   

Session Type
Presentation
Workshop 

Audience
Open to all

Presenter
T. Mark Montoya, PhD, Associate Dean for Curriculum and Student Affairs/Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies College of Social and Behavioral Sciences  

Abstract
In this conversation, I will address the range of terms around Hispanic, Latino/e/x/@, Chicano/e/x/@, Raza, and so on, as well as the histories of these terms. Furthermore, I will engage in dialogue around self-identification, our journeys, our struggles, and the claims we make both personally and professionally from our own grappling with these identities. Finally, I will open the floor with questions to consider, as well as suggestions for best practices.

Learning Outcomes
1. Participants will leave with an understanding about why there are so many terms
2. Participants will leave with an understanding about how these terms embedded in specific contexts
3. Participants will leave with an understanding about the relationship between individual/personal identification and how this positions individuals within larger structural forces, conversations, and dynamics 

ACPA/NASPA Professional Competencies
Social Justice & Inclusion
Advising and Supporting
Law, Policy, & Governance
Assessment,
Evaluation, & Research
Values, Philosophy, and History
Personal & Ethical Foundations

Session Type
Presentation
Workshop   

Audience
Open to all

Presenter
John Gartin, Director, Career Development  

Abstract
1. Outline the 2021 NACE Career Competencies & the expectations of today’s employers
2. Explain the career-based motivations of Gen Z university students
3. Examine how to intentionally explain how career competencies are interwoven in co-curricular activities
4. Self-assess the learned career competencies of attendees to allow them to build the self-efficacy necessary to help their student’s own career development   

Learning Outcomes
1. Ability to self-advise as well as mentor and coach others for intentional career growth and development.
2. Clarify your and other’s career skills, abilities, and competencies with self-assessment tools.
3. Understanding of the importance of career development and life design in a person’s participation in co-curricular, service and volunteer activities.
4. The need for intentional and clear explanation of the career competencies learned and experienced in co-curricular, service and volunteer activities. 

ACPA/NASPA Professional Competencies
Organizational & Human Resources
Leadership
Advising and Supporting   

Session Type
Presentation
Workshop 

Audience
Open to all 

* Session 3 has two presentations due to lunch set up in the Abineau/Fremont Room.