Concurrent Sessions I


CS1 - NACUBO Washington Update
Eligible for 1.5 Personal Development CPE Credits
Sunday, May 1 | 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM MDT

Session Overview

Where do things stand for higher education, over a year after President Biden entered the White House and with slim Democratic control of the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives? What role has NACUBO played as a liaison with legislators and policymakers at the national level, and with national accounting standard setters? NACUBO’s Bryan Dickson will offer observations and analysis of major legislative and regulatory changes and explore both challenges and opportunities ahead for colleges and universities.

Learning Objectives

1) Gain insight into new legislation and Congressional actions that impact colleges and universities

2) Recognize how regulatory changes will impact campuses in the coming months and years

3) Explore the role of the business officer as a public advocate for higher education

About the Presenters

Bryan Dickson
Director, Student Financial 
NACUBO
Photo: Bryan Dickson

Bryan Dickson is the director of student financial services and educational programs for the National Association of College and University Business Officers. As part of NACUBO’s Leadership Development team, he is responsible for supporting the advancement of an array of member programs and services. In addition, he is a staff liaison to NACUBO’s Student Financial Services Council, working on behalf of the NACUBO membership to assist bursars and student accounts staff on a national level. Prior to joining NACUBO in 2007, Dickson was a member of the legal and compliance practice at CEB, Inc., a best practice insight and technology company in Washington, DC. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.

CS2 - Recovery from the pandemic from four Comprehensive, Doctoral/Research Institution Leaders (CDRIC)
Eligible for 1.5 Business Management & Organization CPE Credits
Sunday, May 1 | 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM MDT

Session Overview

Join your colleagues for an interactive learning and networking opportunity.  Attendees will hear from a panel of experts regarding auxiliaries and their recovery from the pandemic, remote work, research, and financial modeling.  Immediately following the panel presentation, participants will break out into small groups to discuss the topics, what has worked at their institutions, and share tips.

  • Recovery for auxiliaries: What has worked to manage the volatile scaling down and back up that occurred with staffing and housing during the pandemic?  How will auxiliaries look different in the future due to lessons learned during the pandemic? 
  • Remote work: How have institutions created creative uses of office space (hoteling, shared office, and at-home days, etc.)?  Does the new normal include hybrid for everyone?  How can remote work be a tool to retain faculty and staff during the Great Resignation? 
  • Research during the pandemic: What lessons were learned with lab and field research that were often curtailed or shut down completely during the pandemic?  How have these disruptions impacted the financial health of research intensive institutions and what can be done to reduce disruptions to research in the future? 
  • Financial modeling during a crisis: What was learned that reduces the volatility for financial modeling?  Are there tips to improve financial decision making during a crisis? 

Roundtable breakout session: 25-30 minutes for the participants to discuss all of these topics at their table, what has worked at their institutions, and what tips and support can they offer their colleagues.  Each roundtable will be moderated by a CDRIC volunteer, and we will capture the responses to be shared electronically with the participants after the presentation is complete.

Learning Objectives

1) Connect with peers to discuss current challenges to our campuses, including organizational structures, management and fiscal planning, remote work, and current administrative practices.

2) Evaluate new approaches to management planning and handling issues on campus.

3) Solve problems relevant to comprehensive and doctoral institutions.

4) Identify business management strategies to plan for what higher education and academic research looks like after the pandemic and may look like in the next 10-20 years.

About the Presenters

Leslie Brunelli
Senior Vice Chancellor for Business and Financial Affairs and University Treasurer
University of Denver
  Leslie Brunelli, MBA, is the Senior Vice Chancellor for Business and Financial Affairs and University Treasurer for the University of Denver in Denver, Colorado. In her role at the University, Leslie develops and implements financial policy that deliver the resources, services and facilities necessary for the continued advancement of the University’s mission and strategic plan. Leslie is the primary communicator of fiscal affairs to the Chancellor, senior leadership, the Board of Trustees, as well as to other internal and external stakeholders. As a key member of the Chancellor’s staff, she works closely with leadership to develop operational policies and deliver the resources, services and facilities necessary for the continued advancement of the University. She oversees the controller’s office, shared services, environmental health and safety, campus safety, student financial services, facilities planning and management, human resources and inclusive communities, internal audit and enterprise risk management. Leslie has 25 years of experience in higher education, previously serving in multiple positions at the University of South Carolina including Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer. Leslie is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of South Carolina with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a Master of Business Administration. Leslie is a registered yoga teacher having studied in a 200-hour immersive residential program at the Asheville Yoga School
Jeff Herring
Chief Human Resource Officer
University of Utah
  Jeff Herring, JD, MBA, SPHR, is the Chief Human Resource Officer at the University. He has served in this position since 2013. Prior to the University of Utah, Jeff served on the Governor’s Cabinet as the Executive Director of the Utah Department of Human Resource Management for 12 years. In HR, Jeff has consistently focused on developing the organizations strategic efforts using principles of increasing customer service, efficiency and effectiveness, and leadership capacity. Jeff is currently a national board member of CUPA-HR. Prior to his public service, Jeff worked as an attorney focusing in the area of labor and employment law. Jeff earned his BA in History from the University of Utah. He then went on to earn his MBA with an emphasis on HR and completed his law degree from California Western School of Law in San Diego, California.
Joel Burstein
Director of Finance and Administration
University of Arizona
  After ten years in Public Accounting, Finance and Operations Management, Joel returned to his alma mater as Director of Finance and Administration for the Arizona Student Unions, University of Arizona BookStores and Parking Transportation Services. Joel coordinates and manages matters relating to both finance and accounting for three campus auxiliaries with an annual budget of nearly $90 million and oversees a tremendously effective team of nearly 30 employees. Additionally, Joel is currently serving as Interim Executive Director of the University of Arizona Bookstores, acting as an entrepreneurial leader skilled in financial, operational, and people management to serve as the steward of the University of Arizona retail enterprise. A second generation Wildcat, Joel graduated from the Eller College with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and a Master’s degree in Accounting. As a CPA and an active member of the community, he strives to help bring both tangible and intangible success to the Arizona Student Unions, UA BookStores, Parking and Transportation Services and the University of Arizona community at large.
Corinne Lengsfeld
Senior Vice Provost for Research & Graduate Education
University of Denver
  Dr. Corinne Lengsfeld serves as the Senior Vice Provost for Research & Graduate Education at the University of Denver. As the chief research officer, she is the primary advocate for the University's research mission and is charged with understanding, celebrating, leading and enhancing all forms of scholarship to foster professional growth of the faculty, advancing knowledge, enriching the student experience, and enhancing University visibility. Dr. Lengsfeld oversees all internal support for research, the management of external grants and contracts, research integrity and protection, intellectual property and technology transfer and some multidisciplinary research institutes/core facilities. In her capacity as the head of graduate education, she serves as the pathway and provides an official record for graduate student applications, admissions, enrollment, monitoring and recording of academic progress, and the awarding of degrees. Dr. Lengsfeld provides leadership around enrollment strategy, communicates enrollment progress relative to targets to the Board of Trustees and generates collaboration across the university to leverage enrollment successes in various divisions. A deeply respected teacher, researcher, administrator, and colleague, Dr. Lengsfeld has been part of the DU community for over 20 years. Previously, she served as the interim provost and executive vice chancellor, as well as in other leadership roles at DU. As a faculty member still actively engaging in research, she specializes in interdisciplinary research in meso- and micro-scale fluid systems. Her research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the Department of Health & Human Services, the Department of Defense, the State of Colorado, Keck Futures, and others.
CDRIC Concurrent members

CDRIC Concurrent members:

Monica Kane, Chair - Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

Cindy Alexis - Oregon State University

Joel Colvin - University of Colorado Boulder

Linda Kosten - University of Denver

Jennifer Radke - University of California, Davis

Jeff Ratje - University of Arizona

Erin Hutchinson - University of Colorado Boulder


CS3 - Small Institutions Constituent Committee Roundtable
Eligible for 1.5 Personal Development CPE Credits
Sunday, May 1 | 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM MDT

Session Overview

The Small Institutions Committee addresses issues specific to small colleges or universities (typically defined as fewer than 5,000 students). The session will begin by engaging attendees in identifying the top issues/themes, challenges and trends facing small institutions today.  Attendees will then have the choice to join a series of break-out group discussions on these topics that will be facilitated by members of the Small Institutions Council.  

Learning Objectives

1) Identify the top issues, challenges and trends facing small institutions.

2) Discuss how other institutions are addressing these issues, challenges and trends.

3) Employ strategies, uncovered through group discussion, on how best to approach and attend to these issues, challenges and trends.

4) Utilize a network of colleagues as resources for navigating effectively through these issues, challenges and trends at their individual campuses.  

About the Presenters

Steven Schwartz
Vice President, Finance & Administration
Fort Lewis College
Photo: Seven Schwartz As the Chief Operating Officer at Fort Lewis College, Steve Schwartz is responsible for the administrative functions of the college, including finance, facilities management, capital planning, purchasing, human resources, information technology, Community Concert Hall, Old Fort operations, environmental health & safety/risk management, campus police, internal audit and financial aid. In his role as COO, Steve focuses on growing the institution by enabling innovation directed at serving the college’s stakeholders.   He has a passion for driving efficiency and integrating sustainability in operations. Steve has been employed by Fort Lewis College for almost 25 years. During that time, he has served as Director of Institutional Research, Budget Director, Vice President for Finance & Administration/Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Operating Officer.  Steve received his B.A. degree from Fort Lewis College and his MBA from the University of Kentucky. In his free time, Steve can be found either on a beach with his wife or riding his mountain bike aimlessly on the trails in and around Durango, Colorado.
Lori Seager
Associate Vice President for Finance
Colorado College
Lori Seager has served for three years as the Associate Vice President for Finance at Colorado College. She spent the early years of her career working as an auditor for KPMG. A few years later, she transitioned to Higher Ed business and finance, working for 12 years at New Mexico State University, and then for 6 years at the University of Puget Sound before coming to CC. Colorado College is a private residential liberal arts college, with approximately 2100 students studying one course at a time, in our unique Block Plan. Lori enjoys volunteering with WACUBO and currently participates in the Small Institutions Committee, the 2022 Program Committee and is the 2022 WACUBO Annual Conference Host Committee chair.                                                                                                                                                 

CS4 - Community College Constituent Committee Roundtable
Eligible for 1.5 Personal Development CPE Credits

Sunday, May 1 | 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM MDT

Session Overview

This session’s themes were selected by the Community College Constituent Committee and will address issues specific to community colleges. Join your colleagues for an interactive learning and networking opportunity. This session will engage attendees in a discussion of current trends, issues, and challenges facing institutions.

Learning Objectives

1) Connect with a network of peers to discover and discuss topics affecting today’s community colleges.

2) Identify the current trends, issues, and challenges facing community colleges.

3) Discuss what strategies other institutions are using for addressing these trends, issues, and challenges.

4) Evaluate strategies, discovered through discussion, and discover best practices for implementation.

About the Presenters

                             
WACUBO Community College Committee

The WACUBO Community College Committee acts as a liaison between the representative constituency and the WACUBO Board of Directors. This is accomplished by identifying, defining, and communicating the needs of Community College Business Officers to WACUBO. This includes advisory functions to officers and committees of WACUBO in the planning and conducting of Association programs, and includes communication to the membership of opportunities for continued professional development.

Community College Committee members:

Linda Cordier, Chair - Pima Community College

Debbie Baker - Western Wyoming Community College

Leda Johnson - Estrella Mountain Community College

Ken Kaleiwahea - Hawaii Community College

Darren Marshall - Salt Lake Community College

Andrew Plucker - Pima Community College

David Tamanaha - University of Hawaii, Maui College 

Sandy Valdez - Pima Community College


  

CS5 - Mental Health on Campus
Eligible for 1.5 Personal Development CPE Credits

Sunday, May 1 | 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM MDT

Session Overview

This session will discuss the impact of mental health issues facing colleges and universities across the country.  We will define the scope of the issue, discuss the financial impact and engage the audience in a discussion of methods of remediating the mental health crisis. Students affairs leaders, health care and public health practitioners at the University of Denver will share best practices. Additionally, this session will provide an opportunity for engagement to explore and discuss best practices at your college or university. 

Learning Objectives

1) Basic understanding of how mental health issues impact colleges and universities.

2) Basic understanding of the importance of prevention and early intervention to improve student wellbeing and retention.

3) Understanding the negative financial impacts of mental health on college campuses. 

4) Consideration for how to apply the lessons learned at your institution.

About the Presenters 

Michael LaFarr
Executive Director – Health and Counseling Center
University of Denver
Michael LaFarr Dr. LaFarr leads the integrated health and counseling center at the University.  His professional and clinical interests include: health care disparity & access, health and wellness, college mental health, differences in learning, grief counseling, giftedness, psychodynamic treatment, sexual therapy, non-majority sexual orientation & transgender mental health. Professional Experience: Leading the integrated health & wellness team at the University of Denver since 2017. Former Executive Director of Health and Wellness at Brandeis University. Former Director of Student Affairs at the Harvard School of Public Health. Education and Health Promotion Volunteer, Peace Corps of the United States, served in Mali, West Africa.
Meghan Dimsa
Director of Health Promotion
University of Denver
Dr. Dimsa serves as the Director of Health Promotion as part of the Integrated Health & Counseling Center at the University. Her professional interests include: comprehensive proactive health promotion practices to holistically address health education and learning outcomes among diverse populations; Physical activity as one method to mitigate anxiety, stress, depression, boost resiliency, self-efficacy, academic and career success, while creating organic opportunities for social engagement and thriving; health equity on micro and macro levels; Community health and equity through service work in South Africa and the United States; Student engagement, leadership, and advocacy; Project management; Leadership practices to build and foster inclusive and efficient teams; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as the foundational fabric woven throughout all areas of this work. Professional Experience: Dr. Dimsa is a strategic-thinking executive leader with over 19 years of experience steering the planning, development, and execution of health and wellness operations for both public and private universities. Prior to joining the University of Denver, Dr. Dimsa served as the Executive Director of Campus Recreation, Health, and Wellness at Georgetown University. She is a proactive and decisive coach with a proven track record of success leading various campus-wide wellness initiatives, facilities management operations, large-scale event programming, budget management, student engagement and advocacy, team leadership/mentorship, and is a visionary and results-driven leader with demonstrated experience achieving health equity among diverse populations.

CS6 - Contemporary Police and Security Issues in Campus Safety
Eligible for 1.5 Specialized Knowledge CPE Credits

Sunday, May 1 | 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM MDT

Session Overview

This session will explore issues related to contemporary campus policing and security concerns to include recruitment and retention of qualified personnel and the changing political, perceptual and social changes which are impacting police and security services.    

Learning Objectives

1) Learn about best practices in police and security services in current post-secondary education settings.

2) Increase awareness of human capital impacts that societal changes have on campus policing.

3) Enhance knowledge in delivery of campus security services to meet the ever changing needs of the student population.

About the Presenters 

Adam Garcia
Vice President of Public Safety Services and Director
UNLV

Adam Garcia has 42 years of law enforcement, fire service and emergency management training, education and experience, including his current role as Vice President for Public Safety Services and Director of University Police Services, Southern Command in Las Vegas, Nevada. This position serves the safety needs of the 80,000 students, faculty and staff of the Nevada System of Higher Education campuses and facilities across southern Nevada, including the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the College of Southern Nevada, Nevada State College and the Desert Research Institute. Adam is a graduate of the 224th session of the FBI National Academy and holds Masters and Bachelor’s degrees in Criminal Justice and Political Science. He has been active in national and State law enforcement organizations including past chair of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) College and University Section; past board member of the IACP Foundation; prior member of the IACP Homeland Security committee; served for a decade as a Commissioner on the Nevada Homeland Security Commission under two Governors and currently serves the State of Nevada as a member of the Funeral and Cemetery Board. He is also an adjunct faculty member at the University of Nevada, Reno and a published researcher. Adam is the recipient of numerous commendations and lifesaving awards and was recognized as the Police Director of the Year by the National Association of Campus Safety in 2016.

CS7 - Tips to Developing your Pitch and Managing Up
Eligible for 1.5 Personal Development CPE Credits

Sunday, May 1 | 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM MDT

Session Overview

Learn skills, tips, and tricks to manage up and get your pitch moved forward successfully.  Find ways to make your manager’s job easier, while pitching and communicating your ideas and team needs. 

Learning Objectives

1) Learn tips to writing a pitch

2) Develop managing up skills

3) Perfect the email “flip”

About the Presenters 

Brittani Brown
Associate Vice President, Administration Finance & Administrative Services
California State University, San Marcos


Brittani Brown began with California State University San Marcos in 2014 in the Procurement & Contracts department, followed by three years in Facilities Development and Management, both in administrative leadership roles. Brittani oversees the Vice President’s Office staff and operations: the Organizational Excellence Office (including the Staff Center), campus policies and procedures, campus delegations, Public Records Act compliance, Clery Act compliance, and the Travel Office. Brittani earned her B.S. in Computer Science from CSU Monterey Bay and her Master in Public Administration from CSU Dominguez Hills.

 

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