| Capitalize on Our Momentum: Change, Innovation, and Resilience March 27-29, 2022 | Austin, Texas Embassy Suites Austin Central |
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| Sunday, March 27 | |
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| Central Standard Time (CST) | |
| 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. | Conference Check-in Open | Registration Area |
| 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. | Pre-Conference Session: Building Resilience – Tips & Tricks for Effective Communication Connecting with Leadership in a Virtual Environment Dr. Dolores Guerrero, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, Texas A&M University Kingsville Crucial Conversations Dr. Laura Trujillo-Jenks, Interim Department Chair, Teacher Education Dr. Rebecca Fredrickson, Professor & Coordinator of First-Year Experience and P-16 Initiatives Texas Woman’s University Reconnecting with Colleagues After a Pandemic Dr. Binta Brown, Director of Diversity and Talent Management, The University of Texas at Austin |
| 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. | Networking Reception | Hotel Lobby |
| 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. | Institutional Representative Dinner |
| Monday, March 28 | |
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| Breakfast on Your Own | At Hotel | |
| 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. | Conference Check-in Open | Registration Area |
| 9:00 a.m. | How to Get the Most Out of the Conference |
| 9:15 a.m. | Doors Open |
| 9:25 a.m. | Welcome |
| 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. | Keynote Address: Dr. Kenya Ayers-Palmore President, Tarrant County College Northeast Campus |
| 10:45 to 11:45 a.m. | Concurrent Sessions #1: Creating Space for Constant Change 1A: Lead Slowly (and Collaboratively) and Accomplish More, Maybe Faster Dr. Joann S. Olson and Dr. Rachel Martinez, University of Houston-Victoria The more quickly your team reaches one goal, the more quickly they can move to the next, and the more productive they’ll be over time. In pursuing these goals, many leaders describe themselves as “collaborative leaders.” It’s a popular and easy thing to claim. However, leading collaboratively takes time and may seem slower. Furthermore, women who choose to lead this way may be labeled as “dragging their feet” or “too concerned with people’s feelings to be effective leaders.” And yet, collaboration often leads to better results that may have more buy-in, which makes you, as a leader, more effective in the long run. Join us for a discussion of what collaborative leadership is, why you might want to lead this way, and how to respond to the challenges you might encounter along the way. 1B: Psychological Safety: Creating a Culture of Inclusion, Empowerment, and Continual Progress LeKisha McKinley, LQM Business Strategists Organizational agility and, eventually, sustainable long-term business progress is more likely to occur when team members feel secure in openly voicing ideas, constructively addressing issues, and supported in taking risks to develop fresh ways of working, engaging customers or creating products/solutions. This security is knowns as psychological safety and, beyond other factors, is a key element in cultivating a culture that is dynamic and free enough to consistently evolve with the times to deliver impactful outcomes that permit transformational growth for the organization. Come join this session to learn the importance of psychological safety, its role in promoting constant change and professional growth for team members; as well as learn practical steps to take to begin nurturing a psychologically safe culture. Attendees will also be introduced to a mental model that supports leadership clarity, which is essential in learning and applying the strategies that will be discussed. 1C: Invest in Your Team’s Strengths: Make Space for Passion Projects Dr. Linda Matthews and Ms. Lisa Gonzales, University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley Studies show when leaders invest in their teams’ strengths, employees perceive their work has more purpose, they are more satisfied, intrinsically motivated, and are engaged, which results in higher retention. Yet, the workload of very few jobs are 100% purposeful to any employee. Strengths based leadership suggests carving out space for projects that build on your employee’s strengths (i.e. passion projects), which will increase their perceived purpose. To achieve this, your team must productively finish their other tasks so that they can have space for passion projects. Some employees will be able to do this on their own, others are going to need help. This interactive session will use the train-the-trainer model drawing on the work of David Allen and others to offer a framework to master your team’s workflow to create space for strength building through passion projects. |
| 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. | Lunch and Panel: Path to Presidential Leadership Dr. Lesia L. Crumpton-Young, President, Texas Southern University Dr. Montserrat Fuentes, President, St. Edward’s University Dr. Jennifer Kent, President, Victoria College |
| 1:45 to 2:45 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions #2: Innovation Matters for Professional Growth 2A: Rooted Deep for Innovation, Resilience, and Flourishing Dr. Sarah Jane Murray and Dr. Sinda Vanderpool, Baylor University Embracing innovation, change, and growth is the only way to meet the demands of higher education today. And, as plants need water, nutrients, and light to flourish, we invite participants to recall what gives us life and energy as women and educators. Spinning from their 22 years of friendship and a love of great books, SJ and Sinda will reflect on the potency of returning to the roots of liberal learning (the humanities). As we are pressed to transform often under-prepared, stressed-out students into informed, global citizens capable of solving the most complex of society’s problems, what would happen if we ruminated in the fact that what makes us human, fundamentally, is a quest to imagine and activate what is true, good, and beautiful. As educators, we are whetting the appetite and training the next generation not only to flourish in careers but also as human beings who find fullness through imagination, connectedness, difference-making, and love.2B: Cultivating Collaboration, Communication, and Creativity Across Campus Dr. Katie Alaniz, Dr. Kristie Cerling, and Dr. MaryCatherine Harmon, Houston Baptist University Does it sometimes seem as though you are working in a silo within your institution? Do you feel as though you are plugging away on a lonely island, lacking opportunities for cross-curricular collaboration? If so, you are not alone! Attend this session to gain applicable strategies for cultivating collaboration, communication, and creativity with colleagues across campus, thus adding greater joy and meaning to your work on a daily basis! 2C: Forward Momentum: Maximizing Your Team’s Strengths and Self-Acceptance Dr. Shannon Scott and Dr. Abigail Tilton, Texas Woman’s University As women in academia are facing increasing challenges and change, leaders have the opportunity to move their units forward through building their team’s strengths and self-acceptance. Utilizing a positive psychology framework, participants will complete an analysis of their own strengths as well as develop a plan to lead their team in a strength analysis. As self-evaluation can foster identification of weaknesses, this workshop will discuss how to engage in appropriate self-acceptance in oneself and others. Case studies will be utilized to practice how to respond to common challenges. |
| 2:45 p.m. | Refreshment Break |
| 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions #3: Resilience is Her (or My) Superpower 3A: Decoupling Grit and Resilience from Positive Mindset: Exercise Self-Awareness and Self-Management Dr. Linda Matthews and Ms. Lisa Gonzales, University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley Resilience is about bouncing back from setbacks as well as the successful adaptation to life’s tasks. To do that, you need grit, a combination of determination and direction towards a larger goal. Yet often, the discussions of grit and resilience include the power of positive mindset. Some might even equate these ideas. While positive mindset has its merits, in this session, we aim to decouple grit and resilience from positive mindset to focus on the skills that are needed to build resilience to overcome obstacles. Our resilience allows us to manage through or around an obstacle when needed. It also allows us to adjust our goal to the constant changing environment which enables innovation. The session will focus on tools to build self-awareness and exercise self-management, which are critical tools to make grit and resilience our superpowers. 3B: Oh SNAP! Bend Without Breaking Ms. Liz Patterson, Dr. Angela Sikorski, Dr. Kelly Coke, Dr. Corrine Hinton, and Dr. Abbie Strunc, Texas A&M University-Texarkana Oh SNAP! Each of us has faced numerous, unique challenges and opportunities over the last two years. We’ve all had to adapt and bend without breaking to get the job done. What we’ve learned is how to embrace and expand resilience through supportive, collaborative interactions across campus. Our panel will discuss how we are navigating the path to success while becoming comfortable with unpredictability, how we are moving forward through strategic and mutually-beneficial collaborations, how we are establishing necessary but supportive boundaries, and how we are building our capacity for resilience. We will provide space for open dialogue, facilitate small group discussions to work through challenges and opportunities related to increasing resilience, and then utilize large group discussions to create an aggregate list of ideas and helpful tips. We intend to discuss what’s worked for us and would love to hear ideas from other thought leaders, too. 3C: Resilience: Superpower and Responsibility Dr. Olivia P. Modesto and Dr. Patti Huskin, Texas A& M University-Kingsville Resilience is the ability to adapt successfully in the face of stress and adversity. While women in higher education are vulnerable to the pressures experienced during the promotion/tenure process and assumption of leadership roles, research on resilience specific to women in higher education is scarce. In this session, current research on resilience relating to women in higher education will be highlighted, with focus on the following topics: characteristics of resilience, ways resilience may be enhanced, and how it may be taught to preservice teachers. The presenters will make a case for the responsibility to model and teach resilience to teacher candidates based on current teacher attrition rates. By gaining a better understanding of the factors that contribute to resilience, the presenters see areas that allow women in higher education to not only persist in their important work but find new ways to effect change and inspire students to build resilience. |
| 4:30 p.m. | Buses Arrive | Front of Hotel |
| 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. | Reception Austin Central Library 710 W. César Chávez St. |
| 7:00 p.m. | Dinner on Own |
| Tuesday, March 29 | |
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| Breakfast on Your Own | At Hotel | |
| 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. | Conference Check-in Open | Check-in Open, Registration |
| 8:00 to 9:15 a.m. | Be a Game Changer Dr. Carla D. Brailey, Assistant Professor, Texas Southern University |
| 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. | Keynote Address:Dr. Ruth J. Simmons President, Prairie View A&M University |
| 10:30 a.m. | Refreshment Break |
| 10:45 to 11:45 a.m. | Concurrent Sessions #4: Forward Momentum 4A: Brand You: Creating Your Executive Presence Dr. Christy Crutsinger, University of North Texas We express much through our appearance, including our personal identifies, social groups, and cultural backgrounds. It’s true you can’t judge a book by its cover, but it IS the cover of the book that gets read. Strong women leaders in higher education understand this communication dynamic as they exude confidence, poise, and executive presence. They have the ‘It’ factor that draws people in, wins them over, and moves institutions forward. This interactive session will identify the steps for developing a professional brand and offer a visual transformation from ‘invisible employee’ to ‘extraordinary executive.’ Learn how to you package and promote yourself within an institutional setting, learn how to BRAND YOU. 4B: Mentoring for Forward Momentum — Tips, Tricks and Takeaways for Mentoring Relationships Dr. Christy Tabors, Collin College, Dr. Rochelle Gregory, North Central Texas College, Ms. Skyla Claxton, Texas Wesleyan University, and Dr. Sarah Maben, Tarleton State University Four women will share how being a mentor and/or a mentee has played a role in their personal forward momentum to start our discussion about how mentoring can help navigate the not-so-direct paths taken in our careers in higher education. This mentoring sandbox will give participants a safe space to explore the nuances and importance of mentoring for women in higher education. 4C: Using TWHE Regional Grants to Promote Professional Success Dr. Martinella Dryburgh, Austin College and Ms. Julie Schwab, Sam Houston State University The Texas Women in Higher Education organization has created the Regional Grant process to support its mission to provide professional development opportunities for women who hold or aspire to hold leadership positions in higher education institutions across the state. The purpose of this session is to encourage participants to connect with others so they can create connections with others who are interested in applying for Regional Grants. During this session they will learn how the presenters used a 2021 Regional Grant to provide professional development for administrative professionals in higher education while supplementing their own career portfolios. |
| 12:00 to 1:15 p.m. | Lunch and Panel: Change, Innovation and Resilience Dr. Victoria G. Black, Associate Dean, Student Services, Texas State University Dr. Lisa Jasinski, Special Assistant to the Vice President, Academic Affairs, Trinity University Dr. Ericka Jones, Professional Learning Design Coordinator at Austin Independent School District, formerly Dean of Student Affairs, Huston-Tillotson University Dr. Skyller Walkes, Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, The University of Texas at Austin |
| 1:15 p.m. | Presentation of TWHE Awards |
| 1:30 p.m. | Conference Concludes |
| At the Texas Women in Higher Education Conference 2022, we have selected SAFE as our charity to support. The SAFE Alliance is a merger of Austin Children’s Shelter and SafePlace, both long-standing and respected human service agencies in Austin serving the survivors of child abuse, sexual assault and exploitation, and domestic violence. SAFE’s vision and mission to create a just and safe community free from violence and abuse for everyone. We are asking our attendees to participate by donating the following gift cards in ANY denomination:
The gift cards will be given to the organization to purchase high demand items to help meet the basic needs of the families as they work towards rebuilding their independence. For more information about SAFE, please visit their page here. |
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