Breakout sessions are the educational backbone of the MCCA Annual Convention. Our comprehensive programming is designed to give you a full range education, from the basics that every professional needs to the innovative ideas that are changing how you work. With a wide variety of topics during each time slot, these 45 minute sessions allow you to focus on the areas that are most relevant to your needs. No matter where you are in your career, there is something for you.
Program Tracks
Sessions are organized by seven thematic tracks designed to help illuminate overarching focus areas and help attendees easily navigate the event.
Sessions are organized by seven thematic tracks designed to help illuminate overarching focus areas and help attendees easily navigate the event.
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Recruiting, retaining and graduating students are ongoing challenges for community colleges. Join your colleagues in exploring new strategies and best practices for increasing enrollment and driving student success from start to finish.
Workforce Development: Partnerships & Apprenticeships
A robust economy depends upon a highly skilled workforce. These sessions explore the many ways colleges are meeting the workforce needs of their communities, particularly through apprenticeship programs and partnerships with local employers.
Learning & Teaching
College professionals continue to develop new and innovative ways of approaching learning and teaching. These sessions afford educators the opportunity to share their ideas and innovations with colleagues.
Leadership & Institutional Transformation
Accountability mandates, fluctuating funding, demographic shifts, and the rapid pace of change within higher education continue to challenge college administrators to explore innovative strategies for leadership and organizational change.
Strategic Planning & The Community College Workplace
Every day, both teaching and non-teaching professionals work to advance the mission of Missouri’s community colleges and workforce partners. This ongoing track will explore innovative and forward-thinking initiatives that will impact the future of community colleges, from financial planning and human resources to continuous improvement, strategic management and everything in between.
HLC Accreditation
HLC accreditation assures quality by verifying that an institution meets standards and is engaged in continuous improvement. HLC's institutional accreditation includes all degree levels as well as on-site and online offerings. This track will ensure participants going through this process or preparing for an upcoming review will have the most up-to-date information and communication about best practices.
Special Topics
Interested in something more specific? Explore a variety of targeted topics, trends and challenges within higher education today.
Business Meetings
Tuesday, November 29
12:00 - 2:00 P.M.
Presidents and Chancellors Council
Midway Suite 10
Chief Academic Officers
Midway Suites 3-4
Chief Student Affairs Officers
Midway Suite 9
Chief Human Resource Officers
Midway Suite 11
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council
Ballroom C
Workforce Development Council
Ballroom A
Institutional Effectiveness Professionals
Midway Suites 1-2
Marketing & Communications Professionals
Midway Suites 7-8
Classified Staff
Ballroom B
Faculty
Midway Suite 6
Trustees
Midway Suite 5
2:00 - 3:00 P.M.
Presidents, Chancellors & Trustees
Midway Suite 5
Midway Suite 5
2:00 - 4:00 P.M.
Chief Financial Officers
Midway Suites 7-8
Chief Information Officers
Ballroom B
MCCA Advisory Board
Ballroom A
Institutional Research Council
Midway Suite 9
SkillUP Coordinators
Midway Suites 1-2
Midway Suites 7-8
Chief Information Officers
Ballroom B
MCCA Advisory Board
Ballroom A
Institutional Research Council
Midway Suite 9
SkillUP Coordinators
Midway Suites 1-2
Breakout Sessions
Our comprehensive program is designed to give you a full range education, from the basics that every professional needs to the innovative ideas that are changing how we work. No matter where you are in your career, there is something for you!
Our comprehensive program is designed to give you a full range education, from the basics that every professional needs to the innovative ideas that are changing how we work. No matter where you are in your career, there is something for you!
Wednesday, November 30
8:45 - 9:30 A.M.
Midway Suites 1 & 2
Grow, Take Risks, and Innovate With New Instructional Strategies
Learning & Teaching
Dr. Lindsey Oram | Psychology Faculty, North Central Missouri College
Mitch Holder | Dean of Instruction, North Central Missouri College
Cassie Cordray | Education Faculty, North Central Missouri College
Faculty members often want their students to grow, take risks, and innovate. Let's flip the script and encourage faculty members to do the same. Audience members will leave this presentation with new and novel teaching innovations that they can embed into their community college classrooms. NCMC faculty members and the Dean of Instruction will provide examples of innovative teaching strategies at NCMC, with time and opportunity given to hear additional ideas from audience members.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 3 & 4
Creating Change During COVID: St. Charles Community College's Civic Action Plan
Special Topics
Bryonie Carter | Chair of Service-Learning and Civic Engagement, St. Charles Community College
Dr. Mara Vorachek-Warren | Dean of Business, Science, Arts, and Math, St. Charles Community College
During 2020-2021, St. Charles Community College crafted a Civic Action Plan (CAP), a document detailing the myriad ways the college would demonstrate its commitment to community and civic engagement over the next several years. In support of Campus Compact's 30th Anniversary Action Statement, in which member organizations recommitted to supporting civic engagement efforts in higher education by crafting Civic Action Plans, SCC leadership and the Service-Learning & Civic Engagement program put together a diverse task force of faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community partners to begin this undertaking. However, the COVID-19 pandemic soon emerged, complicating this effort. Despite this, the CAP Taskforce worked diligently throughout the year, meeting virtually and working remotely in order to complete the plan. Approved by SCC's President's Council in May 2021, the college began implementing the completed plan during the 2021-2022 academic year. Lauded by HLC during their site visit to SCC, and commended by Campus Compact leadership, SCC's Civic Action Plan is a poignant example of what can be accomplished through community-minded collaboration, even during the most challenging moments. Join CAP authors Bryonie Carter, Chair of Service-Learning & Civic Engagement, and Dr. Mara Vorachek-Warren, Dean of Business, Science, Arts, and Math, as they detail the unique journey they took to champion and strengthen civic engagement efforts at SCC, as well as the progress SCC has made since approving the Plan. This session will also explore ways other institutions can get started either with writing a Civic Action Plan of their own or incorporating commitments to civic engagement into existing strategic plans.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 5
How Student Journey Mapping Can Improve Your Institutional Processes
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Joe Haack | EMS Program Director, Jefferson College
Dr. Kim Harvey-Manus | Vice President of Student Services, Jefferson College
Sarah Leassner | Vice President of Student Development, East Central College
Bethany Pfeiffer | Boonville Site Director, State Fair Community College
Three community colleges will share their experiences and lessons learned from participation in the Student Journey Mapping Workshop hosted by the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development in May 2022. Presenters from East Central College, Jefferson College and State Fair Community College will each provide details on the mapping of their institutional processes, their current and future plans and next steps in student journey mapping.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 6
Title IX Update: Legal Insights and Practical Implications
Leadership & Institutional Transformation
Mary Zabriskie, J.D. | Grand River Solutions (Former Director of Equity Compliance, St. Louis Community College)
Kate Nash, J.D. | Attorney at Law, Tueth Keeney
Join us at this session to learn the latest on Title IX regulations and what they mean for community colleges. Information on the current administration's priorities when it comes to prohibiting sex based discrimination in the higher education context will be discussed. Practical tips on how to prepare for anticipated changes will be offered as well. Come with questions, leave with a plan.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 7 & 8
Making An Impact: How to Leverage the Community College Campus to Lower Costs and Retain Students
Leadership & Institutional Transformation
Chris Thorn | Project Development Engineer, Performance Services
Sterling Miller | Business Development Manager, Performance Services
Emily Doll | Performance Services
Sustainability in 2022 has taken on a whole new dimension. With limited funding, aging infrastructure, declining enrollment, and competition for students, Missouri community colleges are challenging the existing paradigm and embracing new ideas. This session will share examples from two universities that embraced the concept of energy as a strategic opportunity and implemented a budget-neutral program that fixed infrastructure and lowered operating costs while creating internship opportunities and post-graduation employment.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 9
Increasing Student Collaboration the Web 2.0 Way
Learning & Teaching
Janet Akers-Montgomery | Director of Radiology, Jefferson College
Participants in this session will be introduced to free online collaboration tools for integration into traditional and online classes. Increasing student collaboration outside of the classroom facilitates knowledge sharing, skill-sharing, productivity, problem-solving, communication, interactivity, and teamwork. Participants will be introduced to popular Web 2.0 collaborative tools and ideas on how to incorporate these tools into their curriculum while meeting the needs of diverse learners. Web 2.0 provides new and interactive approaches to delivering content, increasing engagement, and creating content that is more memorable.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 10
Strategy in the Spotlight
Strategic Planning & The Community College Workplace
Darci McFail | Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness, State Fair Community College
Keith Acuff | Vice President for Finance and Administration/CFO, State Fair Community College
Dr. Brent Bates | President, State Fair Community College
All institutions have strategic plans, with the emphasis most often placed on planning. To promote innovation, SFCC shifted our focus to the word strategy. What exactly is strategy? You'll be surprised where we found our answer! Let us share with you our definition and demonstrate how it guided our strategic plan toward innovation and evolution. Bring your colleagues and prepare to engage in team activities to get you thinking differently about strategic planning.
--- --- ---
Grand Ballroom A
The Edge of Opportunity: Community Colleges Fueling the Future of Work
Workforce Development: Partnerships & Apprenticeships
Michael Rogg | Dean of Technical Education and Workforce Innovation, State Fair Community College
Amanda Sizemore | Assistant Vice President of Workforce, Technical & Community Education, St. Charles Community College
Rex McKanry | Dean of Technical Services, St. Charles Community College
Dr. Jennifer Seymour | Vice President of General Education and Skilled Trades, Wichita State University Tech
Jennifer Geen | Complex Solutions Account Manager, Trane Technologies
Keven Ward | Strategic Programs Consultant, Trane Technologies
The increased pace of change and global economic and financial concerns of the last three years have led to a shift in student perception around the value of a degree and the pathway to a meaningful education. Emerging generations and nontraditional learners alike are demanding more from their educational journey and how it fuels their success for the future of work. And as the demand for skilled talent increases to a point of critical need across countless industries, community colleges have a unique opportunity to expand traditional enrollment strategies to those that live at the intersection of industry partnerships, innovative programming, the future of work, and nontraditional student enrollment. Join community and technical college leaders from across the Midwest for this interactive panel discussion to learn:
This session will be interactive and focused on benchmarking with peers to learn innovative and practical advice for getting started and growing programs that support overall enrollment and the future of work in your region.
--- --- ---
Grand Ballroom B
Microsoft Office Top 10 List - Back By Popular Demand
Special Topics
Susan Burden | Director of Instructional Technology, Moberly Area Community College
Coltier Blakely | Assistant Director of Instructional Technology, Moberly Area Community College
Join this lively and interactive session to learn tips and tricks to make you a more efficient user of Microsoft Office. We will share our top ten ways to use this powerful suite to enhance your technology skills. You will be amazed at the hidden gems nestled inside Microsoft Office to enhance your skills and make you a power user. Tricks and shortcuts in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint will be shared. Don't miss out - technology fun awaits!
--- --- ---
Grand Ballroom C
Efforts Equal Enrollment: How Assessing Communication Can Lead to Increased Enrollment
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Stephanie Hebert | Business Analyst - Enrollment Services, East Central College
In 2019, ECC began digging into data and assessing how we communicate with students regarding deadlines for payment and financial aid. Three years later, through a pandemic and changes in divisional leadership, we have decreased the percentage of students dropped for nonpayment, increased enrollment, and increased retention. Our goal is to share the process we went through to get to where we are today, what issues we have resolved, and where we hope to go from here!
Grow, Take Risks, and Innovate With New Instructional Strategies
Learning & Teaching
Dr. Lindsey Oram | Psychology Faculty, North Central Missouri College
Mitch Holder | Dean of Instruction, North Central Missouri College
Cassie Cordray | Education Faculty, North Central Missouri College
Faculty members often want their students to grow, take risks, and innovate. Let's flip the script and encourage faculty members to do the same. Audience members will leave this presentation with new and novel teaching innovations that they can embed into their community college classrooms. NCMC faculty members and the Dean of Instruction will provide examples of innovative teaching strategies at NCMC, with time and opportunity given to hear additional ideas from audience members.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 3 & 4
Creating Change During COVID: St. Charles Community College's Civic Action Plan
Special Topics
Bryonie Carter | Chair of Service-Learning and Civic Engagement, St. Charles Community College
Dr. Mara Vorachek-Warren | Dean of Business, Science, Arts, and Math, St. Charles Community College
During 2020-2021, St. Charles Community College crafted a Civic Action Plan (CAP), a document detailing the myriad ways the college would demonstrate its commitment to community and civic engagement over the next several years. In support of Campus Compact's 30th Anniversary Action Statement, in which member organizations recommitted to supporting civic engagement efforts in higher education by crafting Civic Action Plans, SCC leadership and the Service-Learning & Civic Engagement program put together a diverse task force of faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community partners to begin this undertaking. However, the COVID-19 pandemic soon emerged, complicating this effort. Despite this, the CAP Taskforce worked diligently throughout the year, meeting virtually and working remotely in order to complete the plan. Approved by SCC's President's Council in May 2021, the college began implementing the completed plan during the 2021-2022 academic year. Lauded by HLC during their site visit to SCC, and commended by Campus Compact leadership, SCC's Civic Action Plan is a poignant example of what can be accomplished through community-minded collaboration, even during the most challenging moments. Join CAP authors Bryonie Carter, Chair of Service-Learning & Civic Engagement, and Dr. Mara Vorachek-Warren, Dean of Business, Science, Arts, and Math, as they detail the unique journey they took to champion and strengthen civic engagement efforts at SCC, as well as the progress SCC has made since approving the Plan. This session will also explore ways other institutions can get started either with writing a Civic Action Plan of their own or incorporating commitments to civic engagement into existing strategic plans.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 5
How Student Journey Mapping Can Improve Your Institutional Processes
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Joe Haack | EMS Program Director, Jefferson College
Dr. Kim Harvey-Manus | Vice President of Student Services, Jefferson College
Sarah Leassner | Vice President of Student Development, East Central College
Bethany Pfeiffer | Boonville Site Director, State Fair Community College
Three community colleges will share their experiences and lessons learned from participation in the Student Journey Mapping Workshop hosted by the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development in May 2022. Presenters from East Central College, Jefferson College and State Fair Community College will each provide details on the mapping of their institutional processes, their current and future plans and next steps in student journey mapping.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 6
Title IX Update: Legal Insights and Practical Implications
Leadership & Institutional Transformation
Mary Zabriskie, J.D. | Grand River Solutions (Former Director of Equity Compliance, St. Louis Community College)
Kate Nash, J.D. | Attorney at Law, Tueth Keeney
Join us at this session to learn the latest on Title IX regulations and what they mean for community colleges. Information on the current administration's priorities when it comes to prohibiting sex based discrimination in the higher education context will be discussed. Practical tips on how to prepare for anticipated changes will be offered as well. Come with questions, leave with a plan.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 7 & 8
Making An Impact: How to Leverage the Community College Campus to Lower Costs and Retain Students
Leadership & Institutional Transformation
Chris Thorn | Project Development Engineer, Performance Services
Sterling Miller | Business Development Manager, Performance Services
Emily Doll | Performance Services
Sustainability in 2022 has taken on a whole new dimension. With limited funding, aging infrastructure, declining enrollment, and competition for students, Missouri community colleges are challenging the existing paradigm and embracing new ideas. This session will share examples from two universities that embraced the concept of energy as a strategic opportunity and implemented a budget-neutral program that fixed infrastructure and lowered operating costs while creating internship opportunities and post-graduation employment.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 9
Increasing Student Collaboration the Web 2.0 Way
Learning & Teaching
Janet Akers-Montgomery | Director of Radiology, Jefferson College
Participants in this session will be introduced to free online collaboration tools for integration into traditional and online classes. Increasing student collaboration outside of the classroom facilitates knowledge sharing, skill-sharing, productivity, problem-solving, communication, interactivity, and teamwork. Participants will be introduced to popular Web 2.0 collaborative tools and ideas on how to incorporate these tools into their curriculum while meeting the needs of diverse learners. Web 2.0 provides new and interactive approaches to delivering content, increasing engagement, and creating content that is more memorable.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 10
Strategy in the Spotlight
Strategic Planning & The Community College Workplace
Darci McFail | Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness, State Fair Community College
Keith Acuff | Vice President for Finance and Administration/CFO, State Fair Community College
Dr. Brent Bates | President, State Fair Community College
All institutions have strategic plans, with the emphasis most often placed on planning. To promote innovation, SFCC shifted our focus to the word strategy. What exactly is strategy? You'll be surprised where we found our answer! Let us share with you our definition and demonstrate how it guided our strategic plan toward innovation and evolution. Bring your colleagues and prepare to engage in team activities to get you thinking differently about strategic planning.
--- --- ---
Grand Ballroom A
The Edge of Opportunity: Community Colleges Fueling the Future of Work
Workforce Development: Partnerships & Apprenticeships
Michael Rogg | Dean of Technical Education and Workforce Innovation, State Fair Community College
Amanda Sizemore | Assistant Vice President of Workforce, Technical & Community Education, St. Charles Community College
Rex McKanry | Dean of Technical Services, St. Charles Community College
Dr. Jennifer Seymour | Vice President of General Education and Skilled Trades, Wichita State University Tech
Jennifer Geen | Complex Solutions Account Manager, Trane Technologies
Keven Ward | Strategic Programs Consultant, Trane Technologies
The increased pace of change and global economic and financial concerns of the last three years have led to a shift in student perception around the value of a degree and the pathway to a meaningful education. Emerging generations and nontraditional learners alike are demanding more from their educational journey and how it fuels their success for the future of work. And as the demand for skilled talent increases to a point of critical need across countless industries, community colleges have a unique opportunity to expand traditional enrollment strategies to those that live at the intersection of industry partnerships, innovative programming, the future of work, and nontraditional student enrollment. Join community and technical college leaders from across the Midwest for this interactive panel discussion to learn:
- Practical steps for launching workforce and career technical education programs
- Creative financial strategies for equipping your programs for success
- How to partner with industry, feeder schools, and regional stakeholders to build a pipeline of engaged students
- Ideas for creating buzz and sharing your success story with the community and beyond
- What to consider while making programming decisions and leading success
This session will be interactive and focused on benchmarking with peers to learn innovative and practical advice for getting started and growing programs that support overall enrollment and the future of work in your region.
--- --- ---
Grand Ballroom B
Microsoft Office Top 10 List - Back By Popular Demand
Special Topics
Susan Burden | Director of Instructional Technology, Moberly Area Community College
Coltier Blakely | Assistant Director of Instructional Technology, Moberly Area Community College
Join this lively and interactive session to learn tips and tricks to make you a more efficient user of Microsoft Office. We will share our top ten ways to use this powerful suite to enhance your technology skills. You will be amazed at the hidden gems nestled inside Microsoft Office to enhance your skills and make you a power user. Tricks and shortcuts in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint will be shared. Don't miss out - technology fun awaits!
--- --- ---
Grand Ballroom C
Efforts Equal Enrollment: How Assessing Communication Can Lead to Increased Enrollment
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Stephanie Hebert | Business Analyst - Enrollment Services, East Central College
In 2019, ECC began digging into data and assessing how we communicate with students regarding deadlines for payment and financial aid. Three years later, through a pandemic and changes in divisional leadership, we have decreased the percentage of students dropped for nonpayment, increased enrollment, and increased retention. Our goal is to share the process we went through to get to where we are today, what issues we have resolved, and where we hope to go from here!
10:15 - 11:00 A.M.
Midway Suites 1 & 2
Tech for Time: Utilizing Technology for Clear Communication
Special Topics
Elizabeth Armstrong | Executive Assistant to the President, Crowder College
Karen Fink | Agriculture Administrative Assistant, Crowder College
In this session, we will take a look at how Microsoft and Google services can best serve your teams. We know technology can be daunting, but with a little help, these services can improve the organization of records, access to information, and efficiency of communication within your department, division, committee, or association. We will take a deeper look into Microsoft teams, Microsoft forms, Outlook and SharePoint for those institutions using Microsoft. For those using google, we will review Google Docs, and Google Drive.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 3 & 4
A Time For Learning Experience Design Across the Institution
Leadership & Institutional Transformation
Dr. Kim Round | School of Education Associate Dean, Western Governors University
If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that understanding the whole student matters. Since March of 2020, billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of person hours have been spent enabling remote learning access, rolling out strategic student supports — particularly around mental health — and providing emergency aid for students struggling with basic needs. All the while, the committed educators focused on meeting this moment embraced a clear truth: Maslow trumps Bloom on learning journeys. We have been forcefully reminded by COVID to focus on the whole student experience if we want our learners to begin, continue and succeed on their pathways to and through education. This session will focus on how an empathetic learning experience design mindset can influence all aspects of an institution and most importantly, the entire learner journey whether on campus or online.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 5
Where Education and Industry Collide: Transforming Regional Economies With Technical Education and Stakeholder Collaboration
Workforce Development: Partnerships & Apprenticeships
Michael B. Rogg | Dean of Career and Technology, State Fair Community College
Keven Ward | Strategic Programs Consultant, Trane Technologies
Amy Jackson | Executive Director of The Learning Force, State Fair Community College
Rochelle Hockett | Community Liaison, State Fair Community College
Lori Balock| Director of Apprenticeship Programs, State Fair Community College
Join Mr. Michael B. Rogg, Dean of Career and Technology at State Fair Community College, to hear practical insight for how State Fair Community College has inspired an active network of more than 73 representatives from industry, economic development, educational leadership, and workforce services to form a Center for Excellence in Advanced Manufacturing that boosts program growth and development, empowers higher levels of student success with state-of-the-art technologies, and builds regional employee pipeline through technical education. In this interactive panel discussion, participants will learn the steps to a successful (and sustainable) model for balancing competing educational values and empowering collaborative, innovative thinking. With expert panelists to provide real world examples of each step in the journey and opportunities to share ideas with peers, we will reveal best practices for recruiting, retaining, and supporting the placement of students in roles relevant to regional workforce demands. Join us for the opportunity to learn forward, engage in open discussion with peers, and benchmark best practices for progressing, engaging, and sustaining technical education opportunities from our panel of experts.
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Midway Suites 6
Glide on the Peace Train: Promoting Employee Mental Health and Engagement
Leadership & Institutional Transformation
Ocki Haas | Chief Human Resources Officer, Ozarks Technical Community College
Kerri Huff | Education Instructor, Ozarks Technical Community College
Jane Cowden | English Instructor, Ozarks Technical Community College
Nikki King | Director of Employee Benefits & Services, St. Louis Community College
The last two years of dealing with a pandemic caused all of us to lose steam. To keep employees from going off the rails, organizations became more focused on mental health and looked for opportunities for organizational leaders and HR professionals to provide much needed support in the workplace. At OTC, what started as a grant initiative to promote mental health blossomed into meaningful, connecting, and engaging opportunities that revealed a deeply felt need of our employees: to be understood, to feel cared about, and to belong. Over the past few years, those of us in higher education saw an increase in the number of students utilizing counseling services, an indication that students were acknowledging their mental health issues and actively seeking support, often with guidance from faculty and staff. However, while we could see that students were getting help, we knew that we needed to address employee needs as well. Mental health is more than just a buzzword. It is very real and affects people of all ages just as consequentially as their physical health. In partnership with Burrell Behavior Health with the ultimate goals of suicide prevention and improved mental health, our HR department created new professional development opportunities. We were surprised that simple activities such as book clubs, art therapy, gun safety classes, music therapy, QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training, and a college-wide Walk-a-Thon brought our employees together and increased their engagement. They experienced a special connection, an atmosphere of caring, and a sense of belonging they had been longing for. We plan to share what we did and the positive results we achieved in hopes that other MCCA institutions can duplicate the program and engage their employees while promoting mental health in and beyond the workplace.
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Midway Suites 7 & 8
Cybersecurity for Higher Education
Special Topics
Kathy Bellew | Cyber Security Analyst, MOREnet
Connie Coy | Cyber Security Analyst, MOREnet
Protecting the campus from cyber threats can be a challenge while achieving a balance of usability and protection. We will discuss specific challenges that higher education environments face and identify various strategies to protect the network, data, employees, and students. Additionally, we’ll discuss how a new tool MOREnet’s offering, Akamai Secure Internet Access and Enterprise Threat Protector, can help you defend your organization and assist you with decreasing your risk to meet cybersecurity policies and requirements.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 9
Building Community at Community Colleges
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Vicky Herbel | Professor of Sociology; Chair for the College Success Seminar, St. Charles Community College
Erin Anglin | Executive Director of Learning Center & Academic Support, East Central College
Julie Massey | Vice President of Student Success, St. Louis Community College
In this session, representatives from community colleges will share their ideas and program implementation designed to build community and increase student success, persistence, retention and completion.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 10
Every Student Counts! Recruitment and Retention Strategies
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Carrie Greer | Director of Admissions, Jefferson College
Brenna Young | Coordinator of Retention Services, Jefferson College
Community colleges are facing unprecedented challenges when it comes to recruiting and retaining students. Learn how Jefferson College has responded to declining enrollment by focusing more resources on admissions and academic advising. Staff will summarize successful strategies, discuss lessons learned, and highlight departmental collaboration. Attendees should come prepared to discuss and share ideas on enrollment and retention best practices.
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Grand Ballroom A
Reality Check
Learning & Teaching
Chad Gaines | Vice President for Technology and Planning, Central Methodist University
Carrie Strodtman | Director of Digital Learning, Central Methodist University
Eric Ayers | Education Specialist, Oxford Medical Simulation
Alex Morton | Education Specialist, Oxford Medical Simulation
In this session, learn about Central Methodist University's uses of Virtual Reality (VR) in the classroom! The session will include a brief history on VR and how it is changing the landscape of education. A sample of VR applications will be covered, along with a VR demonstration.
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Grand Ballroom B
One Million and Counting! OER Progress and Innovation at ECC
Learning & Teaching
Morgan Spangler | Emerging Technologies Librarian, East Central College
Lisa Farrell | Director of Library Services, East Central College
John Hardecke | Assistant Professor of English, East Central College
East Central College first began a pilot Affordable and Open Educational Resources (OER) program in the summer of 2019. Since then, we have reached the million-dollar mark in savings for students. ECC Library also added a new full-time librarian position in May 2021 specifically to manage the current OER program and lead the program into its next phases. In Fall 2021, we were able to have a unique collaboration between the library and faculty by using a library LibGuide as the basis of an online class. The LibGuide gave us the opportunity to add a variety of resources to include OER, free web resources, podcasts, videos, and databases the library already pays subscription fees for. The resources selected met the requirements of the faculty member and were specifically curated for this course. The LibGuide provided a visually appealing place to house the resources and was easily linked to in Canvas. This resulted in the course costing students zero dollars while appealing to a variety of learning styles. Attendees can expect to hear lessons learned and next steps for an OER program, what it takes to add additional support in OER, and how to keep a program moving forward. Attendees will also learn about unique ways to collaborate and use, not only OER, but other freely available resources and library resources in instruction that result in zero cost to students and custom-tailored to a faculty member's course. We will show a live demo of the LibGuide.
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Grand Ballroom C
Seize the Data: Supporting Data-Informed Decisions in Your Strategic Planning
Strategic Planning & The Community College Workplace
Calie Holden | Director of Strategic Planning and Grant Development, Ozarks Technical Community College
Misty Tollett | Assistant Director of Strategic Planning, Ozarks Technical Community College
Abby Rea-Hicks | Grants and Strategic Planning Analyst, Ozarks Technical Community College
When making strategic decisions, whether for an institution, department, or a special project, collecting and utilizing data is essential to the process. This presentation will explore the ways OTC has used data in planning and is working to build a data-informed culture within the college. Participants will leave with a better understanding of the role data plays in planning along with ideas about how to engage their own college stakeholders in the planning process by activating data.
Tech for Time: Utilizing Technology for Clear Communication
Special Topics
Elizabeth Armstrong | Executive Assistant to the President, Crowder College
Karen Fink | Agriculture Administrative Assistant, Crowder College
In this session, we will take a look at how Microsoft and Google services can best serve your teams. We know technology can be daunting, but with a little help, these services can improve the organization of records, access to information, and efficiency of communication within your department, division, committee, or association. We will take a deeper look into Microsoft teams, Microsoft forms, Outlook and SharePoint for those institutions using Microsoft. For those using google, we will review Google Docs, and Google Drive.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 3 & 4
A Time For Learning Experience Design Across the Institution
Leadership & Institutional Transformation
Dr. Kim Round | School of Education Associate Dean, Western Governors University
If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that understanding the whole student matters. Since March of 2020, billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of person hours have been spent enabling remote learning access, rolling out strategic student supports — particularly around mental health — and providing emergency aid for students struggling with basic needs. All the while, the committed educators focused on meeting this moment embraced a clear truth: Maslow trumps Bloom on learning journeys. We have been forcefully reminded by COVID to focus on the whole student experience if we want our learners to begin, continue and succeed on their pathways to and through education. This session will focus on how an empathetic learning experience design mindset can influence all aspects of an institution and most importantly, the entire learner journey whether on campus or online.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 5
Where Education and Industry Collide: Transforming Regional Economies With Technical Education and Stakeholder Collaboration
Workforce Development: Partnerships & Apprenticeships
Michael B. Rogg | Dean of Career and Technology, State Fair Community College
Keven Ward | Strategic Programs Consultant, Trane Technologies
Amy Jackson | Executive Director of The Learning Force, State Fair Community College
Rochelle Hockett | Community Liaison, State Fair Community College
Lori Balock| Director of Apprenticeship Programs, State Fair Community College
Join Mr. Michael B. Rogg, Dean of Career and Technology at State Fair Community College, to hear practical insight for how State Fair Community College has inspired an active network of more than 73 representatives from industry, economic development, educational leadership, and workforce services to form a Center for Excellence in Advanced Manufacturing that boosts program growth and development, empowers higher levels of student success with state-of-the-art technologies, and builds regional employee pipeline through technical education. In this interactive panel discussion, participants will learn the steps to a successful (and sustainable) model for balancing competing educational values and empowering collaborative, innovative thinking. With expert panelists to provide real world examples of each step in the journey and opportunities to share ideas with peers, we will reveal best practices for recruiting, retaining, and supporting the placement of students in roles relevant to regional workforce demands. Join us for the opportunity to learn forward, engage in open discussion with peers, and benchmark best practices for progressing, engaging, and sustaining technical education opportunities from our panel of experts.
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Midway Suites 6
Glide on the Peace Train: Promoting Employee Mental Health and Engagement
Leadership & Institutional Transformation
Ocki Haas | Chief Human Resources Officer, Ozarks Technical Community College
Kerri Huff | Education Instructor, Ozarks Technical Community College
Jane Cowden | English Instructor, Ozarks Technical Community College
Nikki King | Director of Employee Benefits & Services, St. Louis Community College
The last two years of dealing with a pandemic caused all of us to lose steam. To keep employees from going off the rails, organizations became more focused on mental health and looked for opportunities for organizational leaders and HR professionals to provide much needed support in the workplace. At OTC, what started as a grant initiative to promote mental health blossomed into meaningful, connecting, and engaging opportunities that revealed a deeply felt need of our employees: to be understood, to feel cared about, and to belong. Over the past few years, those of us in higher education saw an increase in the number of students utilizing counseling services, an indication that students were acknowledging their mental health issues and actively seeking support, often with guidance from faculty and staff. However, while we could see that students were getting help, we knew that we needed to address employee needs as well. Mental health is more than just a buzzword. It is very real and affects people of all ages just as consequentially as their physical health. In partnership with Burrell Behavior Health with the ultimate goals of suicide prevention and improved mental health, our HR department created new professional development opportunities. We were surprised that simple activities such as book clubs, art therapy, gun safety classes, music therapy, QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training, and a college-wide Walk-a-Thon brought our employees together and increased their engagement. They experienced a special connection, an atmosphere of caring, and a sense of belonging they had been longing for. We plan to share what we did and the positive results we achieved in hopes that other MCCA institutions can duplicate the program and engage their employees while promoting mental health in and beyond the workplace.
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Midway Suites 7 & 8
Cybersecurity for Higher Education
Special Topics
Kathy Bellew | Cyber Security Analyst, MOREnet
Connie Coy | Cyber Security Analyst, MOREnet
Protecting the campus from cyber threats can be a challenge while achieving a balance of usability and protection. We will discuss specific challenges that higher education environments face and identify various strategies to protect the network, data, employees, and students. Additionally, we’ll discuss how a new tool MOREnet’s offering, Akamai Secure Internet Access and Enterprise Threat Protector, can help you defend your organization and assist you with decreasing your risk to meet cybersecurity policies and requirements.
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Midway Suites 9
Building Community at Community Colleges
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Vicky Herbel | Professor of Sociology; Chair for the College Success Seminar, St. Charles Community College
Erin Anglin | Executive Director of Learning Center & Academic Support, East Central College
Julie Massey | Vice President of Student Success, St. Louis Community College
In this session, representatives from community colleges will share their ideas and program implementation designed to build community and increase student success, persistence, retention and completion.
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Midway Suites 10
Every Student Counts! Recruitment and Retention Strategies
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Carrie Greer | Director of Admissions, Jefferson College
Brenna Young | Coordinator of Retention Services, Jefferson College
Community colleges are facing unprecedented challenges when it comes to recruiting and retaining students. Learn how Jefferson College has responded to declining enrollment by focusing more resources on admissions and academic advising. Staff will summarize successful strategies, discuss lessons learned, and highlight departmental collaboration. Attendees should come prepared to discuss and share ideas on enrollment and retention best practices.
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Grand Ballroom A
Reality Check
Learning & Teaching
Chad Gaines | Vice President for Technology and Planning, Central Methodist University
Carrie Strodtman | Director of Digital Learning, Central Methodist University
Eric Ayers | Education Specialist, Oxford Medical Simulation
Alex Morton | Education Specialist, Oxford Medical Simulation
In this session, learn about Central Methodist University's uses of Virtual Reality (VR) in the classroom! The session will include a brief history on VR and how it is changing the landscape of education. A sample of VR applications will be covered, along with a VR demonstration.
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Grand Ballroom B
One Million and Counting! OER Progress and Innovation at ECC
Learning & Teaching
Morgan Spangler | Emerging Technologies Librarian, East Central College
Lisa Farrell | Director of Library Services, East Central College
John Hardecke | Assistant Professor of English, East Central College
East Central College first began a pilot Affordable and Open Educational Resources (OER) program in the summer of 2019. Since then, we have reached the million-dollar mark in savings for students. ECC Library also added a new full-time librarian position in May 2021 specifically to manage the current OER program and lead the program into its next phases. In Fall 2021, we were able to have a unique collaboration between the library and faculty by using a library LibGuide as the basis of an online class. The LibGuide gave us the opportunity to add a variety of resources to include OER, free web resources, podcasts, videos, and databases the library already pays subscription fees for. The resources selected met the requirements of the faculty member and were specifically curated for this course. The LibGuide provided a visually appealing place to house the resources and was easily linked to in Canvas. This resulted in the course costing students zero dollars while appealing to a variety of learning styles. Attendees can expect to hear lessons learned and next steps for an OER program, what it takes to add additional support in OER, and how to keep a program moving forward. Attendees will also learn about unique ways to collaborate and use, not only OER, but other freely available resources and library resources in instruction that result in zero cost to students and custom-tailored to a faculty member's course. We will show a live demo of the LibGuide.
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Grand Ballroom C
Seize the Data: Supporting Data-Informed Decisions in Your Strategic Planning
Strategic Planning & The Community College Workplace
Calie Holden | Director of Strategic Planning and Grant Development, Ozarks Technical Community College
Misty Tollett | Assistant Director of Strategic Planning, Ozarks Technical Community College
Abby Rea-Hicks | Grants and Strategic Planning Analyst, Ozarks Technical Community College
When making strategic decisions, whether for an institution, department, or a special project, collecting and utilizing data is essential to the process. This presentation will explore the ways OTC has used data in planning and is working to build a data-informed culture within the college. Participants will leave with a better understanding of the role data plays in planning along with ideas about how to engage their own college stakeholders in the planning process by activating data.
1:00 - 1:45 P.M.
Midway Suites 1 & 2
Teaching Historical Thinking but Make it Fun! Engaging Students Through Primary Source Analysis
Learning & Teaching
Grace Moser | Associate Professor of History, St. Charles Community College
Teaching freshman and sophomore students how to think within the discipline is a challenge for any instructor regardless of discipline. One of the biggest problems encountered in teaching survey level history courses is figuring out how to teach those students to analyze and interpret primary sources. Even harder is to get students engaged enough to try to learn the skill. Recent studies have shown that incorporating play into higher education can increase student engagement. This session will discuss a project made by the speaker addressing historical thinking, analyzing primary sources through active learning, and applying that skill to construct a historical interpretation. Throughout the project, fun was incorporated through YouTube style videos addressing pop culture and practical applications of historical thought. The ideas practiced in this project could have practical applications in other disciplines who require similar analysis and narrative writing.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 3 & 4
The Courage to Connect With Students
Learning & Teaching
Josh Stroup | English Instructor, East Central College
Dr. Rachel Howard | Psychology and Sociology Instructor, East Central College
Building connections with students can be challenging. So many of us come to expect the worst in students. This breakout session will focus on letting your guard down to form an instructor-student relationship that is built upon trust and honesty to create a truly safe space for learning. Using the findings of social-researcher Brene Brown, the presenters will offer an interactive experience, highlighting what works (and what doesn't) when building connections in the classroom. Attendees will leave with concrete and actionable strategies to improve student-instructor relationships.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 5
1,000 Job Placements and Growing: Boeing and STLCC's Pre-Employment Training Program
Workforce Development: Partnerships & Apprenticeships
Dr. Jeff Pittman | Chancellor, St. Louis Community College
Dr. Craig Larson | Board of Trustees Vice Chair, St. Louis Community College
Rodney Gee | Trustee, St. Louis Community College
Dan Stroot | Senior Manager, Boeing
In 2022, Boeing St. Louis and St. Louis Community College celebrated the 1,000th job placement of the Boeing Pre-Employment Training Program. Utilizing State, local and college and company resources, Boeing and STLCC established a successful program that continues to produce a high number of graduates for the St. Louis Plant's Defense and Commercial lines. Learn from College trustees and partner leadership how to approach the collaborative design and development of a highly needed advanced manufacturing program established to meet area workforce needs. Attendees will learn about the collaborative development of curriculum, corporate partnerships, advanced manufacturing, meeting employer needs, dual enrollment, and state, federal and local support.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 6
Building a Remote Work Policy: Lessons Learned
Strategic Planning & The Community College Workplace
Tasha Welsh | Senior Director of Human Resources, Jefferson College
John Linhorst | Technology Services Manager, Jefferson College
Sarah Bright | Financial Aid Director, Jefferson College
Brenna Young | Coordinator of Retention Services, Jefferson College
Over the past several years, community colleges have begun facing new challenges related to both recruitment and retention of talented employees that are ready to fulfill the institution's mission. Learn how Jefferson College has responded to this challenge by building a flexible remote work policy for full and part time staff. Presenters will summarize successful strategies, discuss lessons learned, and will highlight conversation shared through institutional groups throughout the process.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 7 & 8
It’s A Virtual World: Adopting Online Proctoring While Managing Student Test Anxiety
Learning & Teaching
Robin Bradley | Senior Regional Director, Honorlock
The pandemic years have forever changed the higher education landscape. As a result, institutions have supported new learning environments while managing increased student anxiety. Honorlock and the University of North Alabama conducted a detailed study on test anxiety and online proctoring. Join us for this discussion on student anxiety drivers, ways to mitigate student anxiety, and how proctoring can support student success.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 9
Components of an Effective Incident Response Plan
Special Topics
Angie Robinson | Cybersecurity Specialist, Homeland Security
Andrew White | Vice President of Information Technology and Cybersecurity, Mineral Area College
You've just experienced a cyber incident. How do you determine where it started, who is affected and how to attack it and recover? This workshop will present you with a realistic scenario of a cyber incident. You will walk through an incident response plan for discovery and recovery. Your plan will include assigning roles, action steps and timelines.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 10
Major Purpose: High Impact Practices in Guiding Students' Informed Choices
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Carrie Greer | Director of Admissions, Jefferson College
Lora Warner | Director of Workforce and Employment Services, Jefferson College
Shannon Sniegolski | Advising Specialist - Career Guidance, Jefferson College
Marie Strohl | Senior Account Executive, MyMajors
Declared is not decided! If you have struggled to retain students or grappled with how to serve a large population of undecided learners, this presentation is for you. Come learn how staff at Jefferson College embraced the guided pathways and purpose first model to impact student retention goals. In partnership with MyMajors, Jefferson College implemented new technology to centralize processes, integrate next steps for students with advising initiatives, and connect students to specific majors and programs on campus. The information provided in this session will benefit those working in admissions, advising, career services, or with onboarding and FYE initiatives.
--- --- ---
Grand Ballroom A
It Takes a Village: Preparing Students for the Transition From 2YR to 4YR
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Cecilia Olivares | Director of Transfer Center and Discovery Center, University of Missouri
Lexi Wolkow | Transfer Student Engagement Coordinator, University of Missouri
Kara Cheslock | Transfer Admissions Coordinator, University of Missouri
It's no secret that individual success is often gained by the work of a village supporting and informing from every vantage point. For transfer students, within that village needs to exist the early intervention and collaborative efforts of multiple institutions. Join us for a discussion on best practices for working together to surround our (yes, yours and ours!) students with the tools, advice, and strategic thinking to ensure their academic success at both institutions in fulfillment of their goals and aspirations.
--- --- ---
Grand Ballroom B
Details Matter: Little Changes With Big Impact on Student Graduation
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Helen Hale | Director of Student Success and Retention, Crowder College
Dr. Chett Daniel | Interim VP of Academic Affairs, Crowder College
Recently, Crowder College was asked by the Higher Learning Commission to provide reasons for our improvement in graduation rates over the past five years. The effort was part of a new initiative called Student Success Measures to better understand the practices and circumstances at member institutions that have improved their graduation rates, along with the reasons that have led to the status quo or in some instances declining rates. This session aims to describe some of the small changes made in policy or practice at Crowder College that helped to improve graduation rates. Changes such as creating stackable credentials, removing barriers, advising for retention and success will be presented. Join a discussion about practices we implemented at Crowder that seemed to have a large impact on student success, retention and graduation and strategies you might implement at your own campus!
--- --- ---
Grand Ballroom C
Increase Retention and Transform Your Institution by Focusing on Employee Engagement
Strategic Planning & The Community College Workplace
Anne Brackett | Chief Engagement Officer, Strengths University
Alicia Wojciuch | Chief Education Officer, Strengths University
We want students to be engaged and succeed. Too often this means a "student-first" mindset that increases the stress of the people charged with that success. Overworked employees are not productive, innovative, or engaged. Working harder and doing more does not equal student or institutional success. In fact, it means lower employee retention, which negatively impacts both students and the employees left behind. However, when supervisors focus on employee engagement, there is higher retention, wellbeing, innovation, productivity, and student engagement. Learn how to actively improve your employees’ engagement so your team, your students, and your institution are more successful.
Teaching Historical Thinking but Make it Fun! Engaging Students Through Primary Source Analysis
Learning & Teaching
Grace Moser | Associate Professor of History, St. Charles Community College
Teaching freshman and sophomore students how to think within the discipline is a challenge for any instructor regardless of discipline. One of the biggest problems encountered in teaching survey level history courses is figuring out how to teach those students to analyze and interpret primary sources. Even harder is to get students engaged enough to try to learn the skill. Recent studies have shown that incorporating play into higher education can increase student engagement. This session will discuss a project made by the speaker addressing historical thinking, analyzing primary sources through active learning, and applying that skill to construct a historical interpretation. Throughout the project, fun was incorporated through YouTube style videos addressing pop culture and practical applications of historical thought. The ideas practiced in this project could have practical applications in other disciplines who require similar analysis and narrative writing.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 3 & 4
The Courage to Connect With Students
Learning & Teaching
Josh Stroup | English Instructor, East Central College
Dr. Rachel Howard | Psychology and Sociology Instructor, East Central College
Building connections with students can be challenging. So many of us come to expect the worst in students. This breakout session will focus on letting your guard down to form an instructor-student relationship that is built upon trust and honesty to create a truly safe space for learning. Using the findings of social-researcher Brene Brown, the presenters will offer an interactive experience, highlighting what works (and what doesn't) when building connections in the classroom. Attendees will leave with concrete and actionable strategies to improve student-instructor relationships.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 5
1,000 Job Placements and Growing: Boeing and STLCC's Pre-Employment Training Program
Workforce Development: Partnerships & Apprenticeships
Dr. Jeff Pittman | Chancellor, St. Louis Community College
Dr. Craig Larson | Board of Trustees Vice Chair, St. Louis Community College
Rodney Gee | Trustee, St. Louis Community College
Dan Stroot | Senior Manager, Boeing
In 2022, Boeing St. Louis and St. Louis Community College celebrated the 1,000th job placement of the Boeing Pre-Employment Training Program. Utilizing State, local and college and company resources, Boeing and STLCC established a successful program that continues to produce a high number of graduates for the St. Louis Plant's Defense and Commercial lines. Learn from College trustees and partner leadership how to approach the collaborative design and development of a highly needed advanced manufacturing program established to meet area workforce needs. Attendees will learn about the collaborative development of curriculum, corporate partnerships, advanced manufacturing, meeting employer needs, dual enrollment, and state, federal and local support.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 6
Building a Remote Work Policy: Lessons Learned
Strategic Planning & The Community College Workplace
Tasha Welsh | Senior Director of Human Resources, Jefferson College
John Linhorst | Technology Services Manager, Jefferson College
Sarah Bright | Financial Aid Director, Jefferson College
Brenna Young | Coordinator of Retention Services, Jefferson College
Over the past several years, community colleges have begun facing new challenges related to both recruitment and retention of talented employees that are ready to fulfill the institution's mission. Learn how Jefferson College has responded to this challenge by building a flexible remote work policy for full and part time staff. Presenters will summarize successful strategies, discuss lessons learned, and will highlight conversation shared through institutional groups throughout the process.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 7 & 8
It’s A Virtual World: Adopting Online Proctoring While Managing Student Test Anxiety
Learning & Teaching
Robin Bradley | Senior Regional Director, Honorlock
The pandemic years have forever changed the higher education landscape. As a result, institutions have supported new learning environments while managing increased student anxiety. Honorlock and the University of North Alabama conducted a detailed study on test anxiety and online proctoring. Join us for this discussion on student anxiety drivers, ways to mitigate student anxiety, and how proctoring can support student success.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 9
Components of an Effective Incident Response Plan
Special Topics
Angie Robinson | Cybersecurity Specialist, Homeland Security
Andrew White | Vice President of Information Technology and Cybersecurity, Mineral Area College
You've just experienced a cyber incident. How do you determine where it started, who is affected and how to attack it and recover? This workshop will present you with a realistic scenario of a cyber incident. You will walk through an incident response plan for discovery and recovery. Your plan will include assigning roles, action steps and timelines.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 10
Major Purpose: High Impact Practices in Guiding Students' Informed Choices
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Carrie Greer | Director of Admissions, Jefferson College
Lora Warner | Director of Workforce and Employment Services, Jefferson College
Shannon Sniegolski | Advising Specialist - Career Guidance, Jefferson College
Marie Strohl | Senior Account Executive, MyMajors
Declared is not decided! If you have struggled to retain students or grappled with how to serve a large population of undecided learners, this presentation is for you. Come learn how staff at Jefferson College embraced the guided pathways and purpose first model to impact student retention goals. In partnership with MyMajors, Jefferson College implemented new technology to centralize processes, integrate next steps for students with advising initiatives, and connect students to specific majors and programs on campus. The information provided in this session will benefit those working in admissions, advising, career services, or with onboarding and FYE initiatives.
--- --- ---
Grand Ballroom A
It Takes a Village: Preparing Students for the Transition From 2YR to 4YR
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Cecilia Olivares | Director of Transfer Center and Discovery Center, University of Missouri
Lexi Wolkow | Transfer Student Engagement Coordinator, University of Missouri
Kara Cheslock | Transfer Admissions Coordinator, University of Missouri
It's no secret that individual success is often gained by the work of a village supporting and informing from every vantage point. For transfer students, within that village needs to exist the early intervention and collaborative efforts of multiple institutions. Join us for a discussion on best practices for working together to surround our (yes, yours and ours!) students with the tools, advice, and strategic thinking to ensure their academic success at both institutions in fulfillment of their goals and aspirations.
--- --- ---
Grand Ballroom B
Details Matter: Little Changes With Big Impact on Student Graduation
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Helen Hale | Director of Student Success and Retention, Crowder College
Dr. Chett Daniel | Interim VP of Academic Affairs, Crowder College
Recently, Crowder College was asked by the Higher Learning Commission to provide reasons for our improvement in graduation rates over the past five years. The effort was part of a new initiative called Student Success Measures to better understand the practices and circumstances at member institutions that have improved their graduation rates, along with the reasons that have led to the status quo or in some instances declining rates. This session aims to describe some of the small changes made in policy or practice at Crowder College that helped to improve graduation rates. Changes such as creating stackable credentials, removing barriers, advising for retention and success will be presented. Join a discussion about practices we implemented at Crowder that seemed to have a large impact on student success, retention and graduation and strategies you might implement at your own campus!
--- --- ---
Grand Ballroom C
Increase Retention and Transform Your Institution by Focusing on Employee Engagement
Strategic Planning & The Community College Workplace
Anne Brackett | Chief Engagement Officer, Strengths University
Alicia Wojciuch | Chief Education Officer, Strengths University
We want students to be engaged and succeed. Too often this means a "student-first" mindset that increases the stress of the people charged with that success. Overworked employees are not productive, innovative, or engaged. Working harder and doing more does not equal student or institutional success. In fact, it means lower employee retention, which negatively impacts both students and the employees left behind. However, when supervisors focus on employee engagement, there is higher retention, wellbeing, innovation, productivity, and student engagement. Learn how to actively improve your employees’ engagement so your team, your students, and your institution are more successful.
2:30 - 3:15 P.M.
Midway Suites 1 & 2
East Central College's HLC Road Trip
HLC Accreditation
Dr. Michelle Smith | Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness, East Central College
Dr. Robyn Walter | Vice President of Academic Affairs, East Central College
Jennifer Higerd | Assistant Professor of Art, East Central College
ECC used a road trip theme to prepare for our HLC Comprehensive Review. Road trips are always more fun with a crowd. We'll share strategies for engaging the whole campus, resources we shared to educate our faculty and staff about the HLC Criteria, and our process for staying on track.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 3 & 4
Restoring Connection: Helping Students Rediscover Interaction in the Classroom
Learning & Teaching
Dr. Trisha White | Lead Mathematics Instructor, Ozarks Technical Community College - Richwood Valley Campus
After a period of social distancing and remote learning, many have forgotten how to learn together. Absences have increased, conversations have dwindled, interest and curiosity seem rare. Students seem to despise group work more than ever. How can educators reignite engagement and encourage students to rediscover the value of interaction? Join a conversation discussing ways to overcome the inertia of isolation and reestablish critical relationships in the classroom. Bring your frustrations, experience, and suggestions. Together, let's lay the rails toward a better classroom experience.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 5
MCC Reimagined: A New Frontier and Path Toward Strategic Planning Success
Strategic Planning & The Community College Workplace
Dr. Kimberly Beatty | Chancellor, Metropolitan Community College
Ed Foley | Executive Director of Enterprise Project Management, Planning and Institutional Effectiveness, Metropolitan Community College
Metropolitan Community College (MCC) launched a bold and inclusive 10-year strategic plan on January 1, 2022. Come learn best practices for building an inclusive plan, see how we're embedding it into our culture, and finally how we're holding ourselves accountable for results. We'll share our experiences on this journey, have a brief small group exercise and all come away ready to keep pushing the envelope within strategic planning.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 6
Attention in the Age of Distraction: Lessons Learned From Distracted
Learning & Teaching
Beth Marchbanks | Professor of Language and Literature, Moberly Area Community College
Becky Allen | Associate Professor of Psychology, Moberly Area Community College
Dr. Tamara Sells | Assistant Professor of Psychology, Moberly Area Community College
Elizabeth Ward | Associate Professor of Business Administration
How do we sustain student attention — work with them, not against them — in the age where so many instant notifications and so much instant gratification calls them away from our classrooms? As part of a newly established Faculty Book Club, MACC faculty members read the book Distracted and met monthly to discuss takeaways. Come learn the lessons we learned about building an environment of attention in our classrooms, from the syllabus to forming a technology policy to how we structure our classes, as well as how blaming only technology for our students' distractions is largely a myth.
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Midway Suites 7 & 8
An NSF S-STEM Grant Partnering Webster University and Community Colleges for Expanding Student Opportunities in STEM
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Stephanie Schroeder | Biological Sciences Department Chair and Professor, Webster University
Mary Preuss | Biological Sciences Professor, Webster University
Webster University was awarded a second NSF S-STEM grant to provide scholarships for community college transfers to finish their bachelor’s degree in a STEM field. This has strengthened and provided opportunities for further collaboration between Webster University, St. Louis Community College and St. Charles Community College. This session will discuss the lessons learned about student services from the first grant, as well as ways that we can work together to best serve our students in STEM fields across institutions.
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Midway Suites 9
Equitable Access: Best Practices and Strategies for Increasing Enrollment, Retention and Student Success
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Robert Jansen | Director of Retail Operations, Three Rivers College
Learn best practices and strategies for increasing enrollment, retention, and student success through Equitable Access for course materials. Three Rivers College is the only community college in Missouri and one of the leading colleges in the in the Equitable Access movement. Equitable Access, named the Resource Fee, started in the 2021 summer session. Equitable Access, or EA, is a flat rate per credit hour fee charged at the time of registration. EA allows all students, regardless of major or financial status, immediate access to all required digital and physical course materials on the first day of classes, including textbooks, online access to digital course material through Blackboard, lab kits, uniforms, course supplies, free shipping for web orders, as well as many other resources. This new feature allows students to know at the time of registration their complete costs for all items required in their courses for more effective financial planning and management.
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Midway Suites 10
Accessibility for Students With Disabilities in Health Science Programs: A Collaborative Approach to Equal Access in Academic and Clinical Settings
Leadership & Institutional Transformation
Mary Zabriskie, J.D. | Grand River Solutions (Former Director of Equity Compliance, St. Louis Community College)
Dr. William Hubble, Ph.D., CNMT, R.T.(R)(N)(CT), FSNMMI-TS | District Division Dean of Academic Affairs and Health Sciences, St. Louis Community College
Jordan Cooper, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, CEN | Dean of Nursing, St. Louis Community College
Telitha Rogers-Anderson, M.Ed., LPC | Access Office Manager (Disability Resources), St. Louis Community College
A collaborative, multi-disciplined approach is underway at St. Louis Community College to improve accessibility for students with disabilities in health science programs. Learn about work done to date including, educational outreach to faculty, launching a new Technical Standards Committee, providing accommodations in both classroom and clinical settings, reconsidering fundamental alterations, and achieving buy-in districtwide at a multi-campus institution. The panel will share how they have worked together to effect positive change for students at STLCC and how they plan to continue these efforts in the future.
--- --- ---
Grand Ballroom A
Empowering Adult Online Learning
Learning & Teaching
Dr. Kim Round | School of Education Association Dean, Western Governors University
How do adults learn most effectively online? As we've encountered during the pandemic, the shift to online and blended approaches accelerated exponentially. Effective practices rely heavily on active collaborative techniques to help learners construct knowledge and build community. Leveraging design thinking techniques, this session will actively engage participants in an exploration of the unique needs of adult online learners. Participants will then discuss best practices in designing instruction and online facilitation, as well as methods for assuring quality in course design.
--- --- ---
Grand Ballroom B
Sailing Towards Success: The Impact of Orientation on New Students
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Jenna Stevens | Director of Advising and Retention, North Central Missouri College
Nicole Shell | Academic Advisor, North Central Missouri College
Set your students up for success - in and out of the classroom - with an effective orientation program that is filled with information to familiarize them with your institution! Join the North Central Missouri College Advisors for a look into their comprehensive new student orientation sessions, called OAR (Orientation, Advising & Registration). These required sessions for all new, degree-seeking students at NCMC are focused on making students (and their families) feel welcome and ready to start their journey at NCMC by introducing them to the campus, various faculty and staff, organizations, and all of the resources available to them. The Advisors take a proactive approach to advising and registration at OAR by creating each student's schedule prior to the session based on their declared degree program, prior college credit, other special circumstances such as sports participation, their preferred method of course delivery, and course preferences. Set sail with us for ideas on how to make your new student orientation sessions extr-OAR-dinary!
--- --- ---
Grand Ballroom C
DEI & Campus Activities: Why Representation Matters
Special Topics
Carson Mowery | Campus Life and Leadership Coordinator, East Central College
Student demographics change rapidly, and so should campus activities. Though student engagement can be quite a challenge, Campus Life and Leadership has learned that diverse programming boosts participation. The key? Students want to see themselves represented in programming. In this presentation, we will review the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion within campus activities, in addition to sharing effective applications of this work, all while connecting to the implications of fostering a sense of belonging for students.
East Central College's HLC Road Trip
HLC Accreditation
Dr. Michelle Smith | Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness, East Central College
Dr. Robyn Walter | Vice President of Academic Affairs, East Central College
Jennifer Higerd | Assistant Professor of Art, East Central College
ECC used a road trip theme to prepare for our HLC Comprehensive Review. Road trips are always more fun with a crowd. We'll share strategies for engaging the whole campus, resources we shared to educate our faculty and staff about the HLC Criteria, and our process for staying on track.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 3 & 4
Restoring Connection: Helping Students Rediscover Interaction in the Classroom
Learning & Teaching
Dr. Trisha White | Lead Mathematics Instructor, Ozarks Technical Community College - Richwood Valley Campus
After a period of social distancing and remote learning, many have forgotten how to learn together. Absences have increased, conversations have dwindled, interest and curiosity seem rare. Students seem to despise group work more than ever. How can educators reignite engagement and encourage students to rediscover the value of interaction? Join a conversation discussing ways to overcome the inertia of isolation and reestablish critical relationships in the classroom. Bring your frustrations, experience, and suggestions. Together, let's lay the rails toward a better classroom experience.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 5
MCC Reimagined: A New Frontier and Path Toward Strategic Planning Success
Strategic Planning & The Community College Workplace
Dr. Kimberly Beatty | Chancellor, Metropolitan Community College
Ed Foley | Executive Director of Enterprise Project Management, Planning and Institutional Effectiveness, Metropolitan Community College
Metropolitan Community College (MCC) launched a bold and inclusive 10-year strategic plan on January 1, 2022. Come learn best practices for building an inclusive plan, see how we're embedding it into our culture, and finally how we're holding ourselves accountable for results. We'll share our experiences on this journey, have a brief small group exercise and all come away ready to keep pushing the envelope within strategic planning.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 6
Attention in the Age of Distraction: Lessons Learned From Distracted
Learning & Teaching
Beth Marchbanks | Professor of Language and Literature, Moberly Area Community College
Becky Allen | Associate Professor of Psychology, Moberly Area Community College
Dr. Tamara Sells | Assistant Professor of Psychology, Moberly Area Community College
Elizabeth Ward | Associate Professor of Business Administration
How do we sustain student attention — work with them, not against them — in the age where so many instant notifications and so much instant gratification calls them away from our classrooms? As part of a newly established Faculty Book Club, MACC faculty members read the book Distracted and met monthly to discuss takeaways. Come learn the lessons we learned about building an environment of attention in our classrooms, from the syllabus to forming a technology policy to how we structure our classes, as well as how blaming only technology for our students' distractions is largely a myth.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 7 & 8
An NSF S-STEM Grant Partnering Webster University and Community Colleges for Expanding Student Opportunities in STEM
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Stephanie Schroeder | Biological Sciences Department Chair and Professor, Webster University
Mary Preuss | Biological Sciences Professor, Webster University
Webster University was awarded a second NSF S-STEM grant to provide scholarships for community college transfers to finish their bachelor’s degree in a STEM field. This has strengthened and provided opportunities for further collaboration between Webster University, St. Louis Community College and St. Charles Community College. This session will discuss the lessons learned about student services from the first grant, as well as ways that we can work together to best serve our students in STEM fields across institutions.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 9
Equitable Access: Best Practices and Strategies for Increasing Enrollment, Retention and Student Success
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Robert Jansen | Director of Retail Operations, Three Rivers College
Learn best practices and strategies for increasing enrollment, retention, and student success through Equitable Access for course materials. Three Rivers College is the only community college in Missouri and one of the leading colleges in the in the Equitable Access movement. Equitable Access, named the Resource Fee, started in the 2021 summer session. Equitable Access, or EA, is a flat rate per credit hour fee charged at the time of registration. EA allows all students, regardless of major or financial status, immediate access to all required digital and physical course materials on the first day of classes, including textbooks, online access to digital course material through Blackboard, lab kits, uniforms, course supplies, free shipping for web orders, as well as many other resources. This new feature allows students to know at the time of registration their complete costs for all items required in their courses for more effective financial planning and management.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 10
Accessibility for Students With Disabilities in Health Science Programs: A Collaborative Approach to Equal Access in Academic and Clinical Settings
Leadership & Institutional Transformation
Mary Zabriskie, J.D. | Grand River Solutions (Former Director of Equity Compliance, St. Louis Community College)
Dr. William Hubble, Ph.D., CNMT, R.T.(R)(N)(CT), FSNMMI-TS | District Division Dean of Academic Affairs and Health Sciences, St. Louis Community College
Jordan Cooper, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, CEN | Dean of Nursing, St. Louis Community College
Telitha Rogers-Anderson, M.Ed., LPC | Access Office Manager (Disability Resources), St. Louis Community College
A collaborative, multi-disciplined approach is underway at St. Louis Community College to improve accessibility for students with disabilities in health science programs. Learn about work done to date including, educational outreach to faculty, launching a new Technical Standards Committee, providing accommodations in both classroom and clinical settings, reconsidering fundamental alterations, and achieving buy-in districtwide at a multi-campus institution. The panel will share how they have worked together to effect positive change for students at STLCC and how they plan to continue these efforts in the future.
--- --- ---
Grand Ballroom A
Empowering Adult Online Learning
Learning & Teaching
Dr. Kim Round | School of Education Association Dean, Western Governors University
How do adults learn most effectively online? As we've encountered during the pandemic, the shift to online and blended approaches accelerated exponentially. Effective practices rely heavily on active collaborative techniques to help learners construct knowledge and build community. Leveraging design thinking techniques, this session will actively engage participants in an exploration of the unique needs of adult online learners. Participants will then discuss best practices in designing instruction and online facilitation, as well as methods for assuring quality in course design.
--- --- ---
Grand Ballroom B
Sailing Towards Success: The Impact of Orientation on New Students
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Jenna Stevens | Director of Advising and Retention, North Central Missouri College
Nicole Shell | Academic Advisor, North Central Missouri College
Set your students up for success - in and out of the classroom - with an effective orientation program that is filled with information to familiarize them with your institution! Join the North Central Missouri College Advisors for a look into their comprehensive new student orientation sessions, called OAR (Orientation, Advising & Registration). These required sessions for all new, degree-seeking students at NCMC are focused on making students (and their families) feel welcome and ready to start their journey at NCMC by introducing them to the campus, various faculty and staff, organizations, and all of the resources available to them. The Advisors take a proactive approach to advising and registration at OAR by creating each student's schedule prior to the session based on their declared degree program, prior college credit, other special circumstances such as sports participation, their preferred method of course delivery, and course preferences. Set sail with us for ideas on how to make your new student orientation sessions extr-OAR-dinary!
--- --- ---
Grand Ballroom C
DEI & Campus Activities: Why Representation Matters
Special Topics
Carson Mowery | Campus Life and Leadership Coordinator, East Central College
Student demographics change rapidly, and so should campus activities. Though student engagement can be quite a challenge, Campus Life and Leadership has learned that diverse programming boosts participation. The key? Students want to see themselves represented in programming. In this presentation, we will review the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion within campus activities, in addition to sharing effective applications of this work, all while connecting to the implications of fostering a sense of belonging for students.
3:30 - 4:15 P.M.
Midway Suites 1 & 2
Preparing for the Year 4 Assurance Review
HLC Accreditation
Dr. Kim Harvey-Manus | Vice President of Student Services, Jefferson College
Dr. Kenny Wilson | School of Science and Health Associate Dean, Jefferson College
This session will share how Jefferson College started preparing for its HLC Open Pathway Year 4 Assurance Review immediately following the completion of its Year 10 Comprehensive Evaluation and Site Visit. The process of reviewing the Year 10 final team report, identifying strengths and opportunities for improvement, and involving the campus community will be discussed. Additionally, the process for updating the Assurance Argument will be shared.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 3 & 4
Working Smarter, Not Harder, with Missouri's Partners In Prevention
Special Topics
Kristine Bogue | Director of Student Compliance and Deputy Title IX Coordinator, Jefferson College
Joan Masters | Project Director, Partners in Prevention
Colleges strive to be safe places where students thrive academically and grow personally. One of the biggest obstacles to college students' success and retention is the misuse of alcohol and drugs and power-based violence. Learn how Partners In Prevention supported me in my first five years of implementing Drug Free Schools and Communities Act (DFSCA) and Title IX programming, including how Jefferson College gathers valuable student wellbeing data, utilizes student wellness strategic planning, and obtains funding to implement evidence-based, best-practice programs. You will also learn about PIP's implementable tools, free resources, technical assistance and individualized support.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 5
The Story of Community Colleges in Missouri
Special Topics
Dr. Jon Bauer | President, East Central College
How did we come to have the 12 community colleges that make up the Missouri Community College Association? The history of community colleges goes back over 100 years. The origins in Missouri can be traced back to the late 1800s. But there has been no single path for the 12 community colleges now serving the state. Learn how the community colleges developed in Missouri and the unique role President Harry Truman played in the community college explosion that occurred in the 1960s. Presented by one of the state's longest serving community college presidents.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 6
Stimulating Growth & Competitiveness in Our Region: How STLCC Drove Community Support for a Tax Levy
Leadership & Institutional Transformation
Dr. Craig Larson | Board of Trustees Vice Chair, St. Louis Community College
Dr. Jeff Pittman | Chancellor, St. Louis Community College
Kedra Tolson | Executive Director of Marketing and Communications, St. Louis Community College
Pam Ross | Trustee, St. Louis Community College
Mary Luebke | Trustee, St. Louis Community College
In 2021, St. Louis Community College ran a successful campaign to pass Proposition R, a tax levy increase that funds major upgrades in facilities and academic programming. The college, which had not had a successful tax levy increase since 1984, assembled a solid and wide-ranging team of educators, business leaders, and community volunteers to drive community support and success at the ballot box. Learn from College trustees and leadership how to build a committee, boost internal and external stakeholder support, and leverage public relations while navigating the highs and lows of campaigning. Attendees will learn about using internal/external polling, building campaign committees/teams, the importance of BOT support, buy-in from internal/external audiences, and successful communications/public relations tactics.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 7 & 8
All Aboard the VR Train to Success: How Partnering With Missouri VR Can Help Enrollment, Retention and Successful Placement in the Workforce
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Lesa Barber | Business Services Director, Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation
Our world has drastically changed over the last several years. As a result, community college enrollment and retention has suffered. Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation, a division of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, can be a resource for students with disabilities who use a variety of services to assist them starting with enrollment through job placement after graduation. In this session you will learn about services and potential financial assistance available for current and prospective students, how VR supports can help retain students to finish their degree, and the strategies VR utilizes to help students secure a successful career. We believe there are an abundance of individuals who slip through the cracks and are unaware of the services available to assist with a pathway to success. Come learn how we can work together to better serve our communities by bridging the gap between higher education and workforce needs.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 9
No More Spreadsheets: Visualizing Data to Gain Insights With Power BI
Strategic Planning & The Community College Workplace
Jackson Lewis-Hite | Institutional Research Specialist, Crowder College
This presentation will demonstrate the powerful ways that data can be visualized using tools like Power BI. Attendees will learn when dashboards should be used, as well as the planning process for making effective visualizations. Using Crowder College's dashboard resource as a guide, attendees will receive a live demonstration of how dashboards can help drive insights and lead to more impactful decision-making.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 10
Effective Communication in a World of Constant Distractions
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Sharon Fox | Academic Advisor, Metropolitan Community College
In a world where communication is so prevalent, how do you stand out? How do you make sure your messages are read by your students? When it takes 30 times for a product or service to be seen before purchased and you're competing with that, how do you get student's attention? Presentation of an email sequence newsletter that is impacting students based on sound methodology from NACADA in addition to a discussion of best practices discovered from researching colleges will be used in the presentation.
--- --- ---
Grand Ballroom A
Neurodiversity Accommodations, Not Revolutions
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Carol Stolt | Design Principal, FGM Architects
Jan Behounek | Higher Education Practice Area Leader, FGM Architects
Education institutions across the country are seeing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of their new and returning students. Most commonly, colleges are reporting higher rates of symptoms of anxiety and depression (Zhai & Du, 2020). Simultaneously, there is an increased demand to meet the social, psychological, and academic needs of neurodiverse students, who have been significantly impacted by the pandemic. This breakout session will identify these intersections of needs, and provide both theory and practical recommendations about responding through the built environment to create spaces that are inclusive, accessible, trauma-informed, and supportive of growth of all students.
--- --- ---
Grand Ballroom B
Teaching and Learning Through Play
Learning & Teaching
Dr. Sandra Arumugam-Osburn | Faculty, St. Louis Community College
Jalise Grimes | Xi Epsilon Chapter President, St. Louis Community College - Forest Park
Tekisha Blue | Xi Epsilon Vice President of Scholarship and Honors in Action, St. Louis Community College - Forest Park
Louis Smith | Xi Epsilon Vice President of Service and College Project, St. Louis Community College - Forest Park
Britt Nelson | Xi Epsilon Vice President of Fellowship and Communications, St. Louis Community College - Forest Park
Sasha Green | Xi Epsilon Vice President of Membership and Promotions, St. Louis Community College - Forest Park
Phi Theta Kappa's newly revealed 2022-2023 Honors Study Topic is the Art and Science of Play. When we think about play, though, we often think about board games, video games, the playground, or sports. Even if we do extend our thinking of play in education, it is usually reserved for K-8 classrooms. What about the college classroom? The Xi Epsilon chapter at St. Louis Community College-Forest Park has embarked on a journey to explore community college students' expectations of incorporating play in the classroom and to see its impact on learning. We are also curious about the faculty's expectations or reservations about infusing play into their teaching. In this session, the chapter officers will discuss their findings, share different approaches to bringing play into the classroom, and engage in a conversation with faculty participants if this is something doable and needed in the 21st-century college classroom.
--- --- ---
Grand Ballroom C
Analyzing the Academy
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Megen Strubberg | Director of Early College and Admissions, East Central College
The Early College Academy (ECA) is a program that allows high school juniors to become full-time college students at ECC to pursue their college degree at the same time as their high school diploma. Walk through the journey with us, as we review both quantitative and qualitative data about the student experience and our many lessons learned.
Preparing for the Year 4 Assurance Review
HLC Accreditation
Dr. Kim Harvey-Manus | Vice President of Student Services, Jefferson College
Dr. Kenny Wilson | School of Science and Health Associate Dean, Jefferson College
This session will share how Jefferson College started preparing for its HLC Open Pathway Year 4 Assurance Review immediately following the completion of its Year 10 Comprehensive Evaluation and Site Visit. The process of reviewing the Year 10 final team report, identifying strengths and opportunities for improvement, and involving the campus community will be discussed. Additionally, the process for updating the Assurance Argument will be shared.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 3 & 4
Working Smarter, Not Harder, with Missouri's Partners In Prevention
Special Topics
Kristine Bogue | Director of Student Compliance and Deputy Title IX Coordinator, Jefferson College
Joan Masters | Project Director, Partners in Prevention
Colleges strive to be safe places where students thrive academically and grow personally. One of the biggest obstacles to college students' success and retention is the misuse of alcohol and drugs and power-based violence. Learn how Partners In Prevention supported me in my first five years of implementing Drug Free Schools and Communities Act (DFSCA) and Title IX programming, including how Jefferson College gathers valuable student wellbeing data, utilizes student wellness strategic planning, and obtains funding to implement evidence-based, best-practice programs. You will also learn about PIP's implementable tools, free resources, technical assistance and individualized support.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 5
The Story of Community Colleges in Missouri
Special Topics
Dr. Jon Bauer | President, East Central College
How did we come to have the 12 community colleges that make up the Missouri Community College Association? The history of community colleges goes back over 100 years. The origins in Missouri can be traced back to the late 1800s. But there has been no single path for the 12 community colleges now serving the state. Learn how the community colleges developed in Missouri and the unique role President Harry Truman played in the community college explosion that occurred in the 1960s. Presented by one of the state's longest serving community college presidents.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 6
Stimulating Growth & Competitiveness in Our Region: How STLCC Drove Community Support for a Tax Levy
Leadership & Institutional Transformation
Dr. Craig Larson | Board of Trustees Vice Chair, St. Louis Community College
Dr. Jeff Pittman | Chancellor, St. Louis Community College
Kedra Tolson | Executive Director of Marketing and Communications, St. Louis Community College
Pam Ross | Trustee, St. Louis Community College
Mary Luebke | Trustee, St. Louis Community College
In 2021, St. Louis Community College ran a successful campaign to pass Proposition R, a tax levy increase that funds major upgrades in facilities and academic programming. The college, which had not had a successful tax levy increase since 1984, assembled a solid and wide-ranging team of educators, business leaders, and community volunteers to drive community support and success at the ballot box. Learn from College trustees and leadership how to build a committee, boost internal and external stakeholder support, and leverage public relations while navigating the highs and lows of campaigning. Attendees will learn about using internal/external polling, building campaign committees/teams, the importance of BOT support, buy-in from internal/external audiences, and successful communications/public relations tactics.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 7 & 8
All Aboard the VR Train to Success: How Partnering With Missouri VR Can Help Enrollment, Retention and Successful Placement in the Workforce
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Lesa Barber | Business Services Director, Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation
Our world has drastically changed over the last several years. As a result, community college enrollment and retention has suffered. Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation, a division of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, can be a resource for students with disabilities who use a variety of services to assist them starting with enrollment through job placement after graduation. In this session you will learn about services and potential financial assistance available for current and prospective students, how VR supports can help retain students to finish their degree, and the strategies VR utilizes to help students secure a successful career. We believe there are an abundance of individuals who slip through the cracks and are unaware of the services available to assist with a pathway to success. Come learn how we can work together to better serve our communities by bridging the gap between higher education and workforce needs.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 9
No More Spreadsheets: Visualizing Data to Gain Insights With Power BI
Strategic Planning & The Community College Workplace
Jackson Lewis-Hite | Institutional Research Specialist, Crowder College
This presentation will demonstrate the powerful ways that data can be visualized using tools like Power BI. Attendees will learn when dashboards should be used, as well as the planning process for making effective visualizations. Using Crowder College's dashboard resource as a guide, attendees will receive a live demonstration of how dashboards can help drive insights and lead to more impactful decision-making.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 10
Effective Communication in a World of Constant Distractions
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Sharon Fox | Academic Advisor, Metropolitan Community College
In a world where communication is so prevalent, how do you stand out? How do you make sure your messages are read by your students? When it takes 30 times for a product or service to be seen before purchased and you're competing with that, how do you get student's attention? Presentation of an email sequence newsletter that is impacting students based on sound methodology from NACADA in addition to a discussion of best practices discovered from researching colleges will be used in the presentation.
--- --- ---
Grand Ballroom A
Neurodiversity Accommodations, Not Revolutions
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Carol Stolt | Design Principal, FGM Architects
Jan Behounek | Higher Education Practice Area Leader, FGM Architects
Education institutions across the country are seeing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of their new and returning students. Most commonly, colleges are reporting higher rates of symptoms of anxiety and depression (Zhai & Du, 2020). Simultaneously, there is an increased demand to meet the social, psychological, and academic needs of neurodiverse students, who have been significantly impacted by the pandemic. This breakout session will identify these intersections of needs, and provide both theory and practical recommendations about responding through the built environment to create spaces that are inclusive, accessible, trauma-informed, and supportive of growth of all students.
--- --- ---
Grand Ballroom B
Teaching and Learning Through Play
Learning & Teaching
Dr. Sandra Arumugam-Osburn | Faculty, St. Louis Community College
Jalise Grimes | Xi Epsilon Chapter President, St. Louis Community College - Forest Park
Tekisha Blue | Xi Epsilon Vice President of Scholarship and Honors in Action, St. Louis Community College - Forest Park
Louis Smith | Xi Epsilon Vice President of Service and College Project, St. Louis Community College - Forest Park
Britt Nelson | Xi Epsilon Vice President of Fellowship and Communications, St. Louis Community College - Forest Park
Sasha Green | Xi Epsilon Vice President of Membership and Promotions, St. Louis Community College - Forest Park
Phi Theta Kappa's newly revealed 2022-2023 Honors Study Topic is the Art and Science of Play. When we think about play, though, we often think about board games, video games, the playground, or sports. Even if we do extend our thinking of play in education, it is usually reserved for K-8 classrooms. What about the college classroom? The Xi Epsilon chapter at St. Louis Community College-Forest Park has embarked on a journey to explore community college students' expectations of incorporating play in the classroom and to see its impact on learning. We are also curious about the faculty's expectations or reservations about infusing play into their teaching. In this session, the chapter officers will discuss their findings, share different approaches to bringing play into the classroom, and engage in a conversation with faculty participants if this is something doable and needed in the 21st-century college classroom.
--- --- ---
Grand Ballroom C
Analyzing the Academy
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Megen Strubberg | Director of Early College and Admissions, East Central College
The Early College Academy (ECA) is a program that allows high school juniors to become full-time college students at ECC to pursue their college degree at the same time as their high school diploma. Walk through the journey with us, as we review both quantitative and qualitative data about the student experience and our many lessons learned.
Thursday, December 1
8:45 - 9:30 A.M.
Midway Suites 1 & 2
Teach the Teacher: Process and Timeline for Instructor Zoom Training Led by Non-Faculty
Special Topics
Bethany Pfeiffer | Booneville Campus Director, State Fair Community College
Dara Bigler | Clinton Campus Director, State Fair Community College
We'll share our process and timeline for how we implemented an in-house instructor Zoom training, including how to develop a Zoom training schedule, recommended checklists, and timeline from the perspective an administrator, lead instructor, department coordinator, or dean. We'll bring you aboard to see where we failed and where we triumphed, a little bit of data for the Thinkers in the audience as well as some sexy pre- vs. post-COVID comparisons.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 3 & 4
Communication and Poverty Barriers
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Alice Whalen | Director of Adult Education and Literacy, East Central College
Mary Eagan | College and Career Readiness Advocate, East Central College
Poverty doesn't just impact a student's access to your institution financially, but it also creates communication barriers. These barriers may stop a student from registering for classes, interfere with their classroom success and cause them to drop out all together. After a brief introduction to the types of poverty your students may face, this workshop will look at poverty from an insider's perspective. Discussion will focus on the impact of poverty on communication with students beyond the financial aid office. With more than 28 years combined experience, Alice Whalen and Mary Eagan are familiar with the challenges that low-income students and first-generation students may face when they return to school. They have assisted thousands of students in the adult education high school equivalency program at East Central College. They are also certified poverty coaches through the Beegle Poverty Immersion and Coaching Institutes.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 5
Dual Enrollment Pathways and Partnerships
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Dr. Elizabeth Gassel Perkins | Campus President and Chief Academic Officer, St. Louis Community College - Florissant Valley
Ellen Wottrich | District Manager - Dual Credit/Enrollment Partnerships, St. Louis Community College
Erika Malone | Coordinator - Sponsored High School Programs, St. Louis Community College
Simon Langrehr | Emerson STEM Academy Coordinator, St. Louis Community College
Traditional dual enrollment students outside of early college participants don't always have opportunities for program completion or innovative pathways. Many of these students have focused on taking a select number of courses toward a general transfer degree, much like they could through AP or dual credit. Come learn how STLCC worked with our partners to create new pathways for these students to earn more than just a couple of credit hours.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 6
Leveraging Technology and Institutional Research for ISLO and General Education Assessment
Learning & Teaching
Dr. Elizabeth Rozema | Assistant Professor of Biology, East Central College
Erin Anglin | Executive Director - Learning Center and Academic Support, East Central College
Dana Riegel | Research Analyst - Office of Institutional Research, East Central College
Learn how we have navigated the challenges in developing, mapping, and assessing institutional student learning outcomes (ISLOs) by reviewing data captured in Canvas through use of rubrics. Also learn about the Instructional Assessment Committee's collaboration with the Office of Institutional Research to develop a unified, interactive data dashboard, which will help with our next steps to use the ISLO data collected to assess general education at our institution.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 7 & 8
Attraction and Retention in Higher Education
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Marcus Batista | Education Specialist, KI Furniture
Join us for a discussion on identifying the challenges in attracting and retaining students as well as strategies that contribute to successful graduates.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 9
Community College Collaboration: Working to Strengthen the Early Childhood Workforce
Special Topics
Anna Teresa Huang | Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of Early Childhood Education, Moberly Area Community College
Greg Stotler | Assistant Professor and Education Coordinator, East Central College
Dr. Kelly Hantak | Senior Research Associate, University of Missouri-Kansas City Institute for Human Development
Dr. Mike Abel | Assistant Director, University of Missouri-Kansas City Institute for Human Development
This presentation will focus on the importance of the role of the community college in the future of Early Childhood Profession in Missouri. The group will highlight the work happening across the state in creating a career pathway in the early childhood education (ECE) field based on the Unifying Framework, a nationwide initiative to professionalize the ECE workforce. The community college collaboration group leads the effort at articulation of 9 ECE credits across all programs at the two-year level. The goal is for these credits to transfer seamlessly to all four-year ECE programs. The group will also facilitate a discussion on exploring partnerships and the benefit of collaboration across programs within the community college system.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 10
Oh That's Cool! Building a Community Through Podcasting
Strategic Planning & The Community College Workplace
Jared Durden | Physical Science Instructor, Ozarks Technical Community College
Andrew Crocker | Poltical Science Instructor, Ozarks Technical Community College
Oh That's Cool! is a podcast currently available to listeners where hosts Jared Durden and Andrew Crocker interview the amazing faculty, staff, administration, and adjuncts they work with at Ozarks Technical Community College. We would like to record a podcast as a breakout live during the breakout session as both a demonstration and an explanation of how podcasting engages faculty and nurtures a community of practice. While most colleges actively work to establish community within the different parts of the college (i.e. academic departments, administrative departments, staffing divisions) little is done to encourage and nourish the larger college community. Our argument is that podcasting helps to build identities of participation through imagination enabling all members of the college to see themselves as a cohesive group working toward a common goal.
--- --- ---
Grand Ballroom A
Working Together to Support Adult Educational Attainment
Strategic Planning & The Community College Workplace
Samantha Dickey | Interim Assistant Commissioner of Postsecondary Policy, Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development
Dr. Robyn Walter | Vice President of Academic Affairs, East Central College
Laura Winter | Executive Director, Missouri College and Career Attainment Network
Come learn about the work of the Attainment Academy and how you can support the actions that address barriers adults face in furthering postsecondary education in Missouri. The Attainment Academy is a 15-month, multi-state academy to support states in their efforts to put equitable attainment at the center of their state’s COVID-19 recovery strategy. Through this initiative, states that have set ambitious postsecondary attainment goals will identify and adopt a discrete set of bold post-COVID economic recovery strategies that address the most significant problems of closing racial equity gaps and better serving those that have been displaced by the pandemic. Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development staff lead this effort for Missouri along with several advisory board members from across the education sector. Missouri data finds that 60% of jobs in Missouri require some sort of postsecondary credential. Missouri’s Big Goal of 60% of adults in Missouri having a postsecondary credential by 2030 is imperative for post-COVID recovery and the economic vitality of the state.
--- --- ---
Grand Ballroom B
Pathways and Adaptations in Healthcare Programs
Learning & Teaching
Lora Warner | Director of Workforce and Employment Services, Jefferson College
Ginger Hand | Instructor, Jefferson College
Morgan Klousia | Senior Student Services Specialist, Jefferson College
Jenna Schwartz | Student Services Specialist, Jefferson College
Dr. Kenny Wilson | Associate Dean of Science and Health, Jefferson College
This session will highlight the experience of the Jefferson College Workforce and Employment Services staff and faculty as they adapted to the changing needs of non-credit healthcare programs. Presenters will share examples from three of their programs:
--- --- ---
Grand Ballroom C
Start With Why: Pathways to Success
Leadership & Institutional Transformation
Dr. Feleccia Moore-Davis | Campus President, St. Louis Community College
Dr. Christine Davis | Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, St. Louis Community College
Over the past decade, guided pathways has been implemented at community colleges and four-year institutions across the United States. Guided Pathways has its beginnings in the Completion by Design movement. More than ten years later, we are still struggling with implementation. Today at many of our institutions, students are still swirling, making early transfer decisions, completing an associates degree with too many hours, and taking too long to attain a degree or credential. The guided pathways model has been shown to change those outcomes. It is based on coherent and easy-to-follow programs of study that are aligned with requirements for success in employment and at the next stage of education. The work is not easy, it is not quick, but it will transform the student experience. We will discuss how to get started.
Teach the Teacher: Process and Timeline for Instructor Zoom Training Led by Non-Faculty
Special Topics
Bethany Pfeiffer | Booneville Campus Director, State Fair Community College
Dara Bigler | Clinton Campus Director, State Fair Community College
We'll share our process and timeline for how we implemented an in-house instructor Zoom training, including how to develop a Zoom training schedule, recommended checklists, and timeline from the perspective an administrator, lead instructor, department coordinator, or dean. We'll bring you aboard to see where we failed and where we triumphed, a little bit of data for the Thinkers in the audience as well as some sexy pre- vs. post-COVID comparisons.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 3 & 4
Communication and Poverty Barriers
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Alice Whalen | Director of Adult Education and Literacy, East Central College
Mary Eagan | College and Career Readiness Advocate, East Central College
Poverty doesn't just impact a student's access to your institution financially, but it also creates communication barriers. These barriers may stop a student from registering for classes, interfere with their classroom success and cause them to drop out all together. After a brief introduction to the types of poverty your students may face, this workshop will look at poverty from an insider's perspective. Discussion will focus on the impact of poverty on communication with students beyond the financial aid office. With more than 28 years combined experience, Alice Whalen and Mary Eagan are familiar with the challenges that low-income students and first-generation students may face when they return to school. They have assisted thousands of students in the adult education high school equivalency program at East Central College. They are also certified poverty coaches through the Beegle Poverty Immersion and Coaching Institutes.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 5
Dual Enrollment Pathways and Partnerships
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Dr. Elizabeth Gassel Perkins | Campus President and Chief Academic Officer, St. Louis Community College - Florissant Valley
Ellen Wottrich | District Manager - Dual Credit/Enrollment Partnerships, St. Louis Community College
Erika Malone | Coordinator - Sponsored High School Programs, St. Louis Community College
Simon Langrehr | Emerson STEM Academy Coordinator, St. Louis Community College
Traditional dual enrollment students outside of early college participants don't always have opportunities for program completion or innovative pathways. Many of these students have focused on taking a select number of courses toward a general transfer degree, much like they could through AP or dual credit. Come learn how STLCC worked with our partners to create new pathways for these students to earn more than just a couple of credit hours.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 6
Leveraging Technology and Institutional Research for ISLO and General Education Assessment
Learning & Teaching
Dr. Elizabeth Rozema | Assistant Professor of Biology, East Central College
Erin Anglin | Executive Director - Learning Center and Academic Support, East Central College
Dana Riegel | Research Analyst - Office of Institutional Research, East Central College
Learn how we have navigated the challenges in developing, mapping, and assessing institutional student learning outcomes (ISLOs) by reviewing data captured in Canvas through use of rubrics. Also learn about the Instructional Assessment Committee's collaboration with the Office of Institutional Research to develop a unified, interactive data dashboard, which will help with our next steps to use the ISLO data collected to assess general education at our institution.
--- --- ---
Midway Suites 7 & 8
Attraction and Retention in Higher Education
Enrollment, Retention & Completion
Marcus Batista | Education Specialist, KI Furniture
Join us for a discussion on identifying the challenges in attracting and retaining students as well as strategies that contribute to successful graduates.
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Midway Suites 9
Community College Collaboration: Working to Strengthen the Early Childhood Workforce
Special Topics
Anna Teresa Huang | Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of Early Childhood Education, Moberly Area Community College
Greg Stotler | Assistant Professor and Education Coordinator, East Central College
Dr. Kelly Hantak | Senior Research Associate, University of Missouri-Kansas City Institute for Human Development
Dr. Mike Abel | Assistant Director, University of Missouri-Kansas City Institute for Human Development
This presentation will focus on the importance of the role of the community college in the future of Early Childhood Profession in Missouri. The group will highlight the work happening across the state in creating a career pathway in the early childhood education (ECE) field based on the Unifying Framework, a nationwide initiative to professionalize the ECE workforce. The community college collaboration group leads the effort at articulation of 9 ECE credits across all programs at the two-year level. The goal is for these credits to transfer seamlessly to all four-year ECE programs. The group will also facilitate a discussion on exploring partnerships and the benefit of collaboration across programs within the community college system.
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Midway Suites 10
Oh That's Cool! Building a Community Through Podcasting
Strategic Planning & The Community College Workplace
Jared Durden | Physical Science Instructor, Ozarks Technical Community College
Andrew Crocker | Poltical Science Instructor, Ozarks Technical Community College
Oh That's Cool! is a podcast currently available to listeners where hosts Jared Durden and Andrew Crocker interview the amazing faculty, staff, administration, and adjuncts they work with at Ozarks Technical Community College. We would like to record a podcast as a breakout live during the breakout session as both a demonstration and an explanation of how podcasting engages faculty and nurtures a community of practice. While most colleges actively work to establish community within the different parts of the college (i.e. academic departments, administrative departments, staffing divisions) little is done to encourage and nourish the larger college community. Our argument is that podcasting helps to build identities of participation through imagination enabling all members of the college to see themselves as a cohesive group working toward a common goal.
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Grand Ballroom A
Working Together to Support Adult Educational Attainment
Strategic Planning & The Community College Workplace
Samantha Dickey | Interim Assistant Commissioner of Postsecondary Policy, Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development
Dr. Robyn Walter | Vice President of Academic Affairs, East Central College
Laura Winter | Executive Director, Missouri College and Career Attainment Network
Come learn about the work of the Attainment Academy and how you can support the actions that address barriers adults face in furthering postsecondary education in Missouri. The Attainment Academy is a 15-month, multi-state academy to support states in their efforts to put equitable attainment at the center of their state’s COVID-19 recovery strategy. Through this initiative, states that have set ambitious postsecondary attainment goals will identify and adopt a discrete set of bold post-COVID economic recovery strategies that address the most significant problems of closing racial equity gaps and better serving those that have been displaced by the pandemic. Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development staff lead this effort for Missouri along with several advisory board members from across the education sector. Missouri data finds that 60% of jobs in Missouri require some sort of postsecondary credential. Missouri’s Big Goal of 60% of adults in Missouri having a postsecondary credential by 2030 is imperative for post-COVID recovery and the economic vitality of the state.
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Grand Ballroom B
Pathways and Adaptations in Healthcare Programs
Learning & Teaching
Lora Warner | Director of Workforce and Employment Services, Jefferson College
Ginger Hand | Instructor, Jefferson College
Morgan Klousia | Senior Student Services Specialist, Jefferson College
Jenna Schwartz | Student Services Specialist, Jefferson College
Dr. Kenny Wilson | Associate Dean of Science and Health, Jefferson College
This session will highlight the experience of the Jefferson College Workforce and Employment Services staff and faculty as they adapted to the changing needs of non-credit healthcare programs. Presenters will share examples from three of their programs:
- CMT: how adapting to online during COVID improved our program
- MA: changing online providers and increasing instructor support
- PCT: reorganizing program structure and creating nursing pathways.
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Grand Ballroom C
Start With Why: Pathways to Success
Leadership & Institutional Transformation
Dr. Feleccia Moore-Davis | Campus President, St. Louis Community College
Dr. Christine Davis | Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, St. Louis Community College
Over the past decade, guided pathways has been implemented at community colleges and four-year institutions across the United States. Guided Pathways has its beginnings in the Completion by Design movement. More than ten years later, we are still struggling with implementation. Today at many of our institutions, students are still swirling, making early transfer decisions, completing an associates degree with too many hours, and taking too long to attain a degree or credential. The guided pathways model has been shown to change those outcomes. It is based on coherent and easy-to-follow programs of study that are aligned with requirements for success in employment and at the next stage of education. The work is not easy, it is not quick, but it will transform the student experience. We will discuss how to get started.
