Schedule

Check-in & Light Refreshments - Main Floor Lobby

Opening Remarks - Room 131

The Power of Emotional Intelligence: Strengthening Connection, Communication, and Self-Awareness - Room 131
Presenter - Marisol Cruz St. Juste
This workshop introduces key concepts of emotional intelligence and how they enhance personal effectiveness, workplace relationships, and team communication. Through guided reflection, practical strategies, and real-life examples, participants will learn how to better recognize, understand, and manage their and others' emotions.

Session 1: Onboarding and Separation- Room 131
Presenters - Nathaniel Abbott, Michelle Hicks, Mackenzie Murphy & Emily Petry
A comprehensive overview of effective onboarding and separation practices for faculty, leadership, staff, graduate students, and student employees, ensuring a smooth transition and consistent support throughout each stage of employment

Session 2: Concur and HuskyBuy Best Practices - Room 129
Presenters - Jenna McCarthy & Amanda Noble
This session provides an overview of Concur and HuskyBuy, offering tips for preparing requests & reports in compliance with policy as well as addressing frequently asked questions in both platforms. This will help users navigate both systems more effectively by sharing insights and helpful hints.

Session 1: Staff Evaluations - Room 131
Presenters - Alessandra Introvigne, Lindsay Jenkalunas, & Crystal Mills
This presentation will cover key aspects of staff evaluations, including addressing progressive discipline, clarifying performance ratings, and creating effective SMART goals.

Session 2: Managing Student Employees - Room 129
Presenters - Nick Boston, Jessica Deojay, & Bri Diaz
Panelists will discuss best practices for managing student employees. They will cover the life-cycle of student labor: hiring, onboarding, assigning work, and fostering professional development. Presentation will be a Q&A format, so audience participation is highly encouraged!

Lunch & Scavenger Hunt - First Floor Lobby

Session 1: Grant Purchasing Demystified: Turning Confusion into Clarity and Compliance Magic! - Room 129
Presenters - Christine Blake, Savannah Rivera, & Ally Urban
Join GMS for an overview of essential pre- and post-award grant management topics. This session will guide attendees through the fundamentals of budget development, budget justifications, and cost principles, ensuring compliance and accuracy throughout the grant lifecycle. Participants will also explore grant purchasing requirements, F&A expenses, and distinctions between expense categories, gaining practical tips to prevent common purchase errors through effective documentation and best practices.

Session 2: Conflict Management and De-escalation Strategies - Room 131
Presenters - Tiffany Hoxie & Lindsay Jenkalunas
The Conflict Management and De-escalation Strategies workshop allows participants will dive into how they experience conflict individually. There are numerous human needs while in conflict- what are yours? Let's explore. Workshop participants will learn about the different forces that cause conflict, the four variables that cut across all sources of conflict, and a de-escalation strategy- P.A.U.S.E. We will reflect on conflict "buzzwords" and identify how they are relevant in our lives- some people find themselves in higherstressed environments than others. Activities will include scenarios and role-play plus some think-pair-share. One of the main goals of the workshop is to empower participants to be able to move confidently through conflict situations with staff, students, and colleagues. Moving toward an emotional resolution is essential- and participants will learn about that concept as well.

Session 3: Classroom and Exam Scheduling - 4th Floor Atrium
Presenters - Olson Briceno & Marc Hatfield
A 45-minute presentation designed to give CLAS administrative staff a clearer understanding of classroom and exam scheduling processes. We'll cover best practices, timelines, and how scheduling decisions are made, with a special focus on clarifying administrative responsibilities in CourseLeaf versus tasks handled by the Registrar's Office. We’ll also address common requests and communication needs to help streamline our collective workflow. A 15-minute Q&A will follow the presentation.

Session 1: Managing TA/GA Assignments and Workflow - Room 131
Presenters - Alison Cutler, Victoria Doocy, David McArdle, Megan Petsa, & Diego Valente
Coordinating graduate student teaching assignments involves navigating a range of priorities—from aligning with departmental instructional needs to supporting student development, ensuring fairness, and adhering to institutional policies. This session invites department TA coordinators, The Graduate School, and relevant administrative partners to share insights into effective assignment practices, explore crossdepartmental approaches, and engage in collaborative discussion.

Session 2: Hosting International Visitors - Room 129
Presenters - Catherine Barachkova, Carrie Cichocki, Christene Cooper, & Arthur Galinat
A quick overview of the different ways departments can sponsor short term visitors at UConn. This session address best practices for hosting departments and how department coordinators may approach data collection and documentation for the different visa types. We’ll also answer your pre-submitted questions.

Session 3: Working with Alumni Relations and the Development Office - 4th Floor Atrium
Presenters - Jessica Alexander, Alicia Barone, & Kimberly Lachut
Successful fundraising and alumni engagement require strong, strategic partnerships between academic or administrative departments and the development and alumni engagement teams. This session explores the processes, communication, and collaborative structures that foster effective alignment across units. Participants will gain insight into best practices for sharing priorities, coordinating outreach, managing prospect pipelines, and leveraging institutional resources while maintaining unit-level identity and goals. This session will provide a roadmap for streamlining collaboration, clarifying roles, and maximizing impact.

Finding the Balance: Reclaiming Well-Being at Work - Room 131
Presenter - Marisol Cruz St. Juste
This workshop will explore the impact of stress and burnout in the workplace while offering practical strategies to support personal well-being and a healthier work-life dynamic. Participants will reflect on their own habits, gain tools to manage everyday pressures and learn how to foster a more balanced and sustainable approach to work.

Wrap Up - Room 131