Conference Highlights!

Did you know there were so many extra fun learning experiences to participate in during the conference? Check out all these amazing opportunities!

Case Study Competition:

Sign up for the NASPA IV-W Case Study Competition when you register for the regional conference.  Teams of 3-4 graduate students or new professionals will receive the case study on the first day of the conference.  Power Point presentations are due that evening and the competition occurs the next morning.  For the first time, we’re holding 2 different competitions – one designated for graduate students and the other for new professionals. This is a low pressure, high impact learning opportunity.  Sign up individually or as a team! Great prizes as well as bragging rights.  Questions?  Email Jody Donovan at jody.donovan@colostate.edu.

Women’s Words of Wisdom:

Please join us, Wednesday Oct. 24^th at 7:30 p.m. at the Wichita Marriott Atrium for the third annual Women's Words of Wisdom Dessert Reception. This event provides an opportunity for women in student affairs to socialize and hear from outstanding women in the field, providing words of inspiration in the hopes of supporting female colleagues at all levels of their career. Phenomenal women, we believe to be role models in the field, will provide a 5 minute prepared SA Speaks style presentation to participants about lessons learned, motivation, inspiration, or anything else she might feel would be beneficial in sharing with women on their journey, paving their career path.

Join us in Wichita to hear these incredible women at this year’s Women’s Words of Wisdom. Registration cost for this event is $15 per person which includes a drink ticket and dessert. Add to your registration prior to checking out!

If you have already registered and have applied payment, please contact events@naspa.org with your added session selection and it will be added to your existing registration.

For additional information feel free to contact Abby Vollmer abby.vollmer@doane.edu, Carla Stein Carla.Stein@frontrange.edu or Sara Mata sara.mata@ou.edu.

Knowledge Community Trivia Night

Join your new friends on Wednesday evening for KC Trivia Night! Form a team and join the fun! Snacks, prizes, and a darn good time…you won’t want to miss this NASPA IV-W tradition!

NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Institute:

Region IV-W is excited to once again offer the NUFP Institute for current regional NUFP Fellows prior to the start of this year’s regional conference in Wichita, KS! The NUFP Institute provides an opportunity for Fellows to build confidence in networking skills, identify personal, academic, and professional goals, develop a deeper understanding of the importance cultural competency has within the student affairs professional, and learn ways to strengthen mentoring relationships! You can sign up for the NUFP institute when you register for the conference. The NUFP Institute is free as part of the conference registration and will be held on Tuesday, October 23rd from 9am - 1:00pm and includes lunch. Contact Thomas Lane at ThomasLane@missouristate.edu with questions. 

PRE-CONFERENCES!  SO MUCH BANG FOR $30 BUCKS!

Choose between two relevant and educational 3-hour PRE Conference sessions to enrich your conference experience!  (AND – you get breakfast!)  Both are offered Tuesday, October 23, from 9-12.  (This is seriously a great deal – 10.00 per hour for fabulous professional development!)

But I'm NOT Racist: Tools for Well-Meaning Whites

You’ve always wanted to hear Dr. Kathy Obear – don’t miss out on this opportunity!

President of the Center for Transformation and Change and Co-Founder of the Social Justice Training Institute, Dr. Kathy Obear is a recognized and motivated leader who is passionately committed to helping organizations create equitable, inclusive environments where everyone feels valued and respected.

So often, equity work falls on those who are most targeted by oppression, and those from the dominant identities may not recognize or acknowledge their roles in perpetuating the problem. We must challenge ourselves and other whites to develop the capacity and courage to create greater racial justice; yet, many of us haven’t done our self-work to effectively lead change efforts. In this highly interactive, reflective session, participants will identify behaviors and attitudes of whites that maintain the racist status quo on campuses, explore strategies to dismantle internalized dominance, and identify ways to effectively partner with people of color to dismantle racism on campus. You will also receive access to Kathy’s recent book, But I’m NOT Racist: Tools for Well-Meaning Whites as well as additional resources to facilitate change on their campuses.

Becoming a Pathways College: Are you Student Ready?

Does your institution work on the “Is that student college-ready” OR – “Is this institution student-ready”?  

It’s an important question to ask – of your office, your department or division and your institution!  For community colleges and our four-year partners – come hear how Colorado’s largest community college is trying to move the needle on student success!

Facing success measures that remained largely stagnant and underwhelming, Front Range Community College (FRCC) has been engaged in a 4-year process to improve student success.  In this preconference session, we will use FRCC as a case study for exploring the national Guided Pathways movement.  We will discuss both the process and strategies we used to build the case for change and sustain that change through the challenges we experienced.  The goals are to improve rates of Pathways college completion, transfer, and attainment of jobs with value in the labor market — and to achieve equity in those outcomes.  Participants will also have a chance to explore what questions they have for their own institutions and how they might consider changes that could have a profound impact on their students’ experiences

Here is the link – scroll down – get yourself registered for one of these now!