The Supervisor Playbook: Practical Habits for Great People Leaders Presenter: Ben Lennander Location: Room 2 Description: Great supervisors develop habits and consistently carry out simple but effective tasks over time. This interactive workshop introduces the UNL Supervisor Playbook, a practical, research-backed toolkit that translates decades of workplace science into concrete, schedulable actions any supervisor can put directly on their calendar and start using this week. The Playbook is built on research: Gallup Q12, CliftonStrengths, Google's Project Oxygen and Project Aristotle, McKinsey's Organizational Health Index, and Great Place to Work studies. The same core supervisor behaviors show up across all of them, and this session is about how to build those behaviors into a realistic weekly and monthly rhythm. Every participant will receive a take-home Supervisor Playbook handout organized by practice category, including recognition, individual connection, feedback, growth and development, trust and autonomy, strategic alignment, and team culture. Each practice includes the recommended frequency and step-by-step guidance on how to actually do it. This session is designed for current supervisors at every experience level, and for aspiring leaders who want to be intentional about developing their skills before they need them. Presentation Goals: Identify and Prioritize supervisor behaviors/practices, assist participants with building an action plan and putting recurring tasks into their calendar, and connect good supervisor behaviors to workforce outcomes. |
Terrible Bosses, IEC Edition - What Would You Do? Navigating Workplace Boundaries Through Case Scenarios Presenters: Nathaly Jimenez & Jessica Lankford Location: Room 10 Description: This interactive session uses a progressive case study, Tom and Jerry, to guide participants through real-world workplace scenarios involving blurred boundaries, power dynamics, and potential misconduct. Participants will engage in structured what would you do? discussions as the situation unfolds, allowing them to analyze decision points, reflect on personal responses, and explore appropriate actions. The session incorporates small-group discussion, guided facilitation, and practical application of Board of Regents and Institutional policies and reporting processes. Participants will examine key moments in the case, including inappropriate workplace conversations, misuse of supervisory authority, retaliation concerns, and the impact of off-campus behavior on workplace dynamics. In addition to discussion, the session will provide clear guidance on reporting options, supportive measures, and the role of Institutional Equity and Compliance. Participants will also learn what the office does and does not do, helping to demystify the process and reduce barriers to reporting. Presentation Aims/Goals: By the end of the session, participants will leave with increased confidence in recognizing concerning behavior, supporting colleagues, and navigating reporting responsibilities. The session emphasizes practical tools, peer dialogue, and shared learning to foster a more informed, responsive, and supportive campus environment. |
Grow Your Career: Development & Adaptability for Every Season Presenter: Trina Cress Location: Room 18 Description: Career expectations have shifted over the decades from linear pathways to more dynamic careers. Unfortunately, many of us did not have career coaches in college (or since) to help us make sense of how to engage in this evolving landscape. Instead of pursuing a single career, we need to cultivate our own holistic plan, but many of us never learned how to do that. This interactive workshop invites university staff to explore career development concepts and apply it to their own professional journeys. Participants will consider how career expectations have shifted over time and how their current season of work and life influences their goals and decisions. Attendees will better understand characteristics of career adaptability including concern for the future, ownership, curiosity, and confidence. In order to determine areas of growth, participants will also reflect on 8 aspects of career development: Self-knowledge, career knowledge, education and training, decision-making, transferrable skills, job search and applications, experience, and professional communication. Through reflective exercises and collaborative conversations, attendees will bring new life to their career goals. They will leave with clarity around career development and a personalized set of next steps to grow their career with intention. Presentation Aims/Goals: Understand evolving career development concepts to determine impact on personal career planning and decision-making, identify and apply characteristics of adaptability to navigate a rapidly changing career landscape, and reflect on 8 areas of career development to create a personalized career growth plan and identify actionable next steps. |
Wired Differently, Designed Brilliantly: Unlocking the Power of Introverts and Extroverts for Our Collective Good Presenter: Jodi Mackin Location: Room 20 Description: Human personalities are wired in diverse and powerful ways, and two of the most commonly discussed orientations, introversion and extroversion, represent different but equally valuable approaches to thinking, communicating, and engaging with others. Rather than existing in opposition, these traits can function as complementary strengths that enhance collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving. However, many professional and educational environments unintentionally favor one style of participation over the other, often misunderstanding quiet reflection as disengagement or equating verbal participation with leadership. This presentation explores the core characteristics of introverted and extroverted communication styles and examines how these traits affect participation in meetings, classrooms, and collaborative projects. Participants will examine common myths surrounding personality styles and discover how balanced environments can unlock the brilliance that emerges when reflective insight and dynamic interaction work together. Through research-informed insights, relatable examples, and practical strategies, the session will demonstrate how leaders, faculty, and support staff can intentionally design spaces that honor both deep thinkers and enthusiastic communicators. By reframing introversion and extroversion as complementary design features rather than competing traits, this session encourages participants to recognize the value of diverse cognitive and social styles and to cultivate environments where every voice has a meaningful opportunity to contribute. Presentation Aims/Goals: Increase understanding of key differences between introverted and extroverted communication and energy patterns, examine common misconceptions that lead to undervaluing certain participation styles, highlight the complementary strengths introverts and extroverts bring to collaboration, creativity, and leadership, identify practical strategies for structuring discussions and activities that support both reflective and verbal contributors, empower participants to design inclusive environments that leverage personality diversity to strengthen engagement, innovation, and team effectiveness. Participants will leave with a renewed appreciation for personality diversity and concrete tools to intentionally create spaces where individuals wired differently can thrive together.
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Inside Husker Hub: Partnerships, Processes, and Student Support Presenter: Amanda Bergeron-Bauer Location: Room 32 Description: Husker Hub is UNL's integrated student services center, providing financial and enrollment support to enhance the student experience across the entire student lifecycle. Our work centers on care, connection, and coordination – building partnerships across campus and designing services that support students holistically. Join us to learn more about how Husker Hub does this work – how we collaborate with functional units, support students across multiple service channels, and create an environment of care and connection. Participants will meet members of our team and leave with ideas for strengthening collaboration to better serve students. Presentation Aims/Goals: Identify three core practices used by Husker Hub to coordinate financial and enrollment services across campus, explain two approaches for fostering care and connection within an integrated, multi-channel student services model, articulate one way to foster collaboration with Husker Hub and your unit. |
Balancing Family and Work, remember EVERYTHING Presenter: Trudy Rhoads Location: Room 40 Description: While it may be impossible to find a perfect balance, it IS possible to take advantage of many small habits for a big impact which eases the stress or gives you time to regain your strength to face the next challenge. Presentation Aims/Goals: Finding opportunities of others to help out when needed, prioritizing what must be handled immediately or can be delayed/deleted, discovering your resting spot to revive you physically and mentally |
The Hidden Cost of Overfunctioning: Strengthening Psychological Safety and Collaboration Across Campus Presenter: America Allen Location: Seminar Room 47 *Offered Virtually Description: In high-performing campus environments, overfunctioning is often rewarded. Staff who consistently take on more, avoid conflict, and maintain composure under pressure are frequently viewed as dependable and competent. However, these patterns can quietly undermine collaboration, reduce transparency, and contribute to burnout. This interactive 45-minute session explores how overfunctioning operates in professional settings and how it impacts psychological safety across teams. Participants will examine common patterns such as chronic over-responsibility, silence to maintain harmony, and emotional suppression for the sake of productivity. Through guided reflection and brief small-group discussion, attendees will identify where these dynamics show up within their own campus environments. The session will introduce three practical strategies to strengthen shared accountability, improve communication, and foster sustainable performance without sacrificing well-being. Participants will leave with one actionable commitment they can implement within the next 30 days to enhance collaboration and psychological safety within their teams. Presentation Aims/Goals: This session aims to help participants recognize how high-functioning survival patterns, such as chronic over-responsibility, emotional suppression, and conflict avoidance, impact collaboration and campus culture. The goal is to provide practical strategies that strengthen psychological safety and sustainable performance within teams. Participants will: Identify patterns of over-functioning in professional environments, understand how these patterns affect collaboration and communication, and apply three practical strategies to increase shared responsibility and psychological safety |
Understanding Student Gambling at the University of Nebraska: A Data-Informed Perspective Presenter: Jon Gayer Location: Room 112 Description: A growing area of focus in higher education prevention work centers on sports betting and problem gambling among college students, situated within the broader historical context of the rapid expansion and normalization of gambling in the United States. This shift has been significantly influenced by the 2018 Supreme Court decision that enabled states to legalize sports wagering, resulting in increased accessibility and visibility of gambling behaviors within collegiate environments. At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, as at many institutions, student well-being efforts have increasingly adapted to address gambling-related harms alongside other behavioral health concerns. Prevention initiatives in this area draw on data-informed and theory-based approaches to understand how sports betting intersects with student life, particularly during high-profile athletic events that can elevate risk for engagement. These efforts emphasize the use of targeted data driven prevention messaging, campus and community partnerships, and grant-supported programming to promote awareness, reduce harm, and strengthen protective factors. Presentation Aims/Goals: The aim of this presentation is to provide an overview of current data on student gambling behaviors, with a particular focus on sports betting trends. It will also highlight several ongoing research initiatives examining gambling behaviors in collegiate populations and their implications for student well-being. In addition, the session is designed to equip staff with foundational knowledge in gambling education, emphasizing practical, harm-reduction, and oriented prevention strategies. The goal is to ensure participants leave with a clear understanding of emerging trends and basic tools to support early intervention, promote informed decision-making, and contribute to a campus environment that reduces gambling-related harm. |
Thermometer vs. Thermostat: A Discussion on Office Dynamics Presenter: Christina Franklin (UNOPA) Location: Room 120 Description: Every workplace has them: The Tornado, The Micro-Manager, The Rule Follower, The Glitter Girl, The Debater, and maybe even The Horder. We've all worked with them, and if we're honest, we've probably been one of them at some point. In this interactive and energizing session, participants will explore the difference between being a thermometer reacting to the temperature of the room, and being a thermostat intentionally setting the tone for workplace culture. Through personality reflection, a light-hearted office worker quiz, and a hands-on asses your thermostat activity, attendees will: Identify reactive patterns that influence team dynamics Learn practical strategies for managing emotions and expectations Develop six actionable ways to intentionally set the tone in their office Build confidence in knowing when to respond, when to reflect, and when to reset Participants will walk away with tools they can immediately implement, including practical mindset shifts such as QTIP (Quit Taking It Personal), owning mistakes, setting boundaries, assuming the best, and leading with respect. This session blends humor, honesty, and real-world office dynamics to help educational office professionals move from reactive survival to intentional leadership. Because culture isn't accidental. Presentation Aims/Goals: Identify reactive patterns that influence team dynamics, learn practical strategies for managing emotions and expectations, develop six actionable ways to intentionally set the tone in their office, and build confidence in knowing when to respond, when to reflect, and when to reset |
Planning Events That Make a Difference with the Sustainable Event Guide and Certification Program Presenter: Morgan Hartman Location: Room 138 Description: Planning Events That Make a Difference with the Sustainable Event Guide and Certification Program Presentation description/abstract (not to exceed 300 words) The University of Nebraska–Lincoln hosts hundreds of events each year ranging from small meetings to large campus gatherings, and each one has an opportunity to reduce environmental impact and model sustainable practices. To support this effort, the Office of Sustainability launched the Sustainable Event Guide and Certification Program, an initiative designed to help event planners integrate sustainability into every stage of the event planning process. During this interactive session, staff from the Office of Sustainability will introduce the Sustainable Event Guide and Certification Program and demonstrate how it can serve as a practical roadmap for hosting more environmentally-responsible events at UNL. Participants will learn how the program supports planners from pre-planning through post-event evaluation, with clear action items that make sustainability integration approachable and achievable for events of all sizes. The presentation will highlight key components of the guide, including recommended practices for waste reduction, purchasing, transportation, catering choices, and communication. Staff will also explain the program’s certification structure, which recognizes events through tiered certification levels. In addition, attendees will be introduced to the program’s resource toolbox, which includes templates, checklists, and planning tools designed to streamline implementation. Throughout the session, participants will engage in small group discussions to reflect on their own event planning experiences and explore practical ways to incorporate sustainability into upcoming events. These conversations will provide an opportunity to share ideas, identify common challenges, and discuss realistic strategies. By the end of the session, attendees will have a clear understanding of how to participate in the program and the support available to them. Office of Sustainability staff will also share how they can partner with event planners to provide consultation, guidance, and recognition for those working to create more sustainable events at UNL. Presentation Aims/Goals: By the end of the session, participants will be able to identify at least three key strategies from the sustainable event guide through participation in discussion. Participants will identify an upcoming event where they plan to apply the recommended practices from the Sustainable Event Guide. Participants will be exposed to the event certification process, including the post-event submission form, and thus be prepared to submit their identified event for certification. |
The Power of Reframing: Skills to Shift Perspective and Unlock Possibility Presenter: Lora Ives Location: Room 223 Description: Professionals across higher education play a vital role in communication, problem-solving, and institutional success. This interactive breakout session introduces the skill of reframing, a practical, mindset-shifting approach that empowers participants to view challenges from new angles, reduce stress, and identify clearer paths forward. Designed for faculty, staff, and administrators, this session explores how small shifts in perspective can enhance daily decision-making, strengthen collaboration, and transform unexpected obstacles into opportunities for growth. Through relatable examples and engaging activities, attendees will practice reframing techniques they can immediately apply to student interactions, cross-departmental communication, scheduling challenges, and workplace problem-solving. Participants will leave with simple, effective tools to boost confidence, improve efficiency, and contribute to a more adaptable, resilient, and solutions-focused campus environment. Presentation Aims/Goals: By the end of this session, participants will be able to: define reframing and explain its importance in navigating challenges within higher education, recognize the impact of perspective on decision-making, communication, and problem-solving, apply practical reframing techniques to common situations involving students, colleagues, and institutional processes, enhance collaboration and teamwork by approaching conversations with a solutions-focused mindset, improve resilience and adaptability when managing change, stress, and competing priorities, strengthen communication skills through thoughtful and constructive shifts in language and tone, increase confidence and efficiency in handling complex or unexpected workplace challenges, support a positive campus culture by fostering empathy, innovation, and inclusive problem-solving, develop actionable strategies that can be immediately implemented in professional roles, and reflect on personal mindset patterns and identify opportunities for growth and continuous improvement. |