Review the session topics we hosted over the previous years:
2018-2019 Sessions
Fall 2018
Fall Social: Paint Your Pride!
Wednesday, October 17th | 10:00 am – 11:30 am
Multipurpose Room, Shapiro Campus Center
For 70 years old, Brandeis is looking pretty good! Let’s celebrate this milestone artistically by painting what Brandeis University means to us and our community. Along with this spirited morning of blue and white (or whatever colors you may choose), fall-themed beverages and snacks will be available to help get those creative juices flowing.
Each participant will receive a small canvas and art supplies; no artistic ability required. Our final group product will be displayed in an art exhibition space on campus for our all of our community to enjoy.
2018 Professional Development Half Day Conference
Impacting the Ultimate Disruptors: Generation Z
Thursday, November 8th | 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Sherman Function Hall, Hassenfeld Conference Center
Generation Z makes up 25% of the population, they have abandoned Facebook, have an eight-second attention span and are sitting across from us on a daily basis. Like the Millennials before them, they are changing the way learning happens in higher education and will soon make up a quarter of the workforce. Gen Z students are beyond tech-savvy; they’re entrepreneurial, well versed in current events, music popular culture, and global trends and are disrupting the norms of learning, educating and teaching.
Julia Carreon, Managing Director of Digital and Fiduciary Operations at Wells Fargo and Generation Z believer and enthusiast, will kick-off the day’s activities about Generation Z; a population she coins as “the first generation to grow up with the smartphone as their primary haptic memory, making them — not Millennials — the ultimate disruptors..” Learn more about Julia.
Following the keynote, a panel of current Brandeis students and Gen Z-ers will provide insight, knowledge and advice about the preferred ways to market, communicate and connect with them. They will also be answering your questions submitted from the registration form.
To close out the conference, groups are invited to work within their designated office groups or with others in the division to brainstorm ways in which to engage with Generation Z during the current academic year and network with one another. Light refreshments will be provided and prizes will be handed out for the most innovative ideas.
Schedule of Events:
12:45 pm – 1:00 pm: Event Check-In
1:15 pm: Keynote led by Julia Carreon
2:30 pm: The Voices of Gen Z: Live Student Panel
3:30 pm: Goal Setting Social & Networking
Spring 2019
2019 Professional Development Conference
Reflections on Practice: Building Knowledge and Developing Skills
Wednesday, April 24th | 9:30 am – 4:00 pm 
Hassenfeld Conference Center
During this day-long professional development opportunity, participants will assess, share, and develop their knowledge about diversity, equity, and inclusion concepts and frameworks. Participants will be offered opportunities to reflect on their practices in an effort to support the integration of these concepts into their work and professional area.
Self-exploration is fundamental to individual growth, relationships with others and the ability to promote equity. As we work to create and participate in diverse, inclusive, and equitable environments at Brandeis, it is essential that we continually deepen our understanding how our own and others’ identities and related social identities (gender, race, social class, age, ability, religion, sexual orientation, and many other) affect our lives and our interactions with students and each other. By examining these linkages, you will be more likely to develop the tools to effectively support diversity, inclusion and equity in dynamic communities.
During this conference experience, participants will be offered opportunities to reflect on and dialogue about frameworks related to diversity, equity, inclusion, socialization, multisystemic privilege and oppression, intersectionality, implicit bias, and cognitive empathy. Participants will also be encouraged to make connections between their social identities, experiences with privilege and oppression, and their professional practices.
Conference Handouts
Framework Application Process
Handouts- Student Affairs Conference
Schedule of Events:
9:30 am – 9:45 am: Event Check-In
9:45 am – 10:00 am: Opening Remarks
10:00 am – 12:30 pm: Session I: Dialogue Agreements and Frameworks
12:30 pm -1:30 pm: Lunch
1:30 pm – 3:30 pm: Session II: Connecting Frameworks to Professional and Personal Roles, Beliefs and Practices
3:30 pm – 4:00 pm: Closing Reception
Summer Social
Wednesday, May 29th | 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm 
Joe Sent Me, Waltham, MA
Join the Pro Devo team for the fourth annual spring social! Let’s gather for good food, drinks and conversation.
2017-2018 Sessions
September 2017
Restorative Justice
Date: Friday, September 15
Time: 9:30 am – 11:00 am
Location: Multipurpose Room, SCC
At Brandeis, we define restorative justice as a collaborative decision-making process. This includes community members who have been harmed and those who have caused harm, along with others who have been impacted. Kerry Guerard, director of student rights and community standards and Monique Gnanaratnam, assistant dean of students, will lead this session and review the basic principles of RJ and how we can incorporate RJ practices into our everyday interactions with students.
Presentation Resources:
1.) Restorative Justice at Brandeis (handout)
2.) University of San Diego – Restorative Process – What it looks like/How it is done
3.) Covered Bridge Incident – Actual Circle – Community
4.) Boulder – Situation overview and RJ testimonial
October 2017
Lip Sync Battle
Date: Tuesday, October 17
Time: 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Location: Chums
Think you have what it takes to be the next Bruno Mars, Katy Perry? Find out at the ProDevo’s first Lip Sync Battle! Grab 2 or 3 of your coworkers (one team per department), pick a song that relates to your job or department, throw on a costume if you’d like, and come jam out! You can also be an epic member of the audience and cheer on your squad! There will be free snacks, great music and it’s sure to be a memorable time!
Event photos are below!
November 2017
Recruiting High-Quality Candidates with Ellen Heffernan from Spelman Johnson
Date: Thursday, November 9
Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Location: Admissions Presentation Room
President of Spelman Johnson, Ellen Heffernan, will lead this session on how to run a high-quality candidate search. Spelman Johnson is a premier executive search firm exclusively committed to serving higher education. Ellen will focus on bringing top talent to Brandeis that will help move us in the direction of our institutional mission. She will also discuss how we can continue to develop an inclusive environment through our recruitment process. Bring your lunch and enjoy a fruit and vegetable platter provided by the Professional Development committee.
Learn more about Ellen Heffernan and Spelman Johnson
December 2017
Best Practices: Voices from the Field
Date: Thursday, December 7
Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Location: Levine Ross, Hassenfeld 
Ready to make your professional development personal? We are putting your Brandeis colleagues in the driver’s seat to share their expertise, knowledge and best practices that will help enhance your work. Pick from a number of topics and engage in 20-minute round-table conversations to hone in on the skills you wish to master. Bring your lunch and we’ll provide the desserts.
Table Discussion Topics
February 2018
2018 Annual Professional Development Conference
The Kaleidoscope Effect: A Reflection of Race and Identities
Date: Wednesday, February 21
Time: 9:30 am – 4:00 pm
Scottish inventor Sir David Brewster created the kaleidoscope in 1815 when he was doing experiments on light polarization. He came up with the name “kaleidoscope” by combining several Greek words that meant “observer of beautiful forms.”
The key to a kaleidoscope‘s beautiful patterns and images is the concept of multiple reflections. Using several mirrors attached at specific angles, unique duplicate images of whatever objects are inside the kaleidoscope can be created as a colorful pattern.
We are all kaleidoscopes – we see the world in different forms, colors, identities and views. During this year’s conference, you will continue to explore your personal identity and how it relates to you and your work at Brandeis. You will also work to understand that the way you look through your kaleidoscope may be very different than others, maybe even more different than students. As a division, we will explore how we can better support our students and provide resources as they continue to discover more about themselves, their community and the world as they see it.
Schedule of Events
9:15 am: Light Breakfast (Atrium)
9:30 am: Welcome/Kick-Off(SCC Theater)
9:40 am: Screening of “13TH” (SCC Theater)
11:25 am: “13TH” Debrief (SCC Theater)
12:45 pm: Lunch(MPR)
1:30 pm: Brandeis CARE team presentation(Theater)
2:15 pm: Divisional Updates/ Share-out(Theater)
2:30 pm – 4:00 pm: Social Activities (Atrium/MPR)
April 2018
Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Evaluation at Brandeis
Date: Wednesday, April 4
Time: 11:00 am 12:00 pm
Location: International Lounge, Usdan Student CenterHiatt
Career Center Director, Jon Schlesinger, will lead the discussion on the state of program learning outcomes, assessment and evaluation at Brandeis. If your office is thinking of assessing programs or in the process, this will serve as a great opportunity to learn more about different initiatives as well as best practices and resources for data collection. Jon will also share findings from Hiatt including the results from the post-graduation destination survey.
May 2018
Staff Social: Jake & Joes
Date: Wednesday, May 30
Time: 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Location: 70 Marketplace Drive, Waltham MA.
Come join the Pro Devo team for the third annual spring social! Let’s gather for good food, drinks and conversation. Please RSVP by May 2 to ensure enough food is ordered.
June 2018
Community Service Project: Cradles to Crayons 
Date: Thursday, June 7
Time: 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm (travel time: 12:50 pm – 4:00 pm)
Location: 155 North Beacon Street, Brighton, MA 02135
2016-2017 Sessions
October 2016
Supporting First-Generation Students
Contemporary first-generation college students persevere on college campuses that currently experience unprecedented social change. This diverse student population influences campuses through their multifaceted perspectives and contributions. Despite strengths, this student population experiences many challenges, such as barriers in the college transition, family demands, lack of peer support, difficulty establishing campus connection, stereotypes, and financial burdens. Only 27.4% of first-generation college students currently earn a degree after four years compared with 42.1% for their counterparts with college-educated parents. At Brandeis, first-generation and/or low-income students make up 30% of our student population. Bring your lunch, have some dessert (on us!), and learn how to best support our first-generation students. This session will explore the unique needs of first-generation students and our responsibility to meet those needs and assist students in navigating the landscape of higher education. Please join TRiO Student Support Services’ staff as they lead us in dialogue. Want to know Brandeis’ graduation rate of first-generation students? Me too! So come to this session.
November 2016
The Student-Athlete Experience:
Wondering how athletes balance college life and the demands of their individual sports? Learn from tennis head coach, Ben Lamanna and student-athlete, Jake Picard all about the ins and outs of being a student-athlete. This session will help in identifying ways in which our division can better support and engage with our athletes.
Post-Game Social
Still reliving the highlights from the Student-Athlete Experience session? Let’s come together as a team and showcase our pride for the Brandeis Judges by creating our very own cheer gear while enjoying fall-themed snacks and games. Get to know your colleagues in a more casual atmosphere before Thanksgiving break.
December 2016
Supporting Survivors: Understanding Campus Sexual Violence
Join us for an interactive session on how to support Brandeis student survivors. Using the SEEK model, receive support from campus colleagues to enhance your crisis response skills.
Presented by:
Sheila McMahon- Director, Sexual Assault Services and Prevention
Julia Rickey- Survivor Advocate and Education Specialist
Trish Bakaitis-Glover-Counselor, Brandeis Counseling Center
Jessica Stevens- Brandeis Health Services
February 2017: Annual S&E Professional Conference
Planting the Seeds for Tomorrow
Annual Professional Development Conference
Schedule of Events:
10:35 am – 11:25 am Opening Session:
College Student Resilience: What we know about students who bounce back
Presenter: Dr. Michael LaFarr, Brandeis University Counseling Center
Presentation Slides
11:30 am – 12:00 pm
Understanding Trans and Gender Nonconforming Students
Presenter: Atticus Ranck, Brandeis University Sexuality and Gender Diversity Center
1:00 pm – 1:50 pm Breakout Sessions
Social Media and Student Engagement
Presenters: Peter Budmen & Lusi Wang, Brandeis University Office of Community Living
Email has historically been the most effective means of communication for Colleges and Universities, but emerging digital technologies bring a new challenge to how we approach student engagement. This session will explore some of the background and uses for digital and social media, particularly in the context of connecting with and supporting our students.
Sowing your Seeds Wisely: Planning Effective Student Staff Training Series
Presenter: James Reed, Brandeis University Office of Community Living
Many of our departments function with the help of talented and creative student workers and student leaders – so much so that training and developing these students is often a major focus of our work. This session will focus on how to effectively develop strong training models for your staff using the ADDIE model (analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation) and will highlight some of the ways that the Department of Community Living used the model to update CA Training.
Best Practices in Student Employment
Presenter: Kristyn Burke
This session will focus on best practices in student employment. Topics will include information about how to hire a student (and why we do what we do). We will also include topics such as setting expectations, training and evaluation successes and making work relevant using examples that already exist on campus. Planting seeds for a successful career can start with student employment!
2:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Mindful Meditation
Presenter: Matt Carriker, Chaplaincy
March 2017
Values to Mission Workshop
Brad Toney, City Year Alumni, and Amanda Drapcho, Returned Peace Corps Volunteer will discuss how they connected their values to service work and together, we will reflect on how we can connect to organizational values and missions. Workshop participants will reflect on their professional journeys and how their goals have adapted to Brandeis’s various Departmental Missions.
April 2017
QPR (Question, Persuade and Respond) Training
Amy Engel, LICSW, psychotherapist, and Roberta Caplan, PhD, Clinical Psychologist and Director of Training, from the Brandeis Counseling Center will be offering a training in QPR. QPR (Question, Persuade, and Respond) is an approach to intervention with anyone experiencing severe emotional distress. It can be used as early prevention to suicide as well acute intervention. Understanding ones own fears and potential for denial in response to a person who is suffering is central to the training. Common assumptions about the profile of a suicidal person will be clarified and useful statistics will be presented.Participants are taught warning signs, circumstances and behavioral clues associated with suicidal people. Empathic ways of questioning a struggling person and approaches to active listening will be outlined. Persuading a struggling or suicidal person to consider accepting further help will also be taught and demonstrated. Strategies for how to respond when someone refuses help will be included. Referring a vulnerable or suicidal person to resources and support services in your setting/area will be shared. Video, discussion and a question answer period is central to the QPR training.
July 2017
Senior Survey Findings
We invite you to attend our presentation on the results of the Senior Surveys of the last five years! Led by members of The Office of Planning and Institutional Research, this session will show us the opinions of recent graduates of Brandeis in a variety of areas connected to our work. The aim of this session is that attendees will leave with distinct area where they could improve to further increase the student experience.
Senior Survey Presentation for Students & Enrollment
2017-2018 Senior Survey Instrument
Note: The full presentation is for internal use only. Contact the Office of Planning and Institutional Research for additional information.
Professional Development Committee 