Shift Happens: Building Sustainable Practices for a Changing World
March 5, 2026 | 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Coffman Memorial Union (CMU)
300 Washington Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455
Welcome to the 2026 Professional Development Conference and 39th Annual John Tate Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising Ceremony. This event brings together faculty, administrators, professional advising staff, career counselors, and other members of the extended University community interested in academic advising.
Change is constant, and with it comes the chance to grow. Shift Happens invites advisors and university professionals to reflect, connect, and reimagine sustainable practices that endure through change. Centered on resilience, sustainability, and innovation, this year’s gathering offers ideas and strategies to strengthen student support, professional collaboration, and our shared academic community.
The Four Agreements: A Framework for Meaningful Student Interactions
Presenters: Denise Felder, Associate Director of CEHD Career Services and Rita Richardson, Senior Career Coach, CEHD Career Services
This session is for anyone who wants to reinvigorate their passion for meaningful student interactions. Re/discover the classic Don Miguel Ruiz’ “The Four Agreements” as an innovative staff development tool that are grounded in collective liberation and can support students’ career readiness and learning outcomes (SLOs).
Intended audience: Academic Advisors, Career Professionals, Faculty Advisors
Location: CMU Mississippi Room (Room 321) & Live Streaming
Gathering Better: Intentionally Designing Inclusive Hybrid Experiences
Presenter: Annie Bigley, CLA Senior Academic Advisor
This session engages participants in the design thinking process to create inclusive and engaging hybrid meetings, workshops, and events. Participants will learn strategies to prioritize equity, accessibility, and belonging, addressing challenges unique to hybrid settings. Practical tools empower attendees to reimagine gatherings that authentically connect and serve diverse academic communities.
Intended audience: Academic Advisors, Career Professionals, Faculty Advisors
Location: CMU Room 303 & Live Streaming
Balancing Act: New Student Services Professionals Supporting Student Mental Health through Shared Experiences
Presenters: Katie Niznik, Career Coach, CEHD; Maddie Portnoy, Career Consultant, Career & Internship services; and, Dr. Michael Stebleton, Professor of Higher Education, CEHD
Balancing shared experiences and boundaries, new student services professionals can implement innovative ideas to holistically serve students. In this session, two recent higher education graduates will discuss the unique positionality of emerging student services professionals in supporting student mental health and academic or career success, inviting audience introspection and discussion.
Intended audience: Academic Advisors, Career Professionals, Faculty Advisors, Student Services Professionals, Front Desk Staff
Location: CMU Room 324
Listening Beyond Words: Unlocking Connection with Nonviolent Communication
Presenter: Christina Rowland, CBS Academic Advisor
Discover the transformative power of nonviolent communication (NVC) in advising. This interactive session equips participants with tools to navigate challenging conversations, build empathy, and foster trust. Through activities like role-playing and empathy mapping, attendees will gain actionable skills to strengthen connections and promote success in diverse advising contexts.
Intended audience: Academic Advisors, Career Professionals, Faculty Advisors
Location: CMU Room 325
Tate Talks in CMU 323
11:00 a.m. - 11:20 a.m.
Tate Talk 1: The Impact of One-to-One Mentorship in the University of Minnesota’s Culture Corps Program
Presenters: Marina Uehara, GPS/ISSS Director for Student Engagement and Ky Nguyen, Lead Graduate Consultant - ISSS, Graduate Student
Join us at this session to hear directly from international students and staff who have been impacted by individualized mentoring in the Culture Corps program, including hearing about our longitudinal impact results.
Intended audience: Academic Advisors, Career Professionals, Faculty Advisors
Location: CMU Room 323
11:30 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.
Tate Talk 2: Strength and Renewal through Inter-Institutional Collaboration: Lessons Learned from a Virtual Career Series for International Students
Presenters: Jane Sitter, Senior International Career Consultant and Alex Grabowska, Career Counselor, Student Success Center
Twin Cities’ International Career Consultant and Morris’ Career Counselor overview their collaboration on the Career STAR program, a seven-session virtual career development workshop series for undergraduate international students. They will outline their respective institutions, the program, student feedback, and the value associated with the inter-institutional collaboration.
Intended audience: Academic Advisors, Career Professionals, Faculty Advisors
Location: CMU Room 323
Global Standards, Local Realities: International Students and Scholastic Dishonesty
Presenters: Sharon Dzik, Director of the Office for Community Standards; Katelyn Sanders, Student Conduct Coordinator, Office for Community Standards; and, Katie Koopmeiners, Associate Director, Office for Community Standards
International students who are also English Language learners are often at risk of plagiarizing and not being familiar with US academic standards at institutions of higher learning. They could end up with a report of scholastic dishonesty. Advisors can help.
Intended audience: Academic Advisors
Location: CMU Room 326
Enhancing the Advising Experience: Key Updates and Community Dialogue
Presenters: Raj Singh, Office of Undergraduate Education; Les Opatz, College of Liberal Arts; Representatives from the Advising Steering Committee and Advising Coordinators Group
Join in the conversation as we discuss advising on the Twin Cities campus and the undergraduate student experience. Advising leaders will share their priorities and progress on advising related issues. Share your ideas and challenges in a collective effort to enhance the advising experience.
Intended audience: Academic Advisors
Location: CMU Mississippi Room (Room 321) & Live Streaming
* This session will not be recorded.
Building a Culture of Growth: Crafting Effective Professional Development and Recognition within Student Services
Presenters: Sarah Hilger, CSE Senior Academic Advisor and Emily O'Connell, CSE Academic Advisor
Explore how the CSE Professional Development & Awards (PDA) team fosters growth, recognition, and community through innovative strategies. Participants will gain actionable insights to create sustainable professional development initiatives, balance fun and learning, and engage stakeholders. Leave with tools to overcome common roadblocks and tailor professional growth efforts to your team.
Intended audience: Academic Advisors, Career Professionals, Additional Student Affairs Professionals
Location: CMU Room 303 & Live Streaming
AI in the Advisor's Toolbox: Use Cases For AI
Presenter: Alisa Dean, CLA Senior Academic Advisor
This workshop introduces AI's potential to enhance academic advising. Participants will explore its evolution, ethical considerations, and practical applications in daily tasks, professional development, and self-paced learning. Attendees will leave with tools to experiment with AI in advising and an invitation to join a spring AI meetup for ongoing collaboration.
Intended audience: Academic Advisors, Faculty Advisors, and some tools may be useful for Career Professionals
Location: CMU Room 324
Africa Awaits: Encouraging Education Abroad Opportunities Across the Continent
Presenters: Peter Harle, Senior Academic Advisor, CLA; Jill Reister, Assistant Director, Learning Abroad Center; and, Vanessa Walton, Program Director, Learning Abroad Center and CFANS
Africa is emerging as a global force in business, technology, and sustainability, yet student interest in study abroad there has been declining. This session will help advisors to understand some of the amazing educational opportunities in African countries and how to encourage students to consider participating in these programs.
Intended audience: Academic Advisors, Career Professionals, Faculty Advisors
Location: CMU Room 325
Students as Consultants: How to Build a Student Advisory Board
Presenter: Annie Vangsnes, Program Manager of Work+ and Career Content Initiatives
Learn to leverage students as consultants to start creating resources, programming, and support made for students, by students. By using our students as subject matter experts in what they need from our services, we can create more effective resources in a more efficient manner.
Intended audience: Academic Advisors, Career Professionals, Faculty Advisors
Location: CMU Room 323
Advising Block Tango: Why Interdisciplinarity Matters
Presenters: Grant McCormack, CFANS Senior Academic Advisor
An interdisciplinary life is important for employability and self-care. This presentation will use the presenter’s journey through ‘the arts’ as a model to highlight the importance of interdisciplinary practices. Come share the joy of being a multifaceted individual and learning how to translate that to student development!
Intended audience: Academic Advisors, Career Professionals, Faculty Advisors
Location: CMU Room 326
Reigniting Passion and Purpose: Evidence-Based Strategies for Stress Recovery and Healing Burnout
Presenter: Elizabeth Baertlein, Student Success Coach
This session focuses on evidence-based stress recovery techniques that enable participants and those they advise to embrace meaningful challenges and responsibilities. By cultivating resilience and well-being, attendees will gain strategies to manage stress effectively, fostering sustainable careers and lives filled with purpose, passion, and the ability to thrive under pressure.
Intended audience: Academic Advisors, Career Professionals, Faculty Advisors
Location: CMU Mississippi Room (Room 321) & Live Streaming
Presentation Materials and Recording
Using Cultural Community Wealth to Guide Scholars through the Imposter Phenomenon
Presenters: Lori Tran, CEHD & TRIO Academic Advisor and Linda Kim, CEHD Associate Director of Academic Advising
This session explores the imposter phenomenon often experienced by students from marginalized identities (first generation, pell-eligible, BIPOC, etc.) and how Yosso’s Community Cultural Wealth Model can aid student services professionals in helping students identify and magnify strengths they already hold and how they can be applied to the college experience.
Intended audience: Academic Advisors, Career Professionals, Faculty Advisors
Location: CMU Room 303 & Live Streaming
Ignite Multi-office Collaboration: Increasing Access to Student Opportunities and Achieving Mutual Goals
Presenters: Jill Reister, Assistant Director of Affiliate Programs; Kelly Thomas, CSE Senior Undergraduate Academic Advisor; Erin Reichelt, Associate Director for Pre-Law Services; Jacqueline Hoak, Senior Academic Counselor, Lindahl Academic Center; and, Anna DeWitt, LAC Instructor-Led Program Manager
This session invites attendees to reflect on how they collaborate with other departments by highlighting examples of how the Learning Abroad Center collaborates with offices including the Lindahl Academic Center, Pre-Law Services, and Computer Science and Engineering Department. Attendees will discuss innovative ways to work together to support student aspirations.
Intended audience: Academic Advisors, Career Professionals, Faculty Advisors
Location: CMU Room 324
Playground Pedagogy: Fostering Career Exploration Through Play-Based Learning
Presenters: Vic Massaglia, Director of Career Services, School of Public Health; Dr. Michael Stebleton, Professor of Higher Education, College of Education and Human Development; and Abby Wilfert, Graduate Instructor, College of Education and Human Development
Career scholar John Krumboltz encouraged career educators to ask their students a key question: "What fun will you next try?" In career planning, an important element often goes unnamed: play. This session explores practical strategies to enhance career exploration through playful learning.
Intended audience: Academic Advisors, Career Professionals, Faculty Advisors
Location: CMU Room 325
Read the Room: Why Students Aren’t Reading and how we can Encourage them to
Presenters: Kate Peterson, Undergraduate Services Librarian and Lacie McMillin, Undergraduate Services Specialist, University Libraries
College students are reading less with impacts in and out of the classroom. The University Libraries have been leveraging popular reading collections to promote fun reading. Reading helps students reduce stress, improve critical thinking and build empathy. Participants will discuss new ways to promote reading including services and online tools.
Intended audience: Academic Advisors, Faculty Advisors
Location: CMU Room 323
Trust Me, I Have a Dog: Why Trust Matters in Student Services
Presenters: Grant McCormack, CFANS Senior Academic Advisor
We know trust is key. With falling trust in higher education, this session will tackle building trust in advising. We'll discuss the foundations, importance, and barriers of trust building in a reflective and participatory format. Building stronger relationships with students is tough, but trust me - you can do it!
Intended audience: Academic Advisors, Career Professionals, Faculty Advisors
Location: CMU Room 326