Fall Conference 2020

Conference poster

2020: The Year We’ve Been Waiting For?!

Our annual week of inspiration and empowerment! This year has disrupted our lives in so many ways. Some disruptions have been tragic, while others were long overdue. Let’s explore this volatile year and set goals to move forward, since there’s no going back.

  • When: November 12 – 13
  • Cost: $25
  • Where: online!

12:45pm

Pre-conference Greetings

Join us to say hello and get situated before the show begins.

1pm

Welcome Message & Opening Entertainment

1:15pm

Keynote: Doreen Dodgen-Magee

Doreen Dodgen-Magee is an author, psychologist, researcher, and speaker. Her first book, Deviced! Balancing Life and Technology in a Digital Age, was published by Rowman & Littlefield and awarded the 2018 Gold Medal for Psychology by the Nautilus Book Awards. Publishers Weekly said about her book: “Psychologist Dodgen-Magee makes a detail-rich, persuasive case for the need to embrace technology yet also ‘make some conscious decisions about what place we want technology to hold in our lives.’…This educational, encouraging book leaves its audience with a plethora of helpful suggestions.”

1:45pm

Excellence Awards

Join us to celebrate individuals whose accomplishments made a difference for women at their community college. About Excellence Awards.

2pm

Break

2:15pm

Workshops

Transfer Shock is universal! This is generally used in terms of transfer students who experience a shock when they go to a new institution and there is a dip in their GPA. These students are creating a new foundation, learning a new campus culture, figuring out logistics and learning about teachers, students and staff. New Resources, where those resources are, and if they qualify. That’s where we come in to help make sure transfer students are supported. The transfer shock concept can be applied to us in the new virtual world we live in, how were are settling into virtual learning, maybe we have been moved to a new position, or we are starting a new role. The same concepts and support applies. I could provide some tools to help.

Giving and receiving feedback in the workplace can be hard to do, and even more so, now that so much of our communication is currently online rather than face-to-face. Interacting with a colleague, supervisor, or employee, can quickly and inadvertently result in negative feelings or behaviors if feedback is provided without appropriate context or relevant examples. Yet, feedback can be empowering and supportive when done constructively and thoughtfully. In this session, participants will learn specific ways to learn how to engage in constructive feedback with their colleagues, supervisors, and employees.

Learn specific strategies for leading with your top talents and learn to leverage your teammates’ talents in order to be successful at work and at home.

A conversation session for participants to share ideas and brainstorm on how to improve connections on their campuses!

Miss walking across campus and bumping into that exact coworker you needed to check in with or being able to grab a walking break with a colleague to unload about your hectic morning? Our work is relational – not just with students – but with our colleagues. Join this open conversation to share and learn what’s working on other campuses to improve virtual employee connections and engagement. Note: This session will be led by a facilitator, but content will be generated by you, the participant. Come and share what’s working on your campus!

2:45-3:15pm

Announcements and Closing Remarks

6pm

Painting party

If you signed up for the painting party, join us in the main room with your supplies!

8:45am

Pre-conference Greetings

Join us to say hello and get situated before the show begins.

9am

Welcome Message

Lauren Smith

9:15am

Keynote: Lauren Smith

Lauren Smith currently serves as the Dean of Student Development at Portland Community College’s Southeast Campus. Before coming to PCC, she worked at Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) as the Director of Academic Support and New Student Programming and as the Title III Project Director. Previous to her move to Oregon’s Community College system, Lauren’s career in education began as a High School Social Studies Teacher at Reynolds High School.

9:45am

Ambassador program spotlight

Learn about the new Oregon AAWCC Ambassador program with board members and women from around the state.

10am

Break

10:15am

Workshops

Growth mindset – during COVID, it is really important to know that we can grow and move forward. That we have the tools already to stay positive, but also look at our circumstance to look at opportunities of growth. We also cannot limit ourselves and if we believe we can do it we can.

Classified to Administration: I will share my story of how I moved, utilizing mentors and campus resources. Education, skills. Options to gain experience. field questions.

2020 has been the year of change – and it seems that many of the changes do not at first have our personal stamp of approval! Still, there are decisions and commitments that you can make! Why worry about things you can’t control when you can keep yourself busy with things that require your commitment? Help yourself change and grow in a new direction.

These days, we’re all feeling a little disconnected and out-of-sync with colleagues in the new work environment…Zoom fatigue, anyone? At the same time, many of us are also struggling to gain a deeper understanding of the lived experience of our Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) colleagues, and to turn our values and beliefs into action. In this session, we’ll look at the concepts of privilege and emotional labor as they relate to racial justice, and talk about some ways we can work together to build empathy, connection, and community in these challenging times. Note: this session is open to everyone, but may be more relevant for White participants seeking to better support their BIPOC friends and colleagues.

Wellness and self-care are particularly important in our remote work and social distanced environments. In this short session, take some time for yourself to have fun and get moving with simple basic Cajun and Zydeco dance steps. This line dance class incorporates dance steps of southwestern Louisiana that will help with coordination, balance and work your muscles and mind as you learn easy dance steps and line dance patterns.

10:45am

Carolyn DesJardins Leadership Award

Join us to present this prestigious award to someone who has demonstrated outstanding leadership and made a significant contribution to community colleges. About the Carolyn DesJardins Leadership Award

11:05am

Business Meeting

Financial report and membership update with the AAWCC Oregon State Board.

11:20am

Closing remarks

Reviews from our last virtual conference:

“So clever and so cool.”

“So much fun!”

“Even virtually, it was as uplifting as ever!”

“The best Zoom meeting I’ve ever been to.”

Past fall conferences

See topics and materials: previous fall conferences.