And Carrie On

I spent last week at the CASE IV Conference in San Antonio. From a leadership pre-conference to dozens of sessions, this conference is one I’ve been attending since I first joined higher education as a profession.

Five Key Conference Takeaways

Default to the Process – Often times, as leaders we find ourselves in situations where we can’t share what all we know. That could be a new hire, a key announcement, or personnel concerns. It’s natural to want to share, but we lose trust and simply can’t. One of the conversations in our leadership pre-conference conversation was to change how we think about those situations. Instead of sharing, we can likely talk about the process. Sticking to the process helps us out of those awkward situations without violating trust of those we work with and for.

Blaire Atkinson, OSU Foundation

Sharing Our Story is Paramount – In the senior leader breakfast and in a session about building a brand, there were references to the concern with public perception. Many of the leaders discussed the article that was recently in The Chronicle about how public perception has changed over time from a public good to a focus on outcomes. In the session, several participants discussed they were working to tell stories of student successes, highlighting partnerships that benefit our broader community, and talking about the impact to our local community as a way to boost perception.

Chase Moore, CASE

Culture of Kindness – There was a great panel conversation about how we can create more inclusive experiences on our campus, especially as DEIB work appears to be under attack across our campuses. One of the panelists talked about it in a new way. Their institution is exploring a culture of kindness. If we are creating a space that’s kind and welcoming for all, that achieves the many of the purposes of DEIB work without using language that’s been weaponized. The presenter noted that it’s incredibly difficult to openly dispute a culture of kindness, which can make it a worthwhile strategy.

Steve Valencia, RSU

Mentors Matter – I helped moderate a conversation on mentorship, had the opportunity to network with several first-time attendees, and see several of my mentors be recognized for lifetime achievement. I can confidently say that I would not have the success I have today without strong mentors who have helped me. I’ve talked with several privately about taking a proactive role to help mentor the next generation. This conference really helped me to understand how important mentorship is, and this is something I’ll continue to do to help the next generation of leaders.

Kayla Hale, USAO & Christina Smith, UT Austin, Dell Med

Engagement Matters – Over the course of the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to work on the CASE IV Engagement plan. It’s been a large time investment but is helping our district lay the groundwork for engaging members beyond just an annual conference. It is legacy-level work. Getting to share some of the successes and also the plans we’re making made me really proud to be a CASE volunteer. It is evident this program is making an impact for our members through the conversations and the connections I had in San Antonio. I feel honored to get to help steward the next two years as CASE IV Chair and can’t wait to see how we continue supporting our members.

Carrie Phillips, UA Little Rock

Your Takeaways?

For those of you who attended, what were the key takeaways you had? Look forward to connecting to discuss more.