Burnout in higher education is often blamed on workload and long hours, especially for HR professionals navigating complexity, shared governance, and constant change. But what if the real driver of burnout has been overlooked all along? In this keynote, Katherine Fry, SHRM-SCP, introduces Thought Intelligence™ (TQ): the ability to recognize, interrupt, and upgrade thinking patterns that fuel burnout, emotional exhaustion, and decision fatigue. Through storytelling, real-world HR scenarios, and the ETHOS Method™, participants gain a practical framework to simplify decisions, reduce stress, strengthen relationships, and create cultures where well-being and performance align.  

HR professionals in higher education are being asked to carry increasing responsibility amid organizational change, uncertainty, and workforce concerns. This keynote recognizes the emotional and operational weight HR teams hold and reframes burnout as a natural response to sustained pressure rather than an individual shortfall. Through an experiential approach, including brief grounding practices, participants will reconnect with clarity and capacity in real time. Using the HR Leadership Evolution Framework, attendees will gain language for their experience, a model for navigating it, and practical tools to contribute effectively without sacrificing wellbeing. This session is designed for HR professionals and leaders at all levels.

Family caregivers make up more than half of the workforce, yet many go unrecognized and unsupported while managing competing demands that affect productivity, engagement, and retention. This session provides HR professionals with a practical, campus-ready framework for identifying and supporting working caregivers as a strategic workforce priority. Drawing on direct practice and graduate research on workplace caregiving at the University of Arizona, this session highlights the key challenges and strengths that caregivers bring. Organized around the framework See It, Connect It, Sustain It, this program gives participants practical tools to help employees connect with resources, strengthen support systems, and improve retention.

This interactive workshop helps higher education leaders and HR professionals navigate organizational change while addressing rising stress and burnout. Using the Enneagram as a tool for self-awareness, participants will explore how different personality patterns influence responses to pressure, conflict, and change. The session focuses on building personal resilience, improving communication, and creating supportive team environments. Through reflection and discussion, attendees will gain practical strategies to reduce change fatigue, support employee wellbeing, and foster healthier, more sustainable workplace cultures.

Financial stress is one of the most common and impactful forms of stress employees experience, often influencing overall well-being, productivity, and decision-making. This session will explore the connection between money behaviors and financial stress, helping attendees better understand the “why” behind their financial habits. We’ll focus on practical, approachable strategies to build healthier money patterns, improve financial confidence, and reduce anxiety around day-to-day financial decisions. Attendees will walk away with actionable tools they can apply immediately.

 In higher education, student employees are often the invisible front line, yet they are frequently managed by “accidental managers” with little leadership training. This can lead to burnout, disengagement, and lost institutional knowledge. This interactive session introduces a “Wellness Architecture” framework to help HR professionals better support supervisors and student workers. Moving beyond transactional management, participants will explore how to treat student employment as a strategic talent pipeline. Drawing on financial aid environments, attendees will learn to identify high-friction points, foster psychological safety, and apply low-cost strategies that promote wellbeing, engagement, and long-term success for student employees. 

The rapid expansion of hybrid and remote work has transformed how organizations build and maintain workplace relationships. While virtual work offers flexibility and accessibility, it also presents challenges related to connection, belonging, and culture. This facilitated discussion explores how virtual interactions shape communication, collaboration, and perceptions of workplace community. Rather than viewing virtual work as a barrier, participants will consider how intentional practices, leadership behaviors, and organizational structures can foster meaningful connection. Through guided dialogue and reflection, attendees will discuss common hybrid workplace challenges and leave with practical strategies to strengthen relationships and support engagement in evolving work environments.

What happens when coaching becomes something employees both experience and practice, not just something reserved for executives? This interactive session begins with a brief firsthand coaching experience, followed by insights from a large public university’s internal coaching initiative. As employees developed coaching skills and supported one another, the impact extended to leadership, collaboration, and workplace wellbeing. Through reflection, discussion, and real-world examples, participants will explore the ripple effects across individuals and teams. Attendees will leave with practical ideas for embedding coaching as a shared leadership capability to strengthen resilience, connection, and organizational culture. 

Arizona Western College is developing professional growth opportunities for employees stepping into leadership roles, recognizing that technical experts need more than a title but a roadmap for success. This session offers a real time look at building a supportive organizational development and learning ecosystem to bridge the gap between technical expertise and people first leadership. Presenters will share their initial framework, early wins, and lessons learned while launching this initiative. Attendees will explore strategies for designing a leadership pipeline, establishing HR as a strategic partner, and supporting new supervisors through practical tools and feedback, with insights applicable to institutions at any stage.