Session Descriptions
9-10 am - Opening & Keynote
Navigating Through Change: Leadership at Every Level
Speaker: Sheila Owens, Senior Director of Systemwide Learning & Development at the Office of the Chancellor
Change is a constant. These days, it can feel even more prevalent, unpredictable, and intrusive. In this engaging keynote, we’ll explore the neuroscience behind why change can be so challenging and how understanding our natural responses can help us not just cope but truly thrive. No matter your title or role, you’ll gain practical insights and tools to lead through change with clarity, confidence, and resilience.
1010-11 am - Session 01
Project Management with Planner
Speaker:
Rebecca Nelson, Admin Analyst/Specialist for the Chico State's Office of Faculty Development
Teamwork makes the dream work! This session will introduce basic principles of project management with a focus on how you can use Microsoft Planner to bring together team to-do lists, tasks, plans, and projects. We’ll review a team board with buckets that track checklist tasks, progress, and priorities in one easy-to-manage view.
1110 am-12 pm - Session 02
From Report to Report-Out: A Practical Guide to Budget Tracking, Reconciliation, and Presentation
Speakers:
Briana Cartmill, Admin Analyst/Specialist for San Diego State University's Fowler College of Business
Erika Johnston, Admin Support Coordinator for San Diego State University's School of Public Health
Whether you're new to budgeting or a seasoned pro, this session offers a practical, step-by-step walkthrough of a streamlined financial tracking process developed specifically for CSU professionals. We’ll start at the very beginning—tracking expenses, logging into CFS, and pulling reports—then demonstrate how to reconcile transactions, organize the data, and transform it into a clean, easy-to-read monthly budget summary. You’ll leave with a ready-to-use spreadsheet, tips for identifying cost-saving opportunities, and guidance on how to present financial information clearly to supervisors. Even if you don’t currently manage a budget, this session will give you valuable insight into financial operations and may inspire you to get involved. Come follow along and see just how manageable (and empowering) budget work can be.
1-150 pm - Session 03
Embracing CHRS: People, Processes, and Progress
Speakers:
Becky Cagle, Director
Michael Gonsalves, Faculty Affairs Personnel, Recruitment, and Process Implementation Specialist
Julie Ngin, Academic HR Service Department Lead
Michaela Dole, HR Business System Analyst
Jennifer Myers, HRIS Process Manager
Tammy Hines, CHRS Program HR Lead, Director HRIS
Samantha Silfies, Manager, CHRS Communications & Change Management
One system, many campuses-CHRS is transforming human resources across the CSU. We’re building a stronger, more unified academic workforce with shared tools and consistent processes. Join us to discover CHRS wins and experience module demonstrations for benefits, absence/timekeeping, and temporary academic appointment (TAE) processing. We’ll have an interactive discussion with peers from Chico, Fullerton, and the Office of the Chancellor.
2-250 pm - Session 04
Student Success: Supporting Students in Distress
Speaker: Steve Silver, Staff Psychologist
This session will focus on ways in which you can support students on your campus coming to you in distress. This includes ways in which you can help communicate your care and concern, set boundaries, and even teach them some basic self-regulation skills.
3-350 pm - Session 05
AI Tools for Workflow Efficiency
Speakers:
Zahraa Fadlalah, Technology Integration Partner
Chris Mendoza, Operating Systems Analyst
Did you know? Artificial intelligence was founded as an academic discipline in 1956. Learn more about the history of machine learning and how you can develop workflow efficiency tools. We will introduce CSU AI Commons resources, apply practical uses of ChatGPT, and learn how to get started with Microsoft Power Automate. Join us as we explore complex applications in basic and everyday settings. In this session, you’ll learn skills that you can use apply right away and regularly for your daily work.
350-4 pm - Closing
Meet the CSU ARC Board
Speakers:
Patrick Bungard, San Bernardino
Rebecca Nelson, Chico
Lauren Ansorge, Dominguez Hills
Lee Lee Jackson, Long Beach
Cathleen Fager, Northridge
Nikole Abrego, San José
Dejon Brown, Office of the Chancellor
Leo Melena, San Marcos
Ryan Otawka, Bakersfield
Janet Remolona, San Francisco
Katalin Szeker, Long Beach
Lety Saavedra, Fresno
The only constant in life is change. Together, we’ll embrace change with a focus on continuous improvement as we close the conference and prepare to apply the new skills we learned at the conference today.
4-450 pm - Bonus Session
Steps Forward: Navigating the CSU Classifications Study Implementation
Speaker: Ned Burke, Representation Director
The CSU has committed to reviewing employee classifications and has provided notice on over 100 new classifications. This session will be offered by Ned Burke, Representation Director for CSUEU, to share highlights on the background of the CSU Classifications Study and updates on implementation. Ned will address frequently asked questions and host a Q&A to answer your questions directly.
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