As professionals committed to student success, we are asked to lead with care, clarity, and responsiveness, often while navigating high expectations, emotional labor, and limited capacity. Burnout is real, and sustaining ourselves and one another is essential to sustaining our impact.

Join us for this interactive workshop hosted by Katie Roy, Network Engagement and Health Impact Strategies Project Coordinator, Student Health and Wellness, that invites participants to explore relational leadership and sustainable self-care as core practices for effective, values-driven student success work. Drawing on Impact with Integrity and insights from the Well-Being Collective and WeLAB, the session centers staff agency, reflection, and practical strategies for leading with authenticity, trust, and resilience within a complex campus environment.

Participants will leave with concrete tools, shared language, and renewed perspective to support both their professional roles and personal well-being, recognizing that caring for ourselves and each other is not separate from the work, but foundational to it.
In this session, participants will:

• Understand relational leadership as a foundational practice for student success and staff belonging-building.
• Apply the Integrity Loop (Notice → Name → Choose → Act → Reflect) to everyday decision-making and boundary-setting.
• Identify strategies for sustainable self-care that support resilience, emotional labor management, and long-term impact.
• Explore practices from the Well-Being Collective and WeLAB that cultivate shared leadership, psychological safety, and collective care.
• Recognize and interrupt common burnout patterns such as over-functioning, fixing, or siloed problem-solving.
• Build personal and team habits that create coherence, capacity, and relational trust across student-facing roles.

Join us for an energizing empowerED professional development session from UConn Student Success, with panelists:

• Maureen Armstrong, Associate Dean & Director, Dean of Students Office
• Kristina Stevens, Director of Mental Health, Student Health and Wellness
• Amy Crim, Director of Residential Living and Education, Campus Housing, Student Life and Enrollment
• Erica Klimek, Disability Service Professional, Center for Students with Disabilities
• Kymberley Hendricks, Director, Office of Student Care and Concern
• Tori Succi, Assistant Director, Center for Fraternity and Sorority Development, Student Activities
• Karen Bresciano, Assistant Dean of The Graduate School Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Affairs

This panel explores how the end of the semester often sneaks up on students and as finals approach this may lead to heightened stress and anxiety. The stress and anxiety may be related to classes ending, the transition home for break, finances, or many other life stresses. As a campus we have supports in place to help students navigate this space and find possible solutions. We hope you will join us for a conversation to learn more about what specific departments do to support students as they march forward to close out the fall term.

Participants attending this session will engage in a discussion around common concerns/issues students present near the end of the semester, have the opportunity to ask questions to the panelists, and leave knowing the following:

• Where to refer
• What to refer
• What to expect after the referral

Join us for an energizing empowerED professional development session from UConn Student Success, hosted by Ada Rivera and Leo Lachut, as we explore strategies to support first-generation college students across UConn’s campuses. Participants will gain practical strategies to better understand and engage first-gen students both in and beyond the classroom. Drawing on Lisa Nunn’s 33 Simple Strategies for Faculty and Yosso’s Community Cultural Wealth framework, this presentation reframes first-gen experiences through a strengths-based lens celebrating adaptability, resilience, and leadership in non-traditional contexts.

Attendees can expect to:

• Explore the unique challenges and assets of UConn’s first-gen student population (27% at Storrs and over 50% at regional campuses).
• Learn concrete, inclusive teaching and advising practices that foster belonging and academic success.
• Participate in activities that highlight how assumptions, language, and classroom culture can either empower or unintentionally exclude first-gen students.
• Discover campus initiatives such as Success 360, Cord Ceremonies, and First-Gen Week that promote visibility and community.

Through reflection, discussion, and partnership, this session invites faculty, staff, and campus partners to co-create a university environment where first-generation students are not alone.