We invite you and your peers for learning and networking opportunities.  This event brings together staff employees across campus to grow both professionally and personally and share ideas and experiences.  The annual conference is one of the ways the University community thanks you for your hard work and support!

Sponsored by:

  • Ball State Staff Council
  • University Human Resource Services
  • Business Affairs

Registration Information:

Register for the conference using the “Register” button below. Here is some helpful information to get you registered:

  1. Register for either:
    1. Morning Session (8:15 a.m. – 1 p.m.)
    2. Afternoon Session (11:15 a.m. – 4:15 p.m.)
    3. All Day (8:15 a.m. – 4:15 p.m.)
  2. By selecting which sessions, you are attending (Morning, Afternoon, All Day), select the individual breakout sessions you plan to attend by reviewing the Morning and Afternoon session descriptions below. Please note, the morning and afternoon sessions are identical.
  3. Indicate if you would like a boxed lunch. When selecting “Yes” you will receive a list of menu choices. In addition, please let us know if you have any special dietary needs.
  4. Please indicate if you need any special accommodations to attend the conference.

If you have any questions or have issues registering, please reach out to Breanne Holloway at learndev@bsu.edu.

Individual Sessions

Morning Sessions

Headshots

LOCATION: SC 305

If you need a new portrait for your directory profile on the Ball State website, just stop in for a quick headshot anytime between 10:30 a.m – 1:30 p.m. Profile photos will be used on your department’s website directory and in media releases.

Location: 2nd Floor Hallway – Cardinal Hall

  • Speaker: President Geoffrey Mearns
  • Location: Cardinal Hall

Learn to Excel in EXCEL

One hour isn't a lot of time to learn Excel, but if you’ve used it before and need to learn how to get more out of your spreadsheets, this is the class for you. You will learn how to better navigate through Excel, create and incorporate functions, create tables, and learn how to sort, analyze and present your data.

A Plan to Thrive and Not Just Survive – A Look at Your Wellbeing 

This interactive session will discuss the five elements of wellbeing and explore ways you can build resiliency to thrive not just survive

Why LinkedIn Matters

Let's do a reset on what we think about and how we approach professional networking, especially LinkedIn. Dr. Anna Stumpf will spend time on the "why" around this for you as higher education professionals, but well beyond. This session will cover quite a bit about professional networking, where it fits into the career field, how you can maximize platforms like LinkedIn to grow your network. Dr. Stumpf will also show you various ways in which to establish your personal brand and grow your network on LinkedIn.

Present with Power through PowerPoint

While you can spend days creating a PowerPoint presentation, you can learn all the skills you need to create a great presentation in just one hour. You will learn how to create a new PowerPoint, add animations and transitions, learn how to set up your presentation, and you will receive lots of tips to make you a better user.

Personal Safety & Self-Defense

Personal Safety and Self-Defense is a presentation designed to improve personal awareness and safety. This presentation will include lecture and voluntary practical participation. Topics covered are awareness of your surroundings, identifying awareness levels, identifying and avoiding possible threats to personal safety, and self-defense techniques.

  • Location: SC 301-302
  • Speakers: Lt. David Bell and University Police Department

Verbal Judo – Dealing with Difficult Customers

Verbal Judo is the martial art of the mind and mouth that can prepare you in every encounter you might face. Learn more about active listening and how to speak more effectively, engage people with empathy, avoid conversational disasters, and look creatively at how to deal with conflict and difficult conversations.

  • Pick up box lunches 11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
  • Lunch: 11:15 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.
  • Location:Cardinal Hall
  • For employees who clock out/in for lunch, please download the Kronos Adjustment form and submit it to your supervisor or Kronos manager. 

Keynote Speaker - The I’mperfect Employee

In a world where we are expected to do everything, it sometimes feels like we can’t accomplish anything.” Drawing from the concepts in Tal Ben-Shahar’s book “The Pursuit of Perfect: How to Stop Chasing Perfection and Start Living a Richer, Happier Life” this session will explore the value of making mistakes, the seductive (yet unattainable) dream of perfectionism, and why optimalism may help us accomplish just enough to be happy. This session is ideal for participants who are seeking a healthy method to manage expectations of their self and others.

Headshots

LOCATION: SC 305

If you need a new portrait for your directory profile on the Ball State website, just stop in for a quick headshot anytime between 10:30 a.m – 1:30 p.m. Profile photos will be used on your department’s website directory and in media releases.

  • Pick up box lunches 11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
  • Lunch: 11:15 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.
  • Location:Cardinal Hall
  • For employees who clock out/in for lunch, please download the Kronos Adjustment form and submit it to your supervisor or Kronos manager. 

Keynote Speaker - The I’mperfect Employee

In a world where we are expected to do everything, it sometimes feels like we can’t accomplish anything.” Drawing from the concepts in Tal Ben-Shahar’s book “The Pursuit of Perfect: How to Stop Chasing Perfection and Start Living a Richer, Happier Life” this session will explore the value of making mistakes, the seductive (yet unattainable) dream of perfectionism, and why optimalism may help us accomplish just enough to be happy. This session is ideal for participants who are seeking a healthy method to manage expectations of their self and others.

Learn to Excel in EXCEL

One hour isn't a lot of time to learn Excel, but if you’ve used it before and need to learn how to get more out of your spreadsheets, this is the class for you. You will learn how to better navigate through Excel, create and incorporate functions, create tables, and learn how to sort, analyze and present your data.

A Plan to Thrive and Not Just Survive – A Look at Your Wellbeing 

This interactive session will discuss the five elements of wellbeing and explore ways you can build resiliency to thrive not just survive

Why LinkedIn Matters

Let's do a reset on what we think about and how we approach professional networking, especially LinkedIn. Dr. Anna Stumpf will spend time on the "why" around this for you as higher education professionals, but well beyond. This session will cover quite a bit about professional networking, where it fits into the career field, how you can maximize platforms like LinkedIn to grow your network. Dr. Stumpf will also show you various ways in which to establish your personal brand and grow your network on LinkedIn.

Present with Power through PowerPoint

While you can spend days creating a PowerPoint presentation, you can learn all the skills you need to create a great presentation in just one hour. You will learn how to create a new PowerPoint, add animations and transitions, learn how to set up your presentation, and you will receive lots of tips to make you a better user.

Personal Safety & Self-Defense

Personal Safety and Self-Defense is a presentation designed to improve personal awareness and safety. This presentation will include lecture and voluntary practical participation. Topics covered are awareness of your surroundings, identifying awareness levels, identifying and avoiding possible threats to personal safety, and self-defense techniques.

  • Location: SC 301-302
  • Speakers: Lt. David Bell and University Police Department

Verbal Judo – Dealing with Difficult Customers

Verbal Judo is the martial art of the mind and mouth that can prepare you in every encounter you might face. Learn more about active listening and how to speak more effectively, engage people with empathy, avoid conversational disasters, and look creatively at how to deal with conflict and difficult conversations.