Optimizing Conference Outcomes When You Feel Behind and Everyone Else Seems Ahead (Thu, 1/8, 3pm, Colorado A)
Professional conferences are designed to generate inspiration, collaboration, and solutions—but for attendees, the reality can feel very different. Presenters often come from institutions with abundant resources, large staffs, top-down support, and the freedom to showcase models of success. Attendees, meanwhile, frequently arrive with real challenges, stubborn institutional barriers, and fewer supports. The contrast can produce what I call "institutional imposter feelings"—a sense that you're somehow failing, that you're behind everybody else. This session acknowledges this pernicious dynamic and attempts to flip the script. Let's get vulnerable together and talk about how we can optimize our conference outcomes even when we feel a little behind the professional eight ball.
How To Conduct a Hardcore Audit of Your Veteran Support, and What To Do Next (Fri, 1/9, 2pm, Colorado F)
I'll be honest: I'm not in love with the term "veteran friendly." Like... what does that even mean? Are you either veteran friendly or you're not? And at what point does your campus cross the magical threshold into veteran friendliness? In this session, we will introduce you to a powerful, practical tool for assessing your veteran support ecosystem, we will show you how to administer it, and we will talk about strategies for using what you learn to strengthen veteran support on your campus. We will also discuss ways for SVA chapters to use this tool to identify opportunities at their schools and advocate for resources and change from campus leadership.