Community Development Day Sessions

Mindful Teaching and Learning in a Classroom Community 

Presented by: Sarah Hesson

This session will introduce participants to core concepts of mindfulness as they relate to teaching and learning. First, we will consider how mindfulness practices can make us more skilled educators–by cultivating both cultural awareness and self-awareness. Then we will explore how mindfulness can be used as a tool to create classroom community, to guide norms for classroom Interactions. and to enhance learning for the whole classroom community- ourselves included!

Utilizing the AI Design Assistant in Blackboard

Presented by: Scott Badger, Anthony Loffredio

The Al Design Assistant tool is designed to foster professional growth and facilitate curriculum development by offering personalized recommendations and advanced design options within Blackboard courses. Instructors can create more effective and engaging learning experiences for their students, ultimately enhancing student comprehension and retention. Additionally, the tool streamlines course creation, allowing instructors to save significant amounts of time, which they can then dedicate to student engagement and support. 

Moving Beyond Roles: Engaging Activities for Self and Team Growth

Presented by: Kristen Pepin

RIC can strengthen the campus community by offering space for individuals to be part of a team outside of the traditional work roles. This interactive workshop aims to develop self-awareness while participating in group activities. Challenges are designed to move participants beyond their expertise and comfort zones, creating fun, active shared experiences. As part of the workshop, participants will engage in personal reflection and group debriefings to highlight qualities in themselves and others that may remain hidden in typical work settings. The workshop also focuses on practicing transferable skills such as communication, cooperation, goal setting, and problem solving. Please note: this session requires active participation, movement, and thoughtful reflection in group discussions.

Higher Performance: Ten Habits That Will Improve Results in the Job

Presented by: Miko Nino

Ten easy and simple habits can make a big difference in performance. Drawing from research in time management, knowledge management, project management, and related fields, this presentation will focus on ten habits and how they can be directly applied to participants’ jobs and careers to achieve a higher level in performance. The goal of this session is for RIC participants to leave with an action plan that they can implement in their daily jobs and an evaluation tool to determine the impact these habits have on their performance.

Unlocking Yourself@ RIC

Presented by: Alia Hadid

This self-discovery session invites members of the Rhode Island College community to explore who they are in a welcoming, inclusive space designed to deepen self-awareness, build relationships, and strengthen our shared sense of purpose. The session offers participants the chance to engage in reflective, structured activities that encourage personal insight and authentic connection. This session is not just about interaction-it's about reflection, growth, and meaningful dialogue. By learning more about ourselves and sharing our stories, we create a more compassionate, understanding, and unified RIC community where everyone feels seen, valued, and heard.

Respond with Care: Building a Culture of Care and Accountability Through Real Situations

Presented by: Cherèva McClellan and Trece Mettauer

Picture this, your phone is ringing non-stop, students are asking for immediate support, you received another urgent and strongly worded email, you are late completing an Important task, and you have to handle all of this on your own. Where do you begin? What do you do? How do you ensure it all gets done with care and accuracy? Attend this session for tips and strategies on different ways you can handle difficult situations. This interactive session will feature skits based on real-world scenarios that we encounter in higher education. We will discuss what can be improved upon and how you would handle the situation. Leave with new ideas on how to de-escalate situations, provide student-focused service and care, and how to support colleagues during tough interactions.

AI: Under the Hood and Into Your Life

Presented by: Timothy Henry

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into education and the workplace, faculty and staff must understand both its promise and its pitfalls. In this session, we explore the fundamentals of AI, machine teaming, and generative Al, examining how these technologies are transforming the office, the classroom, and the careers students will pursue after graduation. Attendees will gain insights into the risks of bias, hallucinations, unreliable outputs, and loss of transparency while learning best practices for responsible use in the office and the classroom.

Windows 11

Presented by: Lauren Cendella, Scott Badger

A hands-on demonstration of the changes as we move from the Windows 10 to Windows 11 Operating System. This will cover the changes in the look and functionality of the different operating systems along with the changes in security of the computers. There will be a discussion on why we are making the changes and how and where to go for additional training and support. A hands on demonstration will be done in a computer lab to show how the changes will impact users. A brief discussion on the timeline of our deployment of the new operating system. 

Lunch or Learn: Student Textbook Purchasing Decisions and How Open can Help 

Presented by: Dragan Gill

This session will discuss the financial barriers students face to purchasing textbooks and how adoption of Open Textbooks and OER can not only alleviate financial barriers to success, but academic barriers to success, knowing how students make choices about purchasing and course selection and what options faculty have to provide materials allows faculty to make more choices to support students. 

Understanding Our Student Body: A High School View

Presented by: Vanessa Ruggieri

This panel discussion supports the "Know Your Why" theme by inviting educators and staff to reflect on the deeper purpose behind their work: supporting students through transformative life transitions. Attendees will hear firsthand from school counselors, administrators, and social workers who will share insights into the backgrounds, barriers, and strengths of the students we serve-from inner-city public schools to private suburban institutions. Understanding the "why" behind students' journeys helps us reconnect with our own purpose as professionals committed to equity, access, and student success in higher education. The panel will also highlight the evolving roles of educational support staff and explore how emotional well-being, academic preparedness, and financial challenges shape students' paths to college.

Rooted in Purpose: Fostering Confidence and Connection on Campus

Presented by: Cheikh Ndiaye, Antonio Rocha, Andreya Watkins, Mackenzie Williams

"Rooted in Purpose: Fostering Confidence and Connection on Campus" is an engaging 75-minute interactive session designed for faculty and staff to reconnect with their core motivations and deepen their impact on student success. Led by Rhode Island College's Student Support Services (SSS) team, this workshop centers on fostering a campus culture of belonging, particularly within a Hispanic-Serving and Minority-Serving Institution (HSI/MSI) context. Participants will explore student perspectives on belonging through hands-on reflection activities, testimonial videos, and guided dialogue. The session highlights culturally relevant practices, inclusive pedagogy, and community-building strategies designed to meet students where they are–emotionally, socially, and academically. Attendees will walk away with practical tools to celebrate and support students' full identities and to infuse meaning and purpose into their daily work. By aligning with RIC's Strategic Compass, this session reaffirms our collective mission to uplift and empower every student through authentic, equity-driven engagement.

5 Classroom Tip for Serving Multilingual Learners (and in turn - all learners)

Presented by: Laura Faria-Tancinco

This workshop is aimed at supporting faculty as they serve multilingual learners (MLLs) in their classes. As RIC is designated as an HSI/MSI, it is essential for RIC faculty to include MLL pedagogy in their teaching, every class meeting. Even small additions and adjustments can make a big difference for MLLs and in turn - all learners! This session will present 5 classroom tips that instructors can implement in their classes tomorrow. 

Onboarding to Equity at RIC: The Office of DEI & Our HSI/MSI Identity

Presented by Lehidy Frias

Join me for Onboarding to Equity at RIC: The Office of DEI & Our HSI/MSI ldentity, an engaging session designed to ground participants in the foundational history and current landscape of equity work at Rhode Island College. We will explore RIC's journey in diversity, equity, and inclusion: the significance of our designation as a Hispanic-and Minority-Serving Institution (HSI/MSI); and key terminology that informs this work. This onboarding aims to deepen institutional awareness, build shared language, and inspire reflection on what it means to truly serve our diverse student body. 

Voices of RIC Students: Findings from Focus Group Sessions

Presented by: Cindy Kozil, Eric Hall, Ted Zito

During the 2024/2025 academic year, the Council Committee on Student Life conducted a series of focus groups with a wide range of students to gather insights into their experiences at Rhode Island College. The focus groups were designed to capture the voices of students from diverse backgrounds, academic disciplines, and levels of study. Participants were encouraged to share their perspectives on various aspects of the student experience, including academics, advising, campus resources and services, and overall satisfaction and sense of community. The goal of this initiative was to identify both the strengths and areas for improvement with the intention of informing enhancing the overall student experience. This session will share the results of these focus groups, providing an invaluable opportunity to use this feedback to shape meaningful changes and better align campus services with student needs.

Finding our Why: Unlocking Motivation Through Purpose and Pedagogy

Presented by: Scott Lambert, Christiane Petrin Lambert

This interactive session explores the power of aligning personal and student purpose (“the Why”) to foster intrinsic motivation and perseverance. We’ll investigate how faculty and staff can clarify their own motivations, help students discover theirs, and apply the right mix of pedagogy, andragogy, and heutagogy to support success in and beyond the classroom.

Cultural Humility: A Tool to Address Racial/Ethnic Health Disparities among Black and Latiné Communities

Presented by: Aswood Bousseau, Vilna Tejeda

Racial/ethnic disparities in access to healthcare and mental health services continue to be a crisis in America. Although multiple factors contribute to these disparities, this paper presentation focuses on the most prevalent factors of implicit biases and discrimination. Cultural humility is a critical process of ongoing self-evaluation that considers the client’s unique experiences and challenges the power dynamic (Hook et al., 2013). It contrasts with traditional models of cultural competence by emphasizing the dynamic and reciprocal nature of cultural learning and adaptation between healthcare providers and patients. Drawing from the insights presented in a case study in the broader research context, it is essential to integrate cultural humility into the healthcare practice model, recognizing its significance in improving care outcomes for marginalized populations, as demonstrated in the Gladys Case Study. Our findings identified nine correlated suggestions for best practices in cultural humility in healthcare.

Identity-Based Trauma During Deeply Divisive Times: What Is It and How Can We Support Each Other Through It?

Presented by: Kimberly Bright

In recent months, many people who hold marginalized identities are experiencing a new level of stress related to real and perceived instances of hostility towards themselves and/or others who share their identities. The growing opposition to efforts to address long-standing inequities and ensure inclusivity for everyone has contributed to the daily stress of those who experience micro- and macroaggressions related to their identities. The cumulative effect of these daily stressors has a negative impact on the psychological, physiological, and behavioral well-being of members of marginalized communities, including students, faculty, and staff at RIC. Learn how to recognize the stress responses – experienced by yourself or others - associated with identity-based trauma and what we can do to better support ourselves and each other during difficult times.

RIC Counseling Center

Presented by: Cristina Costa

This presentation introduces the Counseling Center at RIC, highlighting the range of services available to support student well-being. Attendees will learn how to access resources, when to seek help, and how the Center can be a vital support system. We’ll also explore the most common mental health concerns among RIC students. This session aligns with the 'Know Your Team' initiative, fostering awareness and connection within our campus community.

Beyond the Echo Chamber: Rebuilding Respect and Collaboration in Our Campus Culture

Presented by: Valerie Endress, Jennifer Boulay

What if campus tensions could become our greatest collaborative asset? This interactive session invites participants to examine the role-based assumptions that often drive conflict and explore ways to turn friction into partnership. Faculty, staff, and administrators each face unique responsibilities—academic priorities, institutional demands, and stakeholder needs—that can unintentionally limit cross-role understanding. What may seem like resistance could reflect a deep commitment to quality; what feels like rushed decisions might be timely responses to student needs. Especially during times of budget adjustments, leadership changes, or restructuring, these differences can heighten misunderstanding or become opportunities to build trust. This session uses structured dialogue and perspective-sharing to explore how assumptions shape our workplace interactions and limit collaboration. By naming these dynamics and engaging in reflective conversation, participants will identify new ways to foster connection and mutual respect across campus roles—reframing institutional tension as a powerful catalyst for cooperation and shared purpose.

Designing for All: Implementing Universal Design for Learning to Enhance Accessibility and Inclusion in Your Classroom

Presented by: Molly McKeon, Paul LaCava

The workshop is intended to guide faculty through intentional instructional design to meet the needs of RIC's diverse student population. Concepts of accessibility, inclusion, and universal design will be leveraged to consider shared purpose and culture within the educational ecosystem at RIC.

Communication: Connect Through Conversation

Presented by: Chris Cinieri

This workshop will present leadership skills that enhance connections and conversations among any team. While geared towards those in supervisory and managerial roles, this presentation can apply to any role within the organization as we can only be successful when we work together as a team towards a common goal. This presentation will describe both the personal and practical needs that team members bring to work each day and how to leverage them to create more engaged employees and have more meaningful conversations. The presentation also includes a structure to use in both written and verbal communication that will greatly reduce confusion and ambiguity and help lead to more demonstrable results.

No first "click"? That's okay! Building strong working relationships across differences

Presented by: Megan Smith

This workshop offers a framework-in-development for building strong connections with professional peers with whom we do not initially “click.” It recognizes that often our most significant growth comes from working with people with whom we have divergent opinions and modes of practice, and sees this as a strength. It is also an area that requires intentional focus. The elements of the framework to be discussed include (1) assuming good intentions and competence, (2) recognizing one’s own stereotyping thoughts and feelings and be open to changing those thoughts and feelings, (3) listening to the other person for the purpose of understanding what they’re saying, not for the purpose of countering their arguments or beliefs, (4) showing nonjudgmental curiosity about the other person’s thoughts and beliefs and inviting them to elaborate, and (5) being committed to working things through constructively, for the sake of students, the working environment, and one’s own morale.

Leading with Strengths: Mentoring and Team Building that Makes a Difference

Presented by: Jess Raffaele

Mentoring is one of the most powerful tools faculty and staff can use to encourage student success and build strong, collaborative teams. This professional development session explores how a strengths-based approach—grounded in the CliftonStrengths framework—can transform mentoring relationships with students and colleagues. As a Gallup Certified CliftonStrengths coach, the facilitator will share evidence-based practices and real student testimonials to highlight the impact of strength-aware mentorship. Participants will gain practical tools to identify and leverage their own (and others’) strengths, promote growth, empower others, and cultivate meaningful, purpose-driven connections. The session will conclude with actionable steps to incorporate this approach into daily work with students and peers, enhancing individual development and contributing to a positive institutional culture.

Building Resilient Teams

Presented by: Jenna Cohen (of LEAD3R, bio included here)

In this workshop, we explore the importance of team health and resilience, especially in the context of organizational change. Participants learn frameworks for Resilient Teams and develop specific actions they can take to improve the resilience of their own teams, regardless of their role or position.

Jenna Cohen, LEAD3R's Senior Vice President, Team Effectiveness, has ~20 years of experience leading high-impact leadership, team and organization programs across industries. In her work, Jenna partners with leaders to create team and organization environments where business results are achieved through connected and engaged people. Prior to LEAD3R (Enspira), she worked at Biogen, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston. She earned her MBA from Simmons College School of Management and holds an undergraduate degree in Communications and International Relations from Boston University. Jenna loves travel and the outdoors and is the mother of three beautiful children and a black and chocolate lab.

Student Panel

Presented by: Lehidy Frias, Dirk Wallace

This panel will feature RIC students who embody the "Know Your Why" theme–students who are deeply engaged on campus while balancing academics, work, family, and more. Through an open and authentic conversation, panelists will reflect on their personal journeys, share how they stay motivated, and explore how RIC's community and resources have shaped their experiences. This closing session offers a powerful opportunity to uplift student voices and tie together the day's themes with honesty, insight, and inspiration.