CSL Connect Conference 2026

Registration

Registration for CSL Connect is now open! Please complete your registration by Tuesday, December 1, 2026 at this link: https://uccsl.wufoo.com/forms/m1gouuw808prbxj/

Conference Schedule

• 8:00 AM - 8:55 AM: Registration, Coffee Service, and Grab & Go Breakfast | Talbot Foyer (1st Floor), Ida Noyes Hall

• 9:00 AM - 9:20 AM: Opening Session | Max Palevsky Cinema (1st Floor), Ida Noyes Hall

• 9:30 AM - 10:20 AM: Program Block 1

  • Leading Through Mentorship: Building Relationships That Grow Both Mentee and Mentor | West Lounge (2nd Floor), Ida Noyes Hall)
    Presenter: Derek Bundy, Director of Campus and Student Life Operations and Projects

    • Student affairs and higher education professionals are routinely asked to mentor students, supervisees, and colleagues, yet few receive training in how to do it well. This session treats mentorship as a leadership competency. It grounds the conversation in a clear definition and the career functions mentors provide, then explores the benefits for mentees and the development opportunities for mentors. 

  • Beyond Paper Checks:  How the Bursar Office Supports the Student Experience | East Lounge (2nd Floor), Ida Noyes Hall
    Presenters: Jenny Becker, Associate Director of Service and Receivables, Office of the Bursar & Michelle Wortel, Associate Director of Operations, Office of the Bursar

    • Navigating university finances is an important part of the student experience, and clear access to the right resources can make a real difference for students and families. This session will introduce Campus and Student Life colleagues to the payment resources, self-service tools, and support channels available through the Bursar’s Office — and to the steps the University is taking to keep those channels secure and streamlined.

  • Unpacking the Media's Narrative on Disability in Higher Education | Cloister Club (1st Floor), Ida Noyes Hall
    Presenter: Charnessa Warren, Director, Student Disability Services

    • Recent media coverage has increasingly framed disability accommodations as controversial, burdensome, or evidence of declining academic standards. This session critically examines these narratives and their influence on campus attitudes, policies, and student experiences. Through a review of current media trends, participants will develop a stronger understanding of the foundations of disability law, research on inclusive practices, and the shared responsibility campus partners have in creating environments where everyone with disabilities are welcomed, supported, and valued.
       
  • High Profile Event Deans-on-Call Panel | Max Palevsky Cinema (1st Floor), Ida Noyes Hall
    Panel Moderators: Cassie Kramer, Assistant Director of UChicago HELP and Lynda Daher, Assistant Dean of Students in the University & Associate Director of UChicago HELP
     
    • High profile event (HPE) Deans-on-Call will participate in a moderated panel to share more about what defines a high profile event, how to prepare for one, and the roles and responsibilities of the Dean-on-Call program at these events.

• 10:30 AM - 11:20 AM: Breakout Session 2

  • What Happens When Curiosity Leads?: An Uncommon Approach to Leadership | West Lounge (2nd Floor), Ida Noyes Hall
    Presenters: Elijah Vasquez, Assitant Director, Student Leadership Development, Center for Leadership & Involvement and LaSabra Williams, Associate Director, Co-Curricular Advising, Center for Leadership & Involvement

    • What happens when curiosity leads? In this session, we will rethink what it means to be a leader by applying UChicago’s “uncommon ethic”, within a culturally responsive lens. Explore how culture, identity, experiences and institutions shape our understanding of leadership. Through interactive discussion and small-group activities, challenge assumptions about what leaders should look, sound, and act like. Practice curiosity and cultural humility to reimagine leadership beyond traditional norms and leave with new perspectives to apply to your own leadership practice.

  • Student Employment: From Interviews to First Day on the Job | East Lounge (2nd Floor), Ida Noyes Hall
    Presenters: Caprice Butts, Senior Access Coordinator, Student Disability Services; Maggie Madro, Testing Coordinator, Student Disability Services; Beth Moy, Access Coordinator, Student Disability Services; Morgan Severid, Access Coordinator, Student Disability Services

    • Hiring and managing student workers presents a unique set of challenges that differ from hiring, managing and supervising full-time staff. These challenges can multiply when you're overseeing workers across different settings, schedules, and roles. This session focuses on the full employment lifecycle: from crafting a job posting and conducting interviews, to onboarding, training, and holding students accountable over time. Attendees will leave with resources and a clearer framework for designing or refining their own student worker management strategies. The session is designed for supervisors at any experience level who manage or are preparing to manage student workers in any setting: in-person, remote, or hybrid.

  • A Collective Effort: UChicago Student Wellbeing Trends and Your Role in Building a Community of Care | Cloister Club (1st Floor), Ida Noyes Hall
    Presenters: Elizabeth Webb, Director of Health Promotion, Student Wellness and Karina Wilson, Program Manager of Assessment and Evaluation, Student Wellness

    • The Health Promotion team at UChicago Student Wellness recently revised its scope of service to deepen our focus on assessment, data evaluation, and visualization. This session is designed to share current, multi-source data trends across key dimensions of student wellbeing—including mental health, alcohol and other drug use, campus safety, sleep, physical activity, nutrition, and service utilization. Rather than positioning clinical care as the sole destination for student concerns, this program aims to equip campus partners across all non-clinical departments with actionable data. By understanding these trends, units across the institution can strategically evaluate their own practices, identify their role in the campus ecosystem, increase help-seeking behaviors, and collaboratively build and maintain a sustainable community of care.

  • Housing Insecurity and the Role of the HOUSE Liaisons | Max Palevsky Cinema (1st Floor), Ida Noyes Hall
    Presenters: Cindy Agustín, Director of Student Support Services, Center for Identity + Inclusion and Tania Sainvilier, Assistant Dean of Students in the University and Assistant Director of Student Case Management, UChicago HELP

    • In accordance with the Illinois Higher Education Housing and Opportunities Act, the University of Chicago is committed to supporting students that may be at-risk of housing insecurity. Staff from Student Support Services and Student Case Management, in collaboration, have been designated as HOUSE Liaisons to support students by connecting them to on and off campus resources and removing barriers to encourage persistence and completion. This session will provide a brief overview of the law, the role of the HOUSE liaisons, and how campus partners can help identify and support students at-risk of housing insecurity.

• 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM: Closing Remarks | Max Palevsky Cinema (1st Floor), Ida Noyes Hall

Conference Planning Team

• Cambron Bice, Coordinator, Student Involvement, The Center for Leadership and Involvement
• Belinda Cortez Vazquez, Associate Dean of Students in the University for Student Affairs and Director, UChicago HELP
• Jonathan Gonzalez, Assitant Registrar for Graduation, Office of the University Registrar
• Akari Rokumoto, Assistant Director of Business Operations, Center for Leadership and Involvement
• Francesca Schroeder, Curriculum Management Coordinator, Office of the University Registrar
• Morgan Severid, Access Coordinator, Student Disability Services
• Elijah Vasquez, Assistant Director, Student Leadership Development, Center for Leadership and Involvement