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Executive Leadership Experience Schedule

 

Tuesday, September 8

Conference Check-In

Outside of Student Union, Room 362A

For attendees staying at The Graduate, a team member will meet you in the hotel’s lobby at 2:30 pm to walk over to the Student Union.

Cultivating the Volunteer Experience: Building a Strengths-Based Campus Where Every Student Has the Opportunity to Thrive

Understanding the Student Experience Through the UTK Pulse Survey

Student Union, Room 362A

Learn about strengths-based and data-informed practices shaping student success at UT.

Facilitators

  • Dr. Virginia Stormer, Chief Strategy Officer, Division of Student Success, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
  • Dr. Sean C. Basso, Director of Assessment for the Office of Student Success Analytics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Meet & Greet with UT Advising and Student Success Leaders

Student Union, Room 362 B/C

Wednesday, September 9

Light Breakfast

Student Union, Room 272 – Pilot Ballroom

Build your own yogurt parfait and breakfast breads with whipped cream cheese

Welcome & Opening Remarks

Student Union, Room 272 – Pilot Ballroom

Opening remarks

  • Facilitator: Dr. Amber Williams, Senior Vice Provost for Student Success & Chief Honors Officer, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Opening Keynote | Imagine What’s Possible, Create What’s Next: The Future of Advising & Student Success

Student Union, Room 272 – Pilot Ballroom

Discover the strategic framework for the conference by exploring how institutions must evolve to serve the next generation of learners while maintaining student-centered missions.
  • Facilitator
    • Dr. Fai Howard, Associate Dean, Undergraduate Studies, University of South Florida

The UT DSS Story

Student Union, Room 270

Explore UT’s student success journey and learn how collaboration, innovation, and a student-centered approach have shaped institutional strategy.
  • Facilitator: Dr. Amber Williams, Senior Vice Provost for Student Success & Chief Honors Officer, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Campus Tour

Student Union, Room 270

Visit key student success spaces across campus and learn how services, programs, and environments support the student experience.
  • Facilitator: Abby Brandau, Coordinator of Guest Relations & Group Experience, Visitors Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Lunch

Student Union, Room 272 – Pilot Ballroom

  • Build your own taco bar
  • Cheesecake eggrolls with chocolate and caramel sauces
  • Sparkling orange punch & ice water

The Evolving Landscape of Student Success at the Modern Land-Grant Institution

Student Union, Room 272 – Pilot Ballroom

Enjoy lunch and a fireside chat with Dr. Amber Williams and Dr. Bernie Savarese.

  • Moderator: Raini Sizemore, TennACADA President

Leading Toward 2030: Institutional Readiness, Alignment & Action

Student Union, Room 270

Moderated panel and conversation with senior leaders driving significant institutional change. Drawing on those experiences, panelists will reflect on what they have learned about leading change, building alignment, and navigating the complexity of a large university.
  • Moderator
    • Dr. Fai Howard, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies, University of South Florida
  • Panelists
    • Dr. Tracy Brower, Vice President of Workplace Insights, Steelcase
    • Dr. Frank Cuevas, Vice Chancellor Student Life, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
    • Dr. Beth Foster, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
    • Dr. Tyvi Small, Vice Chancellor for Access & Engagement, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Shared Ownership, Stronger Outcomes: Faculty Directors and the Future of Student Success

Student Union, Room 270

Faculty directors will share how their dual academic and DSS roles help bridge institutional silos, align priorities, and create shared ownership of student success. Attendees will learn a scalable model for strengthening collaboration across faculty and student success teams.
  • Moderators
    • Dr. Virginia Stormer, Chief Strategy Officer, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
    • Krystyne Savarese, Associate Vice Provost and Executive Director, Center for Career Development and Academic Exploration, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Closing Keynote | Designed for This Moment – The Future of Advising is Already Here

Student Union, Room 272 – Pilot Ballroom

Higher education is navigating rapid change — evolving student expectations, emerging technology, and mounting pressure to demonstrate impact.

Yet for academic advisors and student success professionals, this moment is not a crisis. It is an invitation to shine brighter than ever before. In this closing keynote, Dr. Melissa Irvin draws on key points from Tyton Partners’ Listening to Learners 2025, and recent milestones in the advising profession to make the case that we are better positioned than ever to transform student lives.

Attendees will leave energized by the big picture, grounded in the evidence, and inspired to step boldly into the next era of advising and student success.

  • Facilitator: Dr. Melissa Irvin, Senior Associate Vice Provost for Student Success, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Networking & Social Engagement

Student Union, Room 272 – Pilot Ballroom