This page will continuously be updated with conference information.

The Administrative Professionals Conference is designed to enhance administrative skills, create a space to gather and network and inspire professional growth at James Madison University and the surrounding area. The program is aimed at administrative assistants, executive assistants, office managers, secretaries, receptionists, and support staff.

Event Date: August 6, 2025
Location: JMU College of Business, 421 Bluestone Dr, Harrisonburg, VA 22801

You will need to set up an Iris Account to register

Register Here

Keynote Speaker

Schedule

8:00 AM Registration Opens/ Light Breakfast

8:45 AM Welcome & Setting the Stage

9:00 AM Keynote: Meg Stienschauer

10:05 AM Workshop Session Block 1

• ADKAR in Action: Your Secret Weapon for Thriving Through Change - Jennifer Campfield
• Coordinating Departments to Support a Common Goal - Matthew Transue
  
• Supporting The Motherscholar: Navigating Motherhood, Higher Education and Beyond - DaNae Peterson
  • Please notice the time on this session lasts until 11:45 AM. You will not be able to select anything from Session Block 2.

11:05 AM Workshop Session Block 2

• Reengineering Madison Remix  - Michael Swartley & Bob Kolvoord
  • JMU ONLY (if you are not a JMU Employee this session is not going to be beneficial to you)
• Chat and Chatter: Listening and Talking like a Leader - Amanda Kellogg

11:55 AM Lunch & Networking

12:30 PM Info Fair

1:00 PM Certificate Ceremony

1:55 PM Workshop Session Block 3

• Tech Talk: M365 File Storage Fundamentals  - Jakki Rodes & John Stevens
  • JMU ONLY (if you are not a JMU Employee this session is not going to be beneficial to you)
• Keynote Breakout Session - Meg Steinschauer
• Thrive on Campus: Tools for Administrative Excellence and Self-Care - Renee Reed
  • Please notice the time on this session lasts until 3:55 PM. You will not be able to select anything from Session Block 4.

2:55 PM Workshop Session Block 4

• Ethical Reasoning: Making complicated decision-making, less complicated - Kacey Damaty& Annika Westenbroek
• How do those prepaid cards work anyway? - Tish Leeth & Hannah Cook

3:55 PM Informational Session: What Title II Means for You (and Me!) - Understanding New Web Accessibility Requirements in the Americans with Disabilities Act - Bethany Nowviskie

4:10 PM Closeout Session, Door Prizes & Thank you

Registration

Registration includes access to full day event, and meals.

JMU Administrative Professionals: $0, Free Admission

Non JMU Administrative Professionals: 

• Registration: $199

Register Here

Accomodations & Travel Information

Hotels

Hotel Madison
Hyatt Place Harrisonburg
Courtyard by Marriott
Fairfield Inn & Suites

Parking

Parking is available in the CHAMPIONS DRIVE DECK (Online Parking Map).  

ADKAR in Action: Your Secret Weapon for Thriving Through Change - Jennifer Campfield

We’ve all heard the expression that change is the only constant, and here at JMU that certainly seems to ring true. Come to this session to learn (or refresh yourself on) the ADKAR model for successfully guiding ourselves and others through change. We will explore the model in a relaxed environment… and share some laughs along the way! We’ll also explore how to take care of ourselves as we navigate the seas of change. Learning objectives: o Understand the five elements of the ADKAR model o Spot some common roadblocks during change and how to overcome them o Identify at least one way to take care of yourself during times of change.

Coordinating Departments to Support a Common Goal - Matthew Transue

Learn how to coordinate departments to work towards a common goal - How to effectively communicate across departments - How to put aside ego’s to meet the objective

Supporting The Motherscholar: Navigating Motherhood, Higher Education and Beyond - DaNae Peterson

A MotherScholar is a mom who also works or studies in a college or university. This can include students, professors, or staff. Being a mother is both joyful and challenging, and for MotherScholars, it means balancing school or work with raising children. Because of this, they often face more stress and challenges than their classmates or coworkers. In some cases, women who work as professors or staff are sometimes expected to act like "mothers" to their students, even if they don’t have children of their own. This is called "othermothering." Still, MotherScholars bring a lot of value to education. Their experience as mothers and scholars helps them make strong, meaningful contributions. They often, however, don’t get the support or resources they need. This can make them feel guilty, lonely, or overwhelmed.  

This session will look at the special experiences of mothers in higher education. It will focus on how they balance motherhood and school or work, and how different parts of their identity affect their journey. Using personal stories and research, participants will work in small groups to explore these topics.

Reengineering Madison Remix  - Michael Swartley & Bob Kolvoord

This workshop will offer the latest information on Reengineering Madison projects. It will include updates on the Oracle Cloud implementation (ERP, Peoplesoft replacement), Identity and Access Management (Okta), and Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) projects. Participants will have the opportunity ask questions and learn about the impacts of Reengineering Madison as well as the timing of key project milestones. Learning Objectives include: Increase awareness of what's occurring currently with Reengineering Madison Understanding of the schedule of the Oracle Cloud implementation Importance of the simplification and standardization principles that will be pillars of the Oracle Cloud implementation Awareness of the Change Management work that is underway to focus on the people aspect of these significant changes.

Chat and Chatter: Listening and Talking like a Leader - Amanda Kellogg

Participants will learn about and practice strategies that help them communicate more effectively. From active listening to combatting the chatter that sometimes stops us from saying what we need to say, we'll practice skills that will strengthen our capacity to be leaders and collaborators in both our personal and professional lives. Learning Objectives: 1. Develop strategies for listening actively. 2. Learn how chatter distracts from effective communication strategies. 3. Create a plan for recognizing and responding to chatter during challenging conversations.

Tech Talk: M365 File Storage Fundamentals - Jakki Rodes, John Stevens 

Are you scratching your head, wondering whether to save a file in OneDrive, SharePoint, or Teams? Curious how to access and share files from those locations once they’re safely in their chosen spot? Find the answers to these questions and more in our Tech Talk: M365 File Storage Fundamentals. 

In this workshop, participants will: Distinguish between the different types of Microsoft cloud storage (OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams), Recognize how to grant and manage access to OneDrive files,Identify how to access, edit, and share files stored in Teams.

Thrive on Campus: Tools for Administrative Excellence and Self-Care - Renee Reed

The administrative professional is the hub of activity in any office, department or unit, juggling their own workload while offering support and a soft shoulder to coworkers, parents, students, supervisors and peers. Often, they take on the role as the office caregiver. This workshop is designed to empower administrative professionals by providing tools and strategies to enhance productivity, balance priorities and improve overall well-being. It aims to help administrative professionals recognize the importance of taking care of themselves while managing the myriad of responsibilities of their role. Participants will learn to create a new mindset towards productivity, balance their priorities, communicate effectively and pamper themselves.

Ethical Reasoning: Making complicated decision-making, less complicated - Kacey Damaty & Annika Westenbroek

This engaging and thought-provoking workshop is designed to deepen your curiosity while strengthening your ethical decision-making skills. Through interactive discussions and real-world scenarios, participants practice using JMU's unique ethical reasoning strategy, the Eight Key Questions (8KQ), to navigate difficult moral situations. Learning Objectives You will be able to: - identify a situation as an ethical or moral dilemma, - use the 8KQ ethical reasoning strategy to identify ethical dimensions of that ethical dilemma, - evaluate different courses of action by weighing and balancing the considerations raised by asking the 8KQ. 

How do those prepaid cards work anyway? - Tish Leeth & Hannah Cook

Introduce available prepaid card programs, review criteria and procedures, Q&A. Potential panel of current users. LO - Increase campus knowledge of prepaid card options (particularly for research incentives) and funding procedures.