Addressing Boundaries & Burnout for Better Balance

Tuesday, October 21, 2025

9:00 am to 12:00 pm

Facilitator: Sabrina Woods

Rhode Island College, Gaige Hall Rm. 200

Register here: https://site.corsizio.com/event/68ac8a7ab65ac76a795e4930

Have you ever found yourself having one of these thoughts?

·        "I like my work and, at the same time, I see that our work has become incredibly challenging due to factors that are often outside of our control.” 

·       "I've noticed that stress has become increasingly prevalent, and within academic settings the pressures can be quite complex to navigate."

·       “I’m dedicated to my job, and to supporting our students. Sometimes, however, I feel pushed or caught between competing needs at work, or between work and personal life.”

If you could relate to any of these statements, we invite you to join us! This interactive session will explore the critical issues of burnout and boundary-setting in academia. We will learn to recognize the signs of burnout, understand its impact on our personal and professional lives, and discover practical strategies to prevent and address it.

Through guided exercises and group discussions, you’ll gain valuable insights into working towards healthier boundaries and an enhanced sense of well-being. We’ll provide a supportive environment aiming for a sense of community and connection. A place where you can share experiences, learn from your peers, and develop an action plan for implementing small changes that can result in a life with more balance.

9:00 – 9:30 Coffee & Connection

9:30 – 12:00 Program

Facilitator: Sabrina Woods is a holistic career coach and international trainer with 20 years in the higher education field within career services at universities including Northeastern, Harvard and the University of London. In her private practice, her joy comes from tapping holistic and mindfulness-based practices while helping people with major career and life transitions. Sabrina also facilitates workshops, staff retreats and train-the-trainer sessions ranging from the Myers Briggs to Mindfulness to Building the Foundations for Career Advancement. Her workshops combine her insights, enthusiasm and infectious energy. Sessions have been taught in the US, UK and Middle East for organizations ranging from MIT and Princeton to Cook County Health and Vanguard.

Program Fee: A fee of $90.00 per participant will be billed to each institution.

Courageous Conversations: Effectively Navigating Challenging Conversations

Thursday, November 20, 2025

9:00 am to 12:00 pm

Facilitator: Ilhiana Rojas Saldana

Bryant University, Fisher Student Center Rm 2AB

Register here: https://site.corsizio.com/event/68b841406b01149ad33ea423

In this interactive workshop, participants will gain valuable insights to engage in courageous conversations that will lead to positive outcomes during challenging situations. Participants will learn practical strategies and techniques to effectively navigate difficult discussions and foster productive dialogues with confidence and skill. The workshop will leverage the DISC assessment tool, which provides a framework for understanding different communication styles and preferences.

Key takeaways:

• Understanding Communication Styles: Uncover the different communciation styles and preferences and learn how to adapt to various styles during challenging conversations.

• Develop Adaptive communication: Learn adaptive communication strategies and increase your confidence to hold courageous conversations with empathy and understanding.

• Effective Resolution: Learn practical techniques to navigate difficult conversations to overcome common challenges and find common ground.

This session requires you to complete a DISC assessment and a survey prior to the session to identify your behavioral & communication style. You will be provided with the assessment and survey links with clear instructions well in advance of the session. The assessment will take less than 8 minutes to complete and only you will have access to the resulting report. Your responses will be kept strictly confidential. You will receive a link to complete the assessment approximately two weeks before the workshop.

Facilitator: Ilhiana Rojas Saldana

Ilhiana Rojas Saldana is a Transformation Strategy Coach & Consultant, a Diversity & Inclusion Catalyst, a Hispanic advocate, and an international motivational speaker. She is a possibility thinker and a firm believer that nothing is impossible. Her mission is to empower professionals to move from ordinary to extraordinary through meaningful transformation by helping them embrace their purpose, elevate their voice, expand their potential, and thrive through personal empowerment. Ilhiana graduated with honors as a Chemical Engineer in Mexico City and moved to Rhode Island 9 years ago with her husband and two daughters.

Program Fee: A fee of $90.00 per participant will be billed to each institution.

Leading Through Strengths for Higher Education Professionals

Thursday, December 4, 2025

9:00 am to 12:00 pm

Facilitator: Anne Grieves

Rhode Island College, Gaige Hall Rm 200

Register here: https://site.corsizio.com/event/68b8427b6b01149ad33f407f

Many higher education professionals find themselves in leadership roles based on subject matter expertise rather than management training. Effective leaders must understand their natural leadership style and how it aligns with their context and followers' needs. This workshop provides newly promoted managers and aspiring leaders with a strengths-based foundation for effective leadership in the unique higher education environment.

Target Audience

• Staff professionals promoted to supervisory positions

• Department and program directors

• Student affairs professionals with team responsibilities

• Anyone seeking to enhance their leadership effectiveness in higher education

Learning Objectives

Participants will develop the ability to:

• Lead authentically using their natural strengths while building complementary skills

• Apply Gallup's 4 Needs of Followers (trust, hope, compassion, stability) as a leadership effectiveness framework

• Navigate the relationships inherent in higher education

• Build and motivate diverse teams within an institutional department

• Create inclusive environments that leverage team member strengths and build trust

This interactive workshop is ideal for professionals at all levels who want to enhance their workplace effectiveness, advance their careers, and create more fulfilling work experiences through the strategic application of their natural strengths.

Facilitator: Anne Grieves

Anne Grieves is an Associate Director in Career Development at Northeastern University as well as a Gallup Certified CliftonStrengths Coach. Anne enjoys guiding individuals, groups, and teams towards identifying and achieving their goals. Collaborating with Anne, her clients learn how to focus on their individual strengths in order to maximize their personal and professional potential. Anne’s unique approach provides people with the tools they need to experience a paradigm shift in how to explore new possibilities and re-imagine their goal-setting. Her two daughters, husband, and dog fill the unscheduled hours in her day

Program Fee: A fee of $90.00 per participant will be billed to each institution.

Building and Leading Resilient Teams Through Change

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

9 am to 12 pm

Facilitator: Lizzie Pollock

Providence College, Slavin Center, Rm 116

Register here: https://site.corsizio.com/event/68ac8d37b65ac76a795f2252

In times of rapid change and uncertainty, resilient teams don’t just survive; they adapt, stay connected, and continue to perform with purpose. This workshop helps leaders at all levels strengthen their ability to build and lead teams that thrive amid disruption.

Participants will explore practical frameworks for team resilience and inclusive leadership, learning how inclusion fosters the trust, adaptability, and shared direction that resilient teams depend on. Through reflection, assessment, and discussion, participants will identify concrete actions to enhance the resilience of their own teams.

Outcomes:
• Understand what makes teams resilient in the face of change and challenge
• Learn the five dimensions of Resilient Teams
• Assess your team’s current level of resilience and identify strengths and growth areas
• Discover how inclusive leadership behaviors directly support team resilience and adaptability
• Develop an action plan to strengthen your team’s capacity to navigate uncertainty together

Facilitator: Lizzie Pollock, Partner, LEAD3R

Lizzie Pollock has nearly 20 years of experience as an organization and talent development leader, helping people and organizations unlock their potential and achieve impact. Prior to LEAD3R, Lizzie spent her career in non-profit organizations and higher education, including leading a culture transformation initiative the Community College of Rhode Island.

Lizzie has been recognized for her strategic, analytical, and human-centered approach to diagnosing organizational challenges and designing practical solutions. She brings knowledge of design thinking; diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging; facilitation techniques; and adult learning to developmental experiences for employees and organizations. Lizzie has a Master’s in Psychology of Leadership, a Certificate in Appreciative Inquiry, and certification in Fundamentals of Facilitation for Racial Justice Work.

Program Fee: A fee of $90.00 per participant will be billed to each institution.