Fresno State hosted its inaugural Higher Education and Student Affairs in the Central Valley conference at the Resnick Student Union on March 24.
With over 230 attendees, the conference aimed to provide networking and professional development opportunities as well as cultivate space and community in which professionals could work together to develop actionable next steps to advance the future of higher education and student affairs in the Central Valley.
“The Central Valley is at the heart of California,” conference co-chairs Dr. Varaxy Yi Borromeo, Dr. Jonathan Pryor and Dr. Susana Hernández said in the program for the event.
“Our higher education and student affairs leaders cultivate knowledge for generations to come. As faculty in the Higher Education Administration and Leadership graduate program, we are committed to preparing and advancing social justice-oriented leaders in higher education and student affairs to serve the diverse communities in the Central Valley.”
The conference opened with welcoming remarks from President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval and a keynote address from Vernon A. Wall, a nationally recognized speaker in social justice and leadership styles and a founder of the Social Justice Training Institute.
During the lunch hour, Dr. Kent Willis, vice president of the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, moderated a panel discussion with the vice presidents of student affairs from other colleges or campuses including Primavera Arvizu from Porterville College, Dr. Christine Erickson from Stanislaus State, Dr. Charles Nies from University of California at Merced, and Dr. Thomas Wallace from CSU Bakersfield. The panel discussed student and staff retention, the effects of the pandemic, professional development and the importance of mentorship.
Throughout the day, attendees were offered 27 educational workshops, 12 of which were hosted by Fresno State staff, faculty and students. These sessions covered an array of topics, including the Hmong student experience, LGBTQ+ allyship, and inclusive, social-justice oriented student engagement.
Additionally, the conference planning committee partnered with the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management to host a dinner reception for attendees on the evening prior to the conference.
Willis said, “I sincerely hope that presenters and participants walked away motivated and inspired to continue the great work of student affairs. In addition, we are incredibly grateful to our partners across the region and beyond for their thoughtful contributions, engaging conversations, and willingness to collaborate as we all partner to improve educational outcomes that will ultimately lift our communities and improve people’s lives near and far.”
“Finally, we are grateful to President Dr. Jiménez-Sandoval for his leadership and support of this conference and to the conference chairs Dr. Varaxy Yi Borromeo, Dr. Jonathan Pryor and Dr. Susana Hernandez for leading the effort to converse leaders across institutions with the common goal of improving the professional development of higher education leaders.”
