7:30am – 9:00am  Registration and Coffee

9:00am –10:15am  Gamification of the Service Desk
Speakers: 
Chris Chagnon, ITSM Application & Web Developer, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Rachel Riley-Schafer, ITS Service Desk Student Supervisor, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Training, motivating, and managing Millennials and Gen Z student workers is a challenge. The specific personality traits of these generations means training methods have to be innovative and interactive, and motivation should be positive, instant, and constant. The concept of Gamifying the Service Desk allows managers to implement a reward-based feedback system, encouraging better process and more efficient and effective students.

10:15am - 10:30am  Break

10:30am - 11:45am  Experiential Learning Through On-Campus Employment
Speakers:
Karin Moyano Camihort, Dean of Online Programs and Academic, Holyoke Community College
Andrea Picard, Coordinator of Experiential Learning, Holyoke Community College

Experiential Learning provides a great opportunity for the development of professional transferable skills. Unfortunately, at community colleges, many students are unable to participate in internships or other common forms of experiential learning because most of them need to work, sometimes more than one job.

Data shows that students who receive federal work-study and are hired for on-campus employment have increased their academic engagement and success.  However, less is known about the positive influence of these experiences for the development of transferrable skills including professionalism, communication, problem solving, teamwork, leadership, and critical thinking.

At HCC, our goal is to provide valuable internship experiences by embedding student learning outcomes in our on-campus work experiences. We will share our strategies for transforming on-campus employment into paid internships where students put into practice the knowledge acquired in the classroom while developing skills relevant to their careers.

11:45am - 12:45pm  Lunch

12:45pm - 2:15pm  Interactive Teambuilding Session

We will take an in-depth look at the value of conducting team building sessions with student workers, and explore different strategies of building a more collaborative team. We will conduct different team building activities colleagues have found to be successful within their teams, and discuss how you can implement these activities with your student staff. We will focus on goals, mission statements, and accountability.

2:15pm - 3:00pm  Summary - Q&A

3:00pm  End