Student Leadership Conference

Community as Care, Leadership as Compassion

The annual Student Leadership Conference provides a unique opportunity to connect with fellow student leaders and educators from various institutions, expand your network, and develop practical skills for your future career. Whether you're an experienced student leader or just starting out, this fun and informative event offers valuable insights and learning experiences for everyone!

This year's conference will focus on strategies for building strong, supportive communities both on your campus and beyond. Through this retreat, we aim to inspire you with fresh ideas and practical insights to enhance your leadership skills and foster communities that uplift and support one another.

Guest Registration

For non-Portland State students and staff registering as a group or who will have registration covered by their institution:

• Do not use the registration form. Instead, please email asksalp@pdx.edu to let us know how many attendees you will be bringing.
• We will ask for a confirmation and list of names and any food restrictions or accommodation needs a minimum of one week prior to the conference.
• We will invoice the school after the conference with the attendees who participated.
• Cost is $25/attendee, there are no group discounts or discounts for presenters or partial day participation. This price is the per person cost of food, rooms, and supplies.

Program & Agenda

Break-Out Sessions

Building Community Through Intercultural Tools of Compassionate Empathy and Curiosity
Jill Townley and Yoko Honda, International Student Life

This interactive workshop will explore the power of compassionate empathy and curiosity as key tools in bridging cultural divides and fostering inclusive communities. Will will use practical activities to build empathy for diverse perspectives and dialogue about how to create an organizational culture that values curiosity and understanding through active compassionate engagement.

Integrated Marketing Strategies
Ian Wallace, Student Activities and Leadership Programs

Figuring out how to reach diverse audiences and amplify your message can be a daunting task, but it’s much more manageable if you’re working from a master plan. Join SALP’s Marketing and Outreach Coordinator Ian Wallace for a deep dive into honing your strategy and getting results with chronological marketing plans, common organizational tools, email and social media scheduling, print and digital advertising, and in-person outreach techniques. By the end of our session you’ll know how to create an integrated marketing campaign that leverages all the channels at your disposal for maximum impact!

Building Community Through Play
Erin Bransford, Campus Recreation

Join PSU Campus Rec to discover how integrating play into your student leadership work can be a fun and effective way to build community. We will discuss the history and research surrounding play, movement, and community and provide various opportunities to experience all 3 during the session!

Building Community Through Non-hierarchical Methods of Discussion and Decision Making
Nic Francisco-Kaho’onei, Women’s Resource Center

Are you sick of using Robert's Rules to conduct meetings? Does our group not have any structure at all? Come learn how liberatory values can reshape decision-making in groups and student organizations. This interactive session will introduce consensus decision-making models, values alignment, and strategies for participation and facilitation. We will practice our newly learned skills in a mock meeting! We will probably laugh and hopefully not cry. 

Community College Student Meet-Up

Community College Student Leaders from the region, get to know one another and partner on shared initiatives

Building Compassionate Leadership in Higher Education
Shelly Chabon, Portland State Provost

Come discuss how university administrative leadership works with the PSU Provost. Who is a college leader and how do they become one? What do you think compassionate leadership looks like for a university leader? What are the biggest challenges facing higher education today?

Building Community Through Service
Melia Tichenor and Kate Carroll, Student Community Engagement Center

Bringing your group out to a community-based service project (or leading your own service project on campus) can be an awesome way to bring fellow students together to support an issue and get to know one another. But what is the recipe for ensuring a meaningful service experience? How do you build community and connection amongst students before, during, and after your service experience? Join Melia and Kate with the Student Community Engagement Center to learn more about how to craft a meaningful and connective service experience for your group, as we actually engage in a project ourselves and craft birthday cards to be sent to homebound seniors through our community partner Store to Door.

Resilience
Bella Catalano, Student Health and Counseling 

This workshop will discuss caring for yourself and others during turbulent times and building resilience skills. 

Building Community Through Getting Political: Aligning your identity with your political actions
Madeline Frisk, Student Activities and Leadership Programs

Feeling motivated to engage in politics and better advocate within the current political system? Our session is all about learning more about your political identity to be able to connect this identity to political actions which align with your individual and group values. We hope you join us to learn more!

Building Community Through Dialogue
Ahmed ElMansouri, Cultural Resource Centers 

This workshop explores the power of dialogue as a tool for fostering connection, understanding, and collaboration within communities. Participants will learn practical strategies to engage in meaningful conversations, navigate conflicts, and build bridges across diverse perspectives, creating stronger and more inclusive communities. 

Conference Organizer