RIHETC Spring 2024 Workshops

Detailed Schedule Listing

As a participating member institution, RIHETC Workshops are available to all RIC employees.​ Please note that approval must be received from your department supervisor prior to registering.

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Improving LGBTQ+ Inclusivity on Campus 

• Presenter: Sabra Katz-Wise
• Time: 10 am–12 pm
• Location: Online only

Creating an inclusive environment on campus for students, staff, faculty, and administrators benefits everyone. All campuses have LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and additional identities) people, but they may not be visible or feel welcome. LGBTQ+ people often experience identity-based microaggressions that negatively affect their mental health and productivity at school or work. Many of us want to be inclusive, but do not feel like we have the knowledge or tools to do so. This training will provide education on LGBTQ+ identities and experiences, explain why inclusivity matters, and identify steps that you can take to ensure that your campus is inclusive for everyone who learns and works at your school.

Proposed Session Objectives

• Describe the impact of impact of microaggressions on LGBTQ+ people’s mental health 
  and productivity.
• Identify why pronouns matter, tips for pronoun use, and how to recover from mistakes.
• Summarize action steps for creating an inclusive campus for LGBTQ+ people.

Dr. Katz-Wise is an Associate Professor at Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. Her research investigates LGBTQ+ identity development and fluidity, LGBTQ+ health inequities, and psychosocial functioning in families with transgender youth. Dr. Katz-Wise also advocates to improve workplace climate and patient care for LGBTQ+ individuals.

Improving LGBTQ+ Workshop Details 

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Thursday March 7, 2024

Mastering Connections: The Art of Effective Relationships for Impact 

• Presenter: Ilhiana Rojas Saldana
• Time: 9 am–12 pm  
• Location: Providence College, Slater Center Executive Dining Room, 1 Cunningham Plaza, Providence

In this interactive workshop, participants will learn key tactics to build impactful connections and foster thriving relationships within and beyond their area of influence. They will refine the art of crafting strategic relationships, learn trust-building strategies, and expand their network to transcend their impact. The workshop will leverage the DISC assessment tool, which provides a framework for understanding different communication styles and preferences. 

Key Takeaways

• Establish Effective Relationships: Uncover the different communication styles and preferences and learn how to adapt to various styles for effective interactions.
• Develop Strategic Relationships: Learn to cultivate alliances that establish trust, credibility, and long-term mutual benefits.  
• Expand Networks with Impact: Learn how to create a web of relationships that not only enrich your professional journey but also add substantial value to your organization.

Ilhiana 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. She specializes in leadership development, diversity & inclusion practices, enabling high-performing teamwork, strengthening personal skills, and personal brand development. All essential to maximize workplace performance, engagement, and collaboration.

Mastering Connections Workshop Details

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Thursday March 28, 2024

Tapping Mindfulness, Positive Psychology & Neuroscience to Address Stress & Burnout

• Presenter: Sabrina Woods
• Time: 9 am–12 pm 
• Location: Rhode Island College, Gaige Hall Room 200, 600 Mount Pleasant Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island 

Can stress harm your productivity and effectiveness at work, as well as your overall sense of contentment in life? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. When we feel stressed, our nervous systems goes into that fight or flight state. In this state, our brains are foggy, and we see fewer options. This means our problem solving abilities are compromised, not to mention our ability to focus. 

On the flip side, shifting a little focus to your wellbeing can put you in a more calm, clear-headed, optimal place. This mind-set shift (and activation of the parasympathetic nervous system) can help you not only to be more effective during your everyday work, but also help you to be more focused, creative, and even a better teammate. Join us for a hands-on, experiential session to explore this topic and engage in some positive psychology and mindfulness-based practices to bring you back to your "best self". We'll even throw in a bit of neuroscience to keep things interesting! 

You’ll Learn These Techniques 

• Lower your stress - with tips that fit into an already busy schedule.
• Approach big decisions feeling more calm and confident with a concrete tool you can use. 
• Use visualization to enhance success during presentations or important meetings.

The aim of this session is to give you fresh ideas to help you understand your stress and build resilience to reduce its impact on your life. You’ll leave with action oriented ideas you can put into place right away. 

Please Note: There will be solo work, journaling, a short guided breathwork exercise and small group discussions used during this highly interactive session. 

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.   

Tapping Mindfulness Workshop Details

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Thursday April 4, 2024

Being Me, Being We 

• Presenter: Grace Stevens
• Time:  9 am–12 pm 
• Location: Rhode Island College, Gaige Hall Room 200, 600 Mount Pleasant Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island

This workshop invites you on a journey where you will participate in the experience of sharing your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and experiences of how you give and what you get in your relationships.

Do These Traits Describe You?

• Do you barter?
• Do you keep score?
• Do you listen?
• Do you control?
• Do you allow people to be themselves and find their own way?
• Do you accept them for who they are, without trying to change them to meet your “pretty picture” of what you want?
• Do you appreciate others?
• Are you free to follow your heart?

Let’s share what works for you and what doesn’t while we can discuss some deep ideas that may lead to positive changes to you and all those you are in relationship with. Many of us think we may be experts in all our relationships, but it is worthwhile to sit back and share the good and the bad experiences we may have had, if we have a willingness to learn from our collective experience and hopefully wisdom. If you are open and willing, you just might find some tools that you may have lost that will improve all of your relationships.

Grace Stevens, now into the eight decade of her life journey, has taken on different careers, as an engineer, mental health counselor, speaker and author, and multiple relationships as she continues to learn about herself and encourage all people to find and prevail in their own authentic lives.

Being Me, Being We Workshop Details 

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Thursday April 18, 2024  

Navigating Workplace Conflict

• Presenter: Tricia Driscoll
• Time: 9 am–12 pm
• Location: Bryant University, Academic Hall Room MRC3, 1150 Douglas Pike, Smithfield, Rhode Island

Overall Goal: Participants will build on knowledge around individual conflict style, conflict theory and positive communication to practice strategies of effective conflict resolution in the workplace.

Learning Objectives

• Assess and understand individual default conflict management style and the impact on communication.  
• Learn basic conflict theory including positions versus needs and interests.  
• Gain understanding about the benefits of effective communication and moving through conflict to build positive relationships and create change.  
• Assess and understand levels and nuances of workplace conflict.  
• Assess and understand the role of a neutral mediator and when a third-party intervention is appropriate.  
• Learn steps for engaging in challenging conversations: between team members, with an internal third party, with a neutral external third party.  
• Practice identifying the business problem.

Tricia Driscoll B.A., M.A.T. In her 25+ years of non-profit experience, Tricia has worked to help individuals and group develop positive communication and leadership skills. She has a B.A. in Sociology-based Human Relations from Connecticut College and a M.A.T. from RI College. She is a trained mediator, also certified in Workplace Mediation. Tricia facilitates basic mediation training, peer mediation, leadership development, conflict resolution and communication training. 

Navigating Workplace Conflict Workshop Details 

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Thursday May 2, 2024  

Get Your Space and Time IN ORDER™

• Presenter: Lisa S. Griffith
• Time: 9 am–11:30 am
• Location: Bryant University, Academic Hall Room MRC3, 1150 Douglas Pike, Smithfield, Rhode Island 

If you are struggling with disorganization in your home, your work place, or your schedule, you need a system to help you get it all under control. It can be so frustrating to feel that you’re wasting time, money, and energy due to being disorganized, but not knowing how to make it better makes it even more overwhelming. You’ve read all the books, surfed all the sites, and watched all the organizing shows, but you still don’t know how to get going. 

The IN ORDER™ system is designed to help you get started and walk you through the process of organizing both your spaces and your time in a simple, straightforward way so that you can accomplish your organizing goals. With a plan in hand, you will know where to begin, how to move forward, and how to finally get it done. Stop spinning your wheels in the mire of disorganization. Discover the confidence that comes with knowing that you can find what you need when you need it. Find more room in your space, and more space in your day, so that you can focus on work, family, leisure – whatever it is that brings you joy! 

Lisa S. Griffith is a Productivity Coach, Certified Professional Organizer®, speaker and trainer who draws upon her thirty-year career as a teacher, director, and administrator of performing arts in schools, churches, and community organizations. Since 2008, she has worked with individuals and organizations to improve personal and professional productivity through her business, Griffith Productivity Solutions. She utilizes her extensive skills to coach and teach those who want to understand how to best organize their workspaces, inboxes, calendars, and to-do lists. Her mission is to generate positive change in people’s personal and professional lives by helping them create sustainable structures and systems that encourage and stimulate growth through outer order and inner calm. 

IN ORDER™ Workshop Details

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