April 30 & May 1
9:00 – 4:00 p.m.
The Behavioral Intervention Team Standard & Best Practices Certification track* and MSU Legal Issues Conference will both take place in the Colvard Student Union.
NABITA Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) Standards & Best Practices Certification
Linda Abbott, L.M.H.C., Consultant
TNG Strategic Risk Management Solutions
BIT Standards and Best Practices is a two-day course that delivers an interactive and in-depth look at NABITA’s Standards for Behavioral Intervention Teams as they apply to team operating procedures and protocols. Whether you are establishing a new team, are a member of a seasoned team with a few years of experience under your belt, or new to behavioral intervention practice, this course provides the necessary foundation to ensure your team is operating in line with best practices.
Day one will explore the structural elements of a BIT including team mission and scope, team membership and leadership, information sharing, community education/marketing, and budget. Additionally, participants will be introduced to the process elements of a BIT, including meeting operations, referral receipt and review, and an overview of the NABITA Risk Rubric.
Day two will build upon the groundwork laid in day one, with a continued focus on the practical application of the NABITA Risk Rubric through engaging case studies. Then, the training will delve into psychological, threat, and violence risk assessments, BIT interventions, case management and case review, recordkeeping, and quality assurance and assessment.
May 1
8:45 – 10:15 a.m.
Mississippi State University 2024 Legal Issues Conference
The Wild, Ever-Changing World of Higher Education and Today’s Students
Dr. Kevin Kruger, President
NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education
Dr. Regina Young Hyatt, Vice President for Student Affairs
Mississippi State University
Kevin Kruger, president of NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, will lead a fast-paced keynote focusing on the forces of change affecting colleges today, including the ways in which we must serve this new, exciting generation of college students. Kevin’s keynote will feature music, personal stories, and his unique vantage point as the head of the largest student affairs association in the world. This session will be moderated by Dr. Regina Young Hyatt.
10:30 – Noon
Aligning Artificial Intelligence with the Ethos of Higher Education
Dr. Jonathan Barlow, Associate Director and Assistant Teaching Professor, Data Science Program
Mississippi State University
Universities already feel the positive impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in the areas of administration, research, and academics. As institutions consider AI’s potential for increasing organizational productivity, personalizing instruction, and hastening the pace of discovery they encounter difficult but answerable questions related to privacy and confidentiality, data ownership, and academic integrity. Gaining an understanding of recent advances in AI will help to clarify a responsible and ethical path forward that helps institutions realize the benefits of this epochal shift in human technological life.
1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Concurrent I
Making it Clear - Title IX /Sexual Misconduct Policies and Investigations
Honey Ussery, J.D., Assistant Director of EORC/Title IX Coordinator
The University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi Assistant Director / Title IX Coordinator Honey Ussery will discuss why clear expectations are essential when it comes to writing and carrying out a University’s Title IX and sexual misconduct policies. This discussion will include how to ensure your program’s policies provide the appropriate framework for investigations and how to make sure these policies are true to your institution’s values while adhering to current and anticipated Title IX regulations. This session will focus on how to make each policy clear and easily understandable for students, employees, and everyone involved in the process for all cases involving sexual misconduct.
Balancing Free Expression and Inclusion
Brett Harvey, J.D., Director, Federal Regulatory Compliance
Mississippi State University
Higher ed institutions for years have faced steadily increasing pressure to address bias and inequity. Today, that pressure is matched by countervailing concerns that some efforts to create inclusive spaces may chill free expression or enforce intellectual orthodoxy. How can institutions balance the potentially competing interests of inclusion and free speech fairly? Are they inherently in tension or can they be mutually reinforcing principles? And in particular, what about legislative efforts to limit institutional speech on controversial topics? This presentation sums up relevant law, new developments, and best practices on the intersection of speech and inclusion and proposes strategies for institutions to avoid conflict and find win-win solutions.
Confessions by a College/University President: Navigating Challenges and Shaping the Future
Dr. Jay Allen, President
Itawamba Community College
An interactive and thought-provoking exploration into the inner workings of higher education as a veteran community college president outlines the realities, triumphs, and tribulations of leading an academic institution in today's complex landscape. This presentation delves deep into the heart of the role, offering candid insights and reflections that illuminate the multifaceted nature of leadership in academia.
Ultimately, this presentation offers valuable insights for current and aspiring leaders in higher education. By sharing authentic confessions and lessons learned, we aim to provoke thoughtful dialogue and inspire a new generation of visionary and principled leaders committed to advancing the mission of higher education in an ever-changing world.
2:45 – 3:45 p.m.
Concurrent II
It Depends... A Conversation with General Counsel
Jeremy Clay, J.D., Director of Contract Administration
Lylee Dodson, J.D., Assistant General Counsel
Brandon Jolly, J.D., Deputy General Counsel
Dylan White, J.D., Associate General Counsel
Mississippi State University
Karen Clay, J.D., General Counsel and Legislative Liaison
The W
Is there a question that you've always wanted to ask your campus attorney? Now is your chance to get answers! Join us for an insightful panel discussion with attorneys from the Office of General Counsel at Mississippi State University and Mississippi University for Women.
Higher Education’s Emerging Risk
Colorado Robertson, Director of Risk Management
Mississippi State University
Jay Trimm, Director of Risk Management
The University of Alabama System
In an era where higher education faces unprecedented challenges, understanding and managing emerging risks is crucial for institutional resilience and success. This session delves into the latest risk landscapes identified by the University Risk Management and Insurance Association (URMIA). Participants will gain invaluable perspectives from university risk managers and URMIA members. Also, this session will explore resources to equip you or your institution with the knowledge and tools necessary to evaluate these evolving risks. Join us for an enlightening discussion that promises to enhance your strategies for risk management.
N.I.L. – Let’s Separate Fact from Fiction
Terry Prentice, Deputy Athletics Director & General Manager of Athlete Brand Services and Business Development
Mississippi State University
Since July 2021, collegiate student-athletes have had the opportunity to earn compensation tied to their name, image or likeness. As a former Division 1 student-athlete and administrator, Terry Prentice has spent the past three years using his personal and professional experiences to help student-athletes maximize their earning potential. In an ambiguous world where social media reports and speculation run rampant, it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction. Hear from him as he provides his perspective on where the NIL market is today and where it may be headed.
4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Concurrent III
Independent Decision Makers and Sanctioning
Honey Ussery, J.D., Assistant Director of EORC/Title IX Coordinator
The University of Mississippi
Independent Decision Makers play a critical role under the current Title IX regulations. This session will focus on how to select, train, and prepare your institution’s Independent Decision Makers to be well-equipped when hearing complex cases. University of Mississippi Assistant Director / Title IX Coordinator Honey Ussery will review the different options for Independent Decision Makers and discuss scenarios to make sure your institution offers consistent, yet individualized, sanctions.
Challenges and Decisions on Disability Accommodations in Health Care Education Programs
Chris Dallager, Director, Disability Resource Center and ACCESS
Brett Harvey, J.D., Director, Federal Regulatory Compliance
Mississippi State University
Health science programs face unique challenges in creating accessible programs and developing effective accommodations for students with disabilities. This session is intended for clinical program administrators, disability resource professionals, and legal counsel to provide an overview of how to address complex accommodation requests in classroom, lab, and clinical environments. Common challenges in health science education include the lock-step nature of most programs, determining appropriate accommodations in patient care settings, meeting technical standards, planning proactively to anticipate accommodation needs in clinical environments, and guiding students applying for testing accommodations in licensing exams.
The presenters will cover the basic tenets of practicing in this specialization, including the most relevant OCR decisions and court cases. Participants will hear an overview of disability laws and how they apply to the health sciences, an understanding of the interactive process as it applies to clinical and lab settings, internships, and clerkships, and discussion of accommodation requests that may affect learning outcomes, compromise patient safety, or challenge technical standards.
Immigration and the International Student Experience
Lauren Wright, Deputy Director, International Services
Mississippi State University
As the number of international students in the US increases, so does the responsibility of host institutions in the United States. Although you may not work directly with international students, with more than 1 million international students in the United States in 2022/2023, it is important for university practitioners to understand the basics of this population. These nonimmigrant students partake in a lengthy process before they can even arrive in Starkville, and once they arrive, they must diligently follow federal regulations to maintain their status. The International Services Office, as part of the International Institute, reports students’ compliance to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), which falls under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The international student experience differs significantly from the domestic student experience, including their enrollment requirements, financial concerns, and legal obligations. Whether you have worked with international students before or are brand new to the regulatory requirements, the goal is to give participants a broad overview of the immigration system and help them identify situations that can threaten international students’ nonimmigrant status.
May 2
8:45 – 10:15 a.m.
The Market Has Changed; More Than You Think.
The National Pursuit of Student Recruiting in a Modern World
Patricia Maben, President and Co-Founder
James (Jim) Rogers, CEO and Co-Founder
3 Enrollment Marketing
The role and student recruiting landscape for state flagship universities has massively changed. Gone are the days when flagships primarily focused in-state, or within a local region. Today, Flagships are national institutions, recruiting in every state for all types of students, including high academic achievers, and affluent families with a strong ability to pay for their child’s education. Flagships, more than any other institution also carries the weight of improving the college going rate, making the case for college, and reaching students who don’t realize college is for them. We will walk through how this started in 1979 when a company called ESPN launched, how Google Search changed online student searching, where Taylor Swift fits in, and bring you right up to Nick Saban’s retirement. The market has changed, your competition is now all flagships from every state, winning in this modern world starts with an understanding of this landscape and then building a modern recruiting plan to win in it.
10:30 a.m. – Noon
Clery Campus Notifications: Making Your Policies Work for Your Campus While Remaining Compliant
Chad Clark, Ph.D., Compliance Director
The University of Alabama
Not all campuses are created equal. With different size footprints, access, enrollment sizes, and residential components- it's only natural that our campuses are going to be governed differently in terms of public safety obligations. This discussion will cover our institutional compliance responsibilities, as well as how to build our policies and procedures that work best on your individual campuses. We will cover topics such as who should be involved in the process, necessary documentation, and other points of emphasis to make sure your courses of action are efficient and effective.