Events

Upcoming Events

Chapter Events

*To view and register for our upcoming events, please visit us on Eventbrite.

East Tennessee Connection - University of Tennessee Knoxville
March 21, 2024

TN CUPA-HR 2024 Spring Conference
May 15-16, 2024

Full Calendar of Events

Visit the CUPA-HR calendar of events to see all the upcoming virtual sessions and workshops offered by CUPA-HR and CUPA-HR chapters across the country, we invite you to Browse the calendar of events.

Previous Chapter Events

West Tennessee Connect
September 26 at the University of Memphis

Compensation Transparency
October 19

Performance Conversations: How to Use Conversations to Coach Employees
Thursday, July 20| 12:00-1:00 p.m. CT

with Lisa Sanford, Director of HR Operations, Anne Arundel Community College

Succession Planning: Best Practices for Planning and Execution
Thursday, August 17 | 12:00-1:00 p.m. CT

with Dr. Dawn Aziz, Director of Organization & Employee Development, Wayne State University

Spring Conference

May 15-16 in Nashville

The Spring Conference brings together Tennessee HR professionals in higher education to exchange best practices and connect with others.

#IamRemarkable

Thursday, April 20 | 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. CT | virtual

#IamRemarkable is a worldwide Google initiative that strives to empower everyone, particularly women and underrepresented groups, to celebrate their achievements in the workplace and beyond.

During the 90-minute workshop, participants learn the importance of self-promotion at work, challenge the social perception around self-promotion, and gain tools to develop this skill.

The workshop strives to empower underrepresented groups to speak openly about their accomplishments in the workplace and beyond, thereby breaking modesty norms and glass ceilings.

Watch a 1-minute video preview here

This #IamRemarkable session is facilitated by Marisa Wheeling Ciesluk, Founder and CEO of MWC Leadership, an experiential leadership coaching and development company empowering, educating, and emboldening women through all phases of their professional journey.

*This session has been approved for 1.5 SHRM or HRCI credits.

East Tennessee Connection

Thursday, March 23 | 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. ET | Tennessee Tech (Cookeville)

Join us for a morning of learning, connection, and conversation.

This session will feature:

• 9:00 - Light breakfast and networking
• 9:30 – Welcome/Icebreaker
• 9:30 – 10:30 Trends in Higher Education Compensation/Total Rewards by Mercer
• 10:30 – 12:00 Conversation and Connections

Location – Bell Hall Auditorium Room, Room 282, Located in the School of Nursing. Parking passes for GOLD zones will be provided to registered attendees within 72 hours prior to the event. A campus map is available at: https://www.tntech.edu/maps/

Presented by Jack Jones, Senior Associate, Workforce & Career Consultant, and Jake McFadden, Associate, Workforce & Career Consultant, at Mercer

Register here

To Call or Not to Call: Tips and Tricks for Working with Legal Counsel
Thursday, February 16 | 12:00-1:00 p.m. CT | virtual

Employment lawyers agree that the single most important step HR can take when working with legal counsel, and the one they too often miss, is simply asking questions soon enough. In this session, Corey Harkey, associate general counsel at Austin Peay State University, shares several tips on how to establish a relationship between HR and Legal Counsel and how human resource professionals can use legal counsel to their advantage.

Intersectionality and your role in social change
Thursday, January 19 | 12:00-1:00 p.m. CT

with Chantelle Spicer, Crowned Vitta LLC

This work will help support wellness in the workplace by helping participants manage identity-based workplace stressors and know how to use their gifts to support organizational change. The broad work/purpose of these services is created through Crowned Vitta’s Ex(SEL) lens – Examining Solidarity, Equity, and Liberation in your own life using the practices of Equitable Mindfulness.

Register here

Chantelle Spicer (she/they) is a poet, an artist, a gardener, a weaver, and dreamer who has been working at the intersections of social justice movements for the last ten years. Due to structures of colonialism and antisemitism, they are disconnected from their Mi’kmaq and Sephardic Jewish heritage and is doing the hard work to reconnect to all the parts of herself that have been hidden. She has a Master’s from Simon Fraser University, has served as a Director on the Board of four not-for-profit organisations, and works in service to Indigenous sovereignty and futures, consent in all forms of solidarity, accountability, and care in and between our social movements. The lands Chantelle works with should be under jurisdiction of xʷməθkʷəyəm, Səl’ílwətaʔ, and Skwxwú7mesh nations.

Middle Tennessee Connection: Conflict Capable Leadership
Thursday, December 8, 8-11 a.m. Central, Belmont University

Join us for a morning of learning, connection, and conversation. This session will feature:

• 8 a.m. light breakfast and networking
• 8:30 a.m. welcome
  • 8 a.m. light breakfast and networking
  • 8:30 a.m. welcome
  • 9 a.m. Conflict Capable Leadership with Anna Nielsen
  • 10:15 a.m. conversation and connection 

Conflict Capable Leadership: Gaining confidence in approaching conflict will change your life. In this session, you'll learn how to shift your mindset about conflict from something to fear to an opportunity for progress, creativity, and innovation.

*This *free* opportunity is open to CUPA-HR members and non-members, thank you to CBIZ, the event sponsor.

Gratitude: Transform Your Day, Your Work and Your Life
Thursday, November 17, 12-1:00 p.m. Central, virtual

As human resource professionals, sometimes our contributions to an organization's success are not always known or appreciated. Intrinsically, we know the value of the work we do, however sometimes we need to be reminded of it. The month of November is about giving thanks and being grateful for what we have, and for what we as HR professionals do on a daily basis.  Join our Third Thursday with Tennessee for this uplifting and interactive discussion on the transformative power of Gratitude.

Register Here

This session will be presented by Rhonda Hight, RCC

Rhonda C. Hight is a human resources training consultant, author, and registered corporate coach who works with organizations to design & deliver experiential training programs; support the human resources function and provide business coaching services for individual leaders and teams. A subject matter expert in the areas of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Sexual Harassment, Leadership Development, and Interpersonal Communication Skills, she has facilitated learning events throughout the United States and Internationally.

A partial list of clients served include: The Coca-Cola Company; Microsoft Corporation; McKesson; Material in Motion, LogistiCare, Spelman College; Georgia State University; New York Times Regional News Group; The City of Atlanta, Fulton County Clerk for Superior and Magistrate Court; and various Federal Government Agencies.

A “self-professed” overachiever and relentless seeker of knowledge, she’s appeared as a guest on local radio and television talk shows; won numerous speech awards; and formerly co-produced and co-hosted Dialogue in Motion, a lifestyles and current events radio talk show. She was named by Steed Media Group as one of “Atlanta’s 25 Most Influential Women.”

November 2018, she released her first book, “Take the Lessons and Leave the Baggage ~ Stories of a Solopreneur; an inspirational and informative read for individuals interested in, or already pursuing entrepreneurship.

An Alumna of United Way’s Volunteer Involvement Program; and Member of the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources – Atlanta Chapter; where she previously held board positions, and co-chaired the Consultant’s Coalition, a mastermind group for independent human resources consultants. Rhonda was recently elected to the board of directors for Caring Works, Inc., a non-profit agency committed to effectively impacting homelessness.

The Post-Pandemic Workforce - TN Higher Education CHRO's Discussion
Thursday, October 20, 1-2:30 p.m. Eastern

July 2022, CUPA-HR published an article titled, “More than half of college and university employees say they are likely to look for other employment in the near future,” based on the results of the Employee Retention Survey. Results of the survey suggests that higher ed in general is facing a crisis in retaining its talent.

The third Thursday of this October, the TN chapter of CUPA-HR would like to invite you to our “The Post-Pandemic Workforce - TN Higher Education CHRO's Discussion” panel from 12p - 130p CST/EST via ZOOM. Join higher ed CHRO’s from all over the state as they share their experiences and best practices in overcoming this crisis. Panelists will discuss such topics as the great resignation, the remote and hybrid workforce, shifting policies and mandates, total rewards, etc.

Panelists

• Mary Lucal, Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Human Resources Officer, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville
• Kathy Musselman, Assistant Vice President of Human Resources, Middle Tennessee State University
• Brian Rowe, Executive Director of Human Resources, Motlow State Community College
• Cleo Rucker, Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Human Resources Officer, Vanderbilt University
• Linda Spears, Associate Vice President of Human Resources, Tennessee State University

Register Here

May 9-27, 2022
May un-conference with the CUPA-HR Kentucky Chapter

Rest as Resistance: The Art of Doing Nothing
March 22, 2022, 12-1 p.m. Central
with Tiara Cash, MS, MCMA

This one-hour session will support you in exploring how rest shows up in your life. The session will include an Equitable Mindfulness* introduction, a journaling practice, and a time to experience rest together as a community through a guided practice.

*Equitable Mindfulness works to present the concept of mindfulness (present moment experience) to everyone while being active in our respective communities – removing personal and systematic barriers that work against inclusivity and transformative change.

*Click here to RSVP for this event.

Facilitator:

Tiara Cash, MS, MCMA is founder and owner of Crowned Vitta LLC - a multi-disciplinary company serving communities through the concepts of mindfulness, meta-awareness, and meaningful self-relationships and relationships with others.  Born and raised in Memphis, TN, she is a former student-athlete who holds a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Wellness from Arizona State University and a Master’s degree from Western Illinois University in Kinesiology with a dual concentration in Sports Psychology and Fitness/Wellness Management.

Tiara is a certified Koru Mindfulness Instructor and Equitable Mindfulness Practitioner with a 20-year personal practice of mindfulness and meditation. As a practitioner for the last six years, she has worked in various settings including higher education, athletics, and the non-profit sector.

Featured on NPR (National Public Radio) as an expert, Tiara is creator of the Equitable Mindfulness Framework, including a model that she utilizes for contentious conversations across social differences. She currently uses these concepts to curate conferences, create presentations and workshops, and conduct trainings on mindfulness and equity through her business.