Concurrent Sessions IV | April 14 | 4:00 PM - 4:50 PM ET
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CS 4A | Empowering Compliance and Improvement: Subrecipient Monitoring Best Practices
Description
As the volume and complexity of research activity expands across higher education institutions, so does the level of sponsored funding and regulation. This session highlights one of those compliance requirements- subrecipient monitoring. Explore requirements and growth opportunities through a walkthrough of recent improvements implemented at the University of South Carolina, and learn about commonly encountered issues from an audit perspective.
Learning Objectives
- Familiarize yourself with subrecipient monitoring requirements.
- Identify potential process improvement opportunities for your institution.
- Identify common compliance issues and missteps to avoid.
Speakers
 Lindsey Cox, Director of Compliance and Tax, University of South Carolina
Lindsey Cox serves as the Director of Compliance and Tax for the University of South Carolina. Prior to joining the Controller's Office in this role in March 2023, she spent 10 years in audit “ first with the South Carolina Auditor's Office and then with USC's Audit & Advisory Services division. She earned both her Bachelor of Science and MAcc degrees from the USC System. She is a lifelong learner who enjoys collaborating with others to achieve shared understanding and efficiencies. In her free time, Lindsey loves reading, running, and spoiling her nephew, niece, and fur baby!
Chrissy Bowman, Principal, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP
Chrissy Bowman has over 20 years providing services to institutions of Higher education, primarily focused on GASB institutions and their related Foundations and nonprofit institutions. She performs compliance audits in accordance with UG, primarily specializing in Student Financial Aid and Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding.
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CS 4B: Managing Athletics Through a Shifting Environment
Description
The evolving college athletics landscape presents unique challenges and potential opportunities for some universities. With increasing competition in the era of conference realignment and the NIL universities are looking for unique ways to navigate the ever changing athletics landscape. Universities increasingly view sports as a critical component of their branding, revenue generation, and alumni engagement. The cost of maintaining competitive sports programs, including recruiting, facilities, and salaries, can be overwhelming. With athletics spending increasing significantly in the last few decades, colleges compete to garner both athletes and fans. This session will bring together key leaders from universities across the south to discuss how they are managing through the shifting athletics environment. These strategies include athletics capital investment, coaching staff investments, and conference realignments. Additionally, you will hear the perspective of Moody's Ratings as it assesses this challenging impact, including how the current dynamics are impacting credit quality colleges and universities across the nation.
Learning Objectives
- Gain insight into various strategies institutions are taking to ensure future success and longer-term financial sustainability in the shifting athletics environment.
- Gather a deeper understanding of distinctive characteristics impacting college athletics.
- Learn about how Moody's is assessing the current landscape and key considerations they look for with institutions in today's environment in assessing credit quality.
Speakers
 Meredith Moore, Vice President, Senior Credit Analyst, Moody's Ratings
Meredith is a Vice President/Senior Analyst in the Moody's Global Higher Education and Nonprofit ratings group. She serves as lead analyst for a diverse group of higher education and nonprofit credits across the US, ranging from large public university systems with academic medical centers to small private colleges. Meredith specializes in Academic Medical Colleges and distressed credit. Meredith is based out of Moody's New York Office.Her credit experience extends to time spent as a Healthcare analyst at Moody's, a Strategic Management and Financial Consultant at Kaufman Hall as well as a Vice President of Investment Research at Realty Income. Meredith received a B.A. in Economics from the University of Kansas.
Dan Layzell, Vice President of Finance, Operations and Treasurer, University of Alabama
Layzell brings more than two decades of experience in administration, strategic planning and financial oversight in higher education. In his current role, Layzell leads UA's Division of Finance and Operations, which includes more than 1,300 team members across nine departments, including all aspects of finance, business analytics and process improvement, compliance and risk services, campus development, enterprise operations, facilities and grounds, human resources, public safety, and shared administrative services. Prior to joining UA, Layzell was at Appalachian State University where he was appointed vice chancellor of finance and operations in 2022. Before that, he served in executive financial leadership roles at Louisiana State University, Illinois State University and Cornell College.
 Jeremy DiGorio, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Stetson University
Jeremy is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of dedicated service in Higher Education, boasting a wealth of expertise spanning various domains such as business, finance, and student affairs. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and Secondary Education from Clemson University, followed by a master's degree in Higher Education Administration at the University of Connecticut.Throughout his career, Jeremy has made significant contributions to Rollins College, the University of Connecticut, and currently, Stetson University. With a commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion in leadership roles, Jeremy has been a prominent advocate within NACUBO (National Association of College and University Business Officers), serving on the Advisory Group for Leadership Diversity. His efforts have been focused on creating accessible pathways for underrepresented individuals to ascend to the respected position of Chief Business Officer. Currently, Jeremy holds the position of 3rd Vice President for SACUBO (Southern Association of College and University Business Officers), where he actively contributes to the organization's mission of professional development and excellence in higher education administration. His involvement in SACUBO's Professional Development committee underscores his dedication to nurturing the growth and advancement of professionals within the field.
This aligns seamlessly with his overarching goal of empowering individuals to uncover their distinct talents and guiding them towards effectively leveraging these abilities for positive impact. In his previous role as Business Partner Relations Coordinator, Jeremy demonstrated remarkable skill in securing increased financial sponsorship for the southern region, thereby enhancing the resources available for educational initiatives and institutional growth. Jeremy's commitment to excellence, coupled with his passion for advancing diversity and professional development within Higher Education, continues to make him a valued leader in the field.Jeremy's dedication to excellence extends beyond his professional roles, as evidenced by his recognition as one of Winter Park Magazine's "People to Watch" in December 2021. He actively serves as an Ambassador for the city of Winter Park, welcoming new businesses and organizations to the community, and remains engaged in the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce. Moreover, Jeremy's commitment to LGBTQ+ advocacy is commendable, as demonstrated by his election to the Clemson LGBTQ+ Alumni Council Board in May 2020. He has worked with LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and staff at multiple institutions, serving as Co-Chair of PRISM, a faculty and staff advisory group at Rollins, and providing guidance as an advisor to Spectrum, an LGBTQ+ student organization at Rollins.
Aimee Martinez, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration, Florida International University
Bio coming soon.
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CS 4C: Beyond Job Descriptions: Building a Values-Centric Career Framework
Description
In today's dynamic environment, fostering a culture rooted in shared values is essential for team cohesion and organizational success, and this presentation aims to inspire other finance teams to prioritize culture as a key driver of both individual and divisional success. The University of Florida's CFO Division embarked on a strategic initiative to develop a co-created mission, vision, and core values, with a specific focus on how these elements cultivate a values-driven culture. We will discuss the practical implementation of our core values, how we obtained, shared and acted on employee buy-in, and programs we created to reward our colleagues for embodying them. We will illustrate how our core values serve as the foundation for core finance competencies, applicable to every role within the division, with positions ranging from administrative support and equipment pick-up to student accounts and financial reporting. The finance core competencies were the building blocks for role-specific competencies, with associated proficiency levels, providing clear expectations, transparency and fostering a culture of accountability. Finally, we will discuss resources we created as a result of this initiative, including an Individual Career Navigator and a Role Success Profile for every position within our division. By embedding our core values into the fabric of the CFO Division, we are not just providing our employee's a clear pathway to success, but are creating a cohesive, motivated team focused on the future.
Learning Objectives
- Outline strategies for co-creating a values-driven culture within their teams.
- Discover specific steps to incorporate core values into career development processes.
- Define role-specific competencies to create clear career pathways.
Speakers
 Emily Moran, Director, Finance Strategy & Analytics, University of Florida
As the Director of Finance Strategy & Analytics in the University of Florida CFO Office, Emily is responsible for leading a team designed to achieve strategic goals of the finance enterprise. Emily's role includes business intelligence, data analytics, financial risk management, advisory services and implementation of efficient processes. She also coordinates professional development opportunities for the division and collaborates with campus partners to better serve the university community. Emily is passionate about designing engaging training and creative resources to make accounting efficient and unintimidating for non-accountants. Emily holds a master's in accounting from Florida Atlantic University. Outside of work, she is committed to spending time with her husband and their three children, preferably in a bookstore or outside.
 Rachel Victoria, Executive Assistant III, University of Florida
Rachel serves as the Executive Assistant for the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the University of Florida, where she focuses on the executive-level advising and campus collaboration, partnering closely with stakeholders to foster an engaging environment where employees can collectively shape their future. Rachel is passionate about projects surrounding talent management, culture, and community building. She thrives on identifying solutions and growth opportunities for employees, leading high-impact initiatives to create an extraordinary future for the University. When not in the office, Rachel enjoys spending her time with family and friends, traveling, or horseback riding.
 Sean Lonergan, Project Manager III, University of Florida
Sean Lonergan currently serves as the head of Special Projects for the CFO's office at the University of Florida where he leads key strategic financial initiatives. Prior to joining the Gators, he spent several years in consulting, managing a wide array of projects for a variety of clients in the technology, sports, healthcare, insurance, and other industries. He also served as the first project manager for a boutique data science consulting firm, helping drive them to a successful acquisition in 2021. Sean graduated from the University of Michigan and was a 4-year member of the varsity basketball program. Outside of the office, Sean is an avid sports fan, enjoys playing golf, and spending time with his friends and family.
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CS 4D: Value-Added Student Services: Understanding the Connection between Mental Health Resources and Retention
Description
This session will provide a comprehensive overview of the relationship between mental health support services and student success, focusing specifically on the ROI for adding or augmenting mental health efforts on campus. Special emphasis will be placed on the academic literature and case studies around this topic. Audience participation will be solicited to discuss key concerns around making additional investments in student support services, how to strategically incorporate faculty into the process, and case studies of institutions who have successfully navigated the mental health crisis in their students. Audience members serving students who are historically at a higher risk for non-retention will benefit directly from this session.
Learning Objectives
- Describe the relationship between mental health services and student retention.
- Articulate the potential financial benefits of investing in mental health support services.
- Identify best practices for deploying cost-effective mental health resources.
Speakers
 Chris Smith, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, UNC Charlotte
Chris Smith serves as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, focused on the Health and Wellbeing unit at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He is responsible for curating the wellbeing elements of the student experience through five departments: Center for Integrated Care (clinical case management), Center for Wellness Promotion, Counseling & Psychological Services, Student Health and University Recreation. Smith was previously the Senior Director of Wellness at Kenyon College where he was responsible for the campus clinical/medical services, health promotion/ wellness initiatives, and the counseling center. There, he co-led the Kenyon College COVID steering committee and directly advised the college president and senior leadership team on COVID response and policy. Prior to working in college health, Smith worked for the United States Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and National Cancer Institute. Additionally Smith has served in various external capacities including but not limited to: the president of the Ohio College Health Association, the Knox Community Hospital Board of Directors, the Knox-Licking County Mental Health & Recovery Board and 2015 Ebola response in West Africa (Liberia). Smith holds a Master of Public Health degree from Saint Louis University “ School of Public Health with a concentration in Behavioral Science / Health Education and a Bachelor of Science in Clinical Laboratory Science / Medical Technology from Tuskegee University.
 Brian Schroeder, CEO and Founder, Preventia
Brian Schroeder is the founder/ CEO of Preventia, a health tech platform that focuses on management of habit, behavior and mental health. Preventia was born after he spent 20+ years in big healthcare watching patients struggle to manage their chronic health conditions. Brian is a Past President of the National Wellness Institute (BOD)“ and serves on the advisory board for Jump IN for Healthy Kids. Brian received his Master's degree (Public Health) from Indiana University and is a lean six sigma black belt with expertise in building business strategies around preventive care, population health, mental & behavioral health. He is an active leader and member of the tech start-up and entrepreneurial ecosystem in Indianapolis. In 2023, Brian and his team were awarded the TechPoint Mira Award for excellence in technology. His wife (Amy) and daughter (Isabelle) are his true North and "the why" behind founding Preventia in 2017.
 Rachel Pauletti, Director, Higher Education Consulting, Forvis Mazars
Rachel Pauletti is a Director at Forvis and leads the firm's higher education consulting practice. An academic by training, Rachel was a full time faculty member at a small, private nonprofit university before moving into consulting. As a faculty member, she served as chair of the curriculum committee and director of several university-wide academic programs. As a consultant, Rachel has led institutions in all sectors through strategic planning, comprehensive program review, organizational development, and financial planning.
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CS 4E (ACUPA): Policy Strategy and Annual Report
Description
Regardless of whether you're flying solo or have a whole team in your policy shop, we can each benefit from creating a Policy Strategy and Annual Report. This tool can be a valuable asset in determining your institution's policy priorities, setting objectives and outlining the strategic approaches you intend to take to achieve those objectives. It can help you get buy in from senior leadership and ensures that your biggest stakeholders are all on the same page with the policy goals they are hoping to achieve. This strategy should be tied to your annual or periodic review of policies. Finally, I like to include a component in my strategy for annual reporting, which provides an opportunity to reflect on the work achieved the previous year, what goals were attained, what challenges presented themselves that may have impacted your success. In this session I will share why you could benefit from creating a Policy Strategy and Annual Report document, what to include, how to source the information you need to populate the report, and share some examples from my own Policy Strategy documents.
Learning Objectives
- Understand why a Policy Strategy and Annual Report is a useful took for a policy office to develop
- Identify key information that can be used to populate the strategy and report
- Understand how this tool can be used to engage senior leadership and stakeholder buy in
Speakers
 Alison Whiting, Policy Advisor, Mount Royal University
Alison Whiting is the Policy Advisor at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta Canada. In her role, Alison oversees the institution’s policy framework, and provides advice and expertise to leadership in relation to policy development, approval processes and ongoing policy management. She enjoys how the role requires a cross-institutional lens on different topics and challenges. Alison has over a decade of experience working in policy, having started her career writing policies and procedures for a large Canadian/US retailer. In 2017, she graduated from Toronto Metropolitan University with an MSc in Management, where her thesis focused on subjective quality control metrics for live-broadcast closed captioning. While pursuing her masters, Alison began working for the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities, working on files that pertained to the provincial tuition fee framework, credit transfers, enrolment projections, and special purpose grants. In 2021, Alison joined Mount Royal University as their Policy Advisor. Alison also holds a BSc (Honours) from Queen’s University.
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