Thursday, June 1, 2017

Building a better University experience: UVAForward 2017 a great success

Over 300 people attended this year’s UVA Forward conference on May 25, enjoying a day of networking and learning how they can be a part of “building a better University experience.”

Led by Tom Kim (HR) and Erika Priddy (UVA Finance), the UVA Forward planning team included Kathleen Aliff (Ufirst), Kirby Armentrout (Darden), Matthew Darring (School of Medicine), and Keith Donnelly (ITS). Over many months, the team developed a robust program "for professionals who wish to lead, learn, and collaborate."

Session attendees learn about Data Strategy at UVAForward
From effective written communication and data strategy and visualization to mindfulness and even the lessons we can find in jazz, this year’s conference had something for everyone.

Priddy said the planning team is just beginning to sift through feedback from attendee surveys, but both the energy from the event and comments emailed to the team afterward indicate a high level of satisfaction with and excitement for the conference and its content.

“The overall energy level I felt at the conference is one of my markers for success,” she said.

“I have also received comments via email that say things like, ‘I wanted you to know how much yesterday meant to me,’ and ‘I feel so reinvigorated and refreshed,’” she added.

The planning team had that sort of inspiration in mind when they planned the conference content, in addition to a strong focus on providing practical skills that could be put to effective use immediately. The focus on practical skills, incidentally, came from feedback from last year’s conference.

As the planning team considered speakers and sessions that might be a fit with the concept of “building a better University experience,” they focused on fostering the sense that every individual has a role to play in making a great experience at UVA.

Thank you to the planning committee for their commitment to providing an energizing event, and thank you to those attendees who are in their offices now, applying new knowledge and acting on their inspiration!

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