The
HECMA Headlines
HECMA Rocks!
Higher Education Case Managers Association Conference 2019
Welcome to Cleveland!
"On behalf of HECMA Leadership Team and the Conference Planning committee, I am excited to welcome you to our 11th Annual Higher Education Case Management Conference, “HECMA Rocks!: Action Today to Build for Tomorrow”. We are pleased that you have joined us in Cleveland this year as we launch a new decade of HECMA programming."
- Laurel Banks, HECMA President
DAY 4
ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING
All HECMA members in attendance at the conference are encouraged to attend the annual business meeting.
During the meeting, the Leadership Team highlights their accomplishments over the past year and the Strategic Goals for the following year. This year, we were excited to announce the 2019 - 2021 Strategic Plan as well as the new HECMA logo.
DAY 1
ATL > CLE | We're Off
The Atlanta airport was hopping on this particular Monday but I was excited to be on my way to my first HECMA conference! I've been the HECMA intern for about a month now, and a lot of my work has revolved around planning for the conference. I am ready to see our hard work come to life!
Once we arrive in Cleveland, we check into the hotel & enjoy some tacos right in the town square (guacamole & salsa too, of course!) Looks like there's plenty to do here but there's also plenty to do to get ready for the conference! Tomorrow is the day-long Leadership Team meeting. We will cover lots of material and hopefully get things ready for the business meeting, which occurs on Friday.
DAY 4
1st Conference Day
Let the conference begin! We start out with an amazing opening keynote from Dr. Alfiee, who reminded us of the importance of our jobs and taking care of ourselves so we can effectively help our students. #NoIsACompleteSentence
Additionally, she presented some data surrounding mental health and students of color and some practices which will help us as professionals in supporting our marginalized populations on campus.
Concurrent sessions followed throughout the day, covering a wide range of hot topics such as CAS Standards for case management, collaborating with faculty, and supporting students who experience housing and/or food insecurity.
The day ends with an opening reception where attendees can network with Case Management Professionals from across the nation and of course, catch up with old friends.
DAY 2
Leadership Team Meeting
Tuesday is the all day Leadership Team meeting, where the old and new elected LT members meet to discuss new and old HECMA business. As the intern, I was tasked to keep the meeting minutes and assist the president in staying on track with the proposed meeting agenda.
We covered many topics including checking-in on and finalizing the strategic plan, overviewing of the new website and branding, and approving the proposed budget. Additionally outgoing leadership team members were able to provide training and helpful hints to the incoming team members. Overall, the leadership team meeting was a success and we ended the day at a local restaurant where leadership team members were able to mingle and catch up with one another. This is always one of the Leadership Team's favorite days together.
DAY 5
2nd Conference Day
Day 2 of the conference! Today the morning is filled with "Roundtable Discussions". Roundtables have been a part of the HECMA conference since the very first one in 2008. In fact, it was not until 2018 that the HECMA annual gathering was changed from the name "Roundtable" to "Conference". Because of this, HECMA leadership has decided to keep this as part of the conference, to allow professionals to engage with others across the nation. This year, roundtables were organized by institutional size and were lead by an appointed representative from each size. Attendees always express their excitement about the roundtables, so it's safe to say they will be a part of the HECMA conference for years to come.
During lunch, the HECMA leadership team hosts the Annual Business Luncheon. Above you can find pictures and information from this years' meeting. We were exciting to highlight many things we have accomplished this year and of course, recognize some of our members for their outstanding work within the field.
DAY 3
Pre-Conference Day
Today is (technically) the first day of the conference! This year we have 4 pre-con sessions and about 75 attendees who chose to attend these sessions. One of these is called "Case Management Foundations" which is an all-day training which overviews the history, function, and practices of Higher Education Case Management across the nation. Other sessions offered this year included Assessment Tools, Case Management Partnerships, and Legal Hot Topics.
For much of the leadership team, we are running around ensuring everything is ready for the other hundreds of attendees to arrive tomorrow! We finished setting up all the signs, ensured all name tags and materials are ready, and finalized any changes which needed to be made to the session locations.
DAY 6
CLE > ATL | That's All Folks!
This morning is the closing session of the 11th Annual HECMA conference. The conference concludes with a message from our President as well as the Vice President for Conferences and Special Events. We excitingly announce next year's conference location: Portland, Oregon.
Attendees are also given the option to engage with a few polls through the Whova app, related to their experience at the conference this year as well as where they would like to see the conference be held in future years. Again, attendees are excited to engage with the leadership team through this new technology.
We wrap up, load up the supplies, and say our goodbyes. I'm sad the conference has come to an end but it was so neat to see our hard work to come to life. I really enjoyed getting to know the leadership team better and of course, meeting new professionals from across the nation. I'm already looking forward to HECMA 2020!