2026 Workshops
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Note: Mental Health First Aid, CPR, and HELD have additional registrations.
All day session – 10:00-4:00
(Begins after all-campus convening; takes place during the same time as the other workshops, making this your sole selection for the day.)
Mental Health First Aid
Presenter: Sean Maloney
Location: Virtual–link and pre-work sent with registration
Note: Additional MHFA Registration Required
Gain the skills to help someone in emotional or mental distress. Highline College’s Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) course prepares you to recognize and respond to signs of mental illness or substance use challenges. This nationally recognized certification, offered through the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, is also listed on SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices (NREPP), affirming its effectiveness in public health training.
Outcomes: Participants will:
- Learn how to support a student, friend, family member, coworker, or community member facing a crisis.
- Recognize and respond to signs of mental illness or substance use challenges.
Morning Sessions 10:00-12:30
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Assessment
Presenter: Assessment Committee
Audience: Mandatory for full-time faculty, recommended for part-time faculty
Location: Mt. Townsend
This is time to finish the assessment work that we started during Opening week. If your department didn’t get to steps 1, or 2 or 3, now is the time to sit with your department to have the discussions. (Opening week session: This assessment session will focus on how we, as an institution, are developing a systematic approach to assessing core competencies and student learning. Departments will use this time to work together, discuss and examine how outcomes are aligned, assessed, and used to drive continuous improvement in teaching, learning, and student success).
If you’ve already uploaded your deliverable to the fall submission tab in canvas, then we ask that you think, discuss, and write down departmental strategies for improving student proficiency in the core competency your department chose, rather than individual strategies which might work only in an individual instructor’s class.
What does proficiency in the core competency mean for your department. What does that look like? And further, looking ahead to Winter, what does closing the loop look like for the core competency?
Managing Classified Staff
Presenter: Melanie Lawson
Audience: By invitation – Mandatory for all supervisors of classified staff that missed the Opening Week 2026 session
Location: Virtual
This is a mandatory session for all leaders who supervise classified staff who were unable to attend the in-person training on September 24 session. It satisfies the topic requirement under WAC 357-34-065 for entry-level supervisory/managerial training for anyone appointed to a permanent supervisory or managerial position. The session walks through required topics, grounded in the actual WPEA collective bargaining agreement.
Leaders who attended the September 24 session have already met this requirement and do not need to attend this training.
HELD: A Safe Zones Reimagined Workshop
Presenters: Justin Dampeer, Amy Rider King, Leona Oliveros, and Kara Stuart
Audience: Open to staff
Location: In person, location TBD
Note: Additional HELD Registration Required
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Honor our own cultural lenses and the experiences of others.
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Explore the background and language of LGBTQIA+ communities.
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Learn restorative approaches for responding to harm.
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Develop tools for creating communities of care and inclusion.
Building Teams Who Thrive
Presenter: Donna Enguerra-Simpson and the Outreach & Recruitment Team
Audience: In person, location TBD
Location: TBD
In this session, participants will explore practices used by the Outreach & Recruitment team to strengthen team alignment through clear expectations, intentional onboarding and training, and goal-setting practices that support employees and managers in thriving in their roles. Participants will be provided with tools and examples that the O&R team uses to create consistency, maintain alignment, and support employee growth.
Outcomes: Participants will have an opportunity to reflect on their own team, department, committee, or workgroup practices and identify strategies they can adapt to strengthen onboarding, communication, clarity, accountability, and professional growth.
- Identify key practices for creating team alignment, including clear expectations, shared goals, communication, and ways of working together.
- Apply practical onboarding and training strategies that provide new employees with clarity, consistency, connection, and support as they grow in their roles and professional development.
- Develop strategies for prioritizing and incorporating team practices such as onboarding, training, goal setting, and documentation into their work while balancing competing priorities and limited time.
American Red Cross – CPR/AED/FA for Adults: Session Full
Presenter: Tim Vagen
Audience: Open to staff
Location: CPR Room B22 R 205
Note: Session Full
Build the skills and confidence to help in an emergency! This interactive, 2.5-hour session gives faculty and staff hands-on practice in adult CPR, using an automated external defibrillator (AED), and responding to choking and common first aid emergencies. Whether you’re learning for the first time or refreshing your skills, you’ll practice responding when help is needed—on campus, at home, or in the community. Participants who successfully complete all course requirements will earn American Red Cross Adult First Aid/CPR/AED certification.
Outcomes: By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Demonstrate adult CPR techniques, including chest compressions and rescue breaths.
- Demonstrate safe use of an automated external defibrillator (AED).
- Recognize and demonstrate appropriate responses to adult choking and common first aid emergencies.
Creating and Checking Accessible Documents
Presenter: Michael Hanscom
Audience: Open to staff
Location: TBD
As staff, we produce and distribute a lot of documents for our students, their families, the community, and everyone who works here at Highline. Bring a document you’d like to improve, or start fresh with a provided sample document. We’ll touch on the basics for people new to accessibility and then move on to some of the trickier aspects of presentations, PDFs, and more. Whether this is all new to you, you could use a refresher, or have questions about more advanced options, we’ll work together to make sure Highline is accessible to everyone!
Outcomes:
- Knowledge of accessibility basics that are part of any document creation workflow
- At least some knowledge of more advanced accessibility techniques and tips
Jumpstart Your AI Literacy: A Hands-On Workshop for Staff
Presenters: Angel Steadman and Katie Straton
Location: TBD
In recent years, AI literacy has emerged as an essential skill for everyone. In this workshop specifically for staff, we will explore Highline’s AI Literacy Framework and learn more about how to navigate GenAI and AI-enhanced tools in our workflows knowledgeably, responsibly, and ethically. In this interactive session, participants will:
- complete the first two modules of SBCTC’s AI Essentials in Education course (roughly aligned with Levels 1 and 2 of Highline’s framework)
- discuss how the course concepts relate to common situations
- share ideas for establishing responsible AI use
Participants will receive SBCTC-issued completion badges for each module successfully completed.
Outcomes: By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Define key concepts of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and large language models
- Recognize how GenAI and AI-enhanced tools show up in our everyday work
- Articulate ethical concerns about AI use, especially in relation to sensitive personal data
Afternoon Sessions
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Concurrent Session 1 (1:45 – 2:45 pm)
We Have Housing on Campus?! All About Campus Housing and How You Can Refer Students to Us As a Resource
Abigail Greiner and Jordan Hamill
Did you know we have Housing on campus for Highline College students? Have you ever considered how you can partner with us in order to support students? In this session, participants will learn about Campus Housing, the research on how it benefits students, and the resources/services we offer so staff and faculty are able to share this information with students. Then, in small groups, staff and faculty will work with a Campus View staff member to brainstorm potential partnerships in order to benefit the students living at Campus View.
Outcomes:
- Participants will be able to verbalize that we have Housing on Highline Campus and know facts that they can share with students.
- Participants will understand the benefits of Campus Housing and how it supports students.
- Participants will be able to create collaborative programs that can be held at Campus Housing to better support students.
Pickleball – Learn, Play, & Connect
Host: Natalie Hughs
Location: Building 28, Gymnasium, Accessible parking available
Join your fellow faculty and staff for an hour of pickleball—a fun paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong! All skill levels are welcome, whether you’re picking up a paddle for the first time (we will provide paddles) or already love the game (you can bring your own!). Learn the basics, practice your skills, or jump into friendly games. Come move, laugh, and connect with colleagues in a relaxed, welcoming environment. Wear comfortable clothes and athletic shoes!
Outcomes: By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Explain basic pickleball rules, scoring, and court safety.
- Demonstrate foundational pickleball skills, including serving, returning, and rallying.
- Apply pickleball skills and rules during friendly games while practicing teamwork and sportsmanship.
From Surveillance to Connection: What Real-World Case Studies Can Teach Students (and Us) About AI in the Classroom
Presenter: Wendy Swyt
Location: TBD
We will explore how students evaluated AI’s rhetorical impact on audiences , why writers choose to use it , and how it alters the context of communication. I will share the key trends learned from student responses to these assignments. Participants will actively brainstorm how to bring authentic documents from their own academic disciplines into the classroom. They will leave with reasons and ideas toward constructing a framework that shifts the focus from surveillance to building relational trust and understanding student motivations with AI use.
Outcomes: By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Identify Student Motivations: Recognize the emotional and situational drivers behind AI use (like insecurity or pressure) to move past a simple “”cheater”” narrative.
- Design Discipline-Specific Activities: Select authentic texts from their own fields to help students analyze where AI tools are useful versus where they damage professional trust.
- Focus on Relational Teaching: Build instructional strategies that emphasize human connection and communication rather than relying entirely on algorithmic detection or morality. “
Learn the Basics of Human Research Review with Highline’s IRB
Presenters: Kelsey Anderson, Kristen Raine, Maggie Yeh
Location: TBD
Are you interested in conducting research here at Highline College? Does your research involve human participants like students, faculty, or staff? If so, this workshop is for you! All human research must be reviewed and approved by an institutional review board (IRB), whose role is to protect the rights and wellbeing of research participants. Here at Highline College, we have our own IRB that oversees this process. This workshop is intended to give an overview of the purpose of IRB review and an introduction to the process for your own potential future research.
In this workshop, there will be presentations on the history and purpose of the IRB and general guidelines to be followed in human research. This will be followed by small group discussion time, where participants will work together on starting the IRB review process using Highline’s IRB form. All presenters are current members of Highline College’s IRB, and will be able to give feedback and support for individual projects during this discussion time. Participants do not need to have a current research project in mind to participate in this workshop.
Outcomes:
- Explain the reasoning behind IRB review when conducting human research
- Describe the IRB approval process at Highline College
- Construct an initial IRB application for a potential human research project that would be conducted at Highline College.
Centering Metacognitive Reflection in our Assessment Ecologies
Presenter: Jamie Wilson
Location: TBD
Drawing on Asao Inoue’s concept of assessment ecologies, this session explores what students’ informal reflective writing can teach us. When students are encouraged to free-write about their experiences as learners, they give us the insights we need to better understand and support them. We’ll look at sample prompts and student responses, and develop practical ways to build reflective writing into our courses.
Outcome:
- Participants will develop strategies for integrating metacognitive reflection into their curriculum and assessment.
Relaxing Breathing Sequence (Qigong)
Host: Hansie Wong
Location: TBD
Qigong is an “energy exercise” that connects the mind and body to promote healing. Learn to use your breath in a simple practice to help circulate your body’s energy and connect with others. You will leave this workshop feeling both energized and relaxed!
Outcomes:
- Participants will be able to use 8 Brocade qigong breathing sequence
ThunderNeedles: Highline Needlework and Crafting (1)
Host: Sheena Pennell
Location: TBD
Support our community through service and creativity! Bring an item of clothing to donate to a local shelter, a current knitting/crochet project, OR a willingness to learn! We will have instructors available to teach both knitting and crochet, with a limited amount of supplies provided.
We are seeking: handmade or store bought winter goods (hats, gloves, etc; new or gently used) and socks/underwear (new, in package).
Outcomes:
- A handwork/craft skill, and community building
Travel and Expense Workshop (1)
Presenter: Heather McBreen
Location: TBD
In this session we will go over both the policies and procedures of travel for state employees as well as the mechanics of navigating ctclink. Participants will gain a better understanding of travel policies and how to create and submit reports in ctclink. This is a topic that is relevant and necessary to the day-to-day operations of the campus
Participants will gain a better understanding of travel policies and how to create and submit reports in ctclink. This is a topic that is relevant and necessary to the day-to-day operations of the campus
Updates from the Topsy-Turvy World of International Education
Presenter: Eva Engelhard
Location: TBD
Decisions by the federal government have made 2025 and 2026 very challenging years for international students currently enrolled in, or seeking to attend, colleges and universities in the United States. Attendees will be briefed on the changes that have already been implemented and additional changes that have been proposed. We will look at ways that you and your department can support Highline College’s international students, both through your daily work and through larger changes.
Outcomes: Attendees will:
- Gain a better understanding of the current regulatory and political landscape surrounding international education in the US;
- Begin to review current practices or policies through the lens of international students’ needs; and
- Learn how Highline’s International Student Programs (ISP) department serves applicants, current students, and alumni.
Searching Between the Lines: Evaluating and Navigating AI in Google
Presenters: Monica Twork, Ian Porter
Location: TBD
Google may be synonymous with “online search” but the increasing ubiquity of AI has transformed online searching. Participants will discuss and explore strategies for critically evaluating and investigating Google searches, results, and tools.
Outcomes:
- Identify strategies for critically evaluating AI-mediated online search results
- Adapt critical evaluation strategies for your classes or work
Concurrent Session 2 (3:00 – 4:00 pm)
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AI in the Classroom: Guiding Student Use and Navigating Reporting
Presenters: Dr. Laura Adele Soracco and Ty Torres
Location: TBD
Now that the quarter is well underway and your syllabus policies are set, how do you effectively manage generative AI in your day-to-day assignments? Join colleagues to explore practical ways to guide student AI use—including clearly communicating when it is prohibited—and learn how to partner with the Office of Community Standards and Conduct (OCSC). Through an interactive case study and group discussion, we will break down a practical scenario and clarify the academic misconduct reporting workflow for AI cases. You will also have dedicated time to troubleshoot early-quarter challenges with peers, refine your assignment-level guidance, and ensure you feel supported in upholding your course standards.
Outcomes:
- Develop clear, assignment-level guidance that effectively manages, directs, or prohibits student use of generative AI in coursework.
- Navigate the reporting workflow for suspected AI-related academic misconduct in partnership with the Office of Community Standards and Conduct (OCSC).
- Analyze practical case studies to troubleshoot early-quarter AI challenges and refine classroom expectations with peer support.
PEBB 2026 Open Enrollment Information and Q&A
Presenters: Koreen Jack & Ana Solano
Location: TBD
The 2026 PEBB open enrollment period runs from October 26th through November 23rd. This session will cover valuable information such as upcoming plan changes, enrollment steps, deadlines, and available resources.
Outcomes:
*Participants will gain helpful knowledge to better utilize PEBB benefits.
*Opportunity for Q&A
Nature Journaling in the Highline Forest: Session Full
Host: MB Ramirez
Location: Meeting place TBD
Take a break from the indoors and join MB for a walk down to the campus pond. In this session, we will take a moment to slow down and notice the changing of the season by meeting our local flora, fungi, and fauna. Bring a notebook and pen, because we will go through a few nature journaling activities on our walk!
Outcomes:
- Learn how to inspire environmental awareness and stewardship through science and art
- Encourage use of the Highline Forest as a space for campus community members
Keep Your Jan Bradys: retaining the “C” Student
Presenter: Nicole Davis
Location: TBD
Participants will engage with material that highlights the needs and barriers of Highline College’s Jan Bradys, the “C” student. Often overlooked, the “C” student is an important demographic when it comes to retention and overall health of a college campus. Through presented materials and table discussions, participants will gain a better understand on how to engage with students in the middle.
Outcomes:
- Participants will understand the unique barriers that impact “C” students and small changes that make the difference in their retention.
- Participants understand their role in retaining “C” students.
Teams Transition Support Session
Presenters: Tim Wrye and Marc Lentini
Location: TBD
We are going to share information, tips, and tricks for faculty and staff to help transition from using Zoom to Teams for meetings.
Outcome:
- Know how to create and share Teams meetings, know how to utilize basic Teams functionality for collaboration.
Kapwa in action: building anti-racist relationships with colleagues and students
Presenter: Gerie Ventura
Location: TBD
In Filipino psychology, kapwa is often translated as “shared self” or “shared identity.” Rather than viewing others as separate from ourselves, kapwa suggests that our humanity is interconnected. When applied to anti-racist work, it challenges people to move away from “us versus them” thinking and toward relationships built on dignity, empathy, respect, and collective well-being.
Outcomes:
- Understand the concept of kapwa and its connection to equity and anti-racist practice.
- Practice communication strategies that affirm the dignity and belonging of colleagues and students.
- Identify ways to move from performative inclusion to genuine connection and solidarity.
From Strategic Priorities to Departmental Action
Presenters: Kelsey Anderson, Emily Coates, Skyler Roth
Location: TBD
When leadership talks about the college’s Strategic Priorities, does it feel disconnected from what your department does? Join the Institutional Research team as we discuss how to connect your day-to-day work with the goals of the institution. We will collaborate to draft departmental metrics that feed into college outcomes and talk about real-world improvements your area might be able to make. This session is focused on staff departments but all are welcome.
Outcomes:
- Learn to connect your department’s work to the institution’s strategic priorities by creating measures that reflect your department’s most important impacts on college-wide metrics.
- Learn how to choose feasible departmental improvement strategies most likely to contribute to institutional change.
- Learn how to make iterative improvements by reexamining your measures and determining whether the strategy has been effective.
ThunderNeedles: Highline Needlework and Crafting (2)
Host: Sheena Pennell
Location: TBD
Support our community through service and creativity! Bring an item of clothing to donate to a local shelter, a current knitting/crochet project, OR a willingness to learn! We will have instructors available to teach both knitting and crochet, with a limited amount of supplies provided.
We are seeking: handmade or store bought winter goods (hats, gloves, etc; new or gently used) and socks/underwear (new, in package).
Outcomes:
- A handwork/craft skill, and community building
Travel and Expense Workshop (2)
Presenter: Heather McBreen
Location: TBD
In this session we will go over both the policies and procedures of travel for state employees as well as the mechanics of navigating ctclink. Participants will gain a better understanding of travel policies and how to create and submit reports in ctclink. This is a topic that is relevant and necessary to the day-to-day operations of the campus
Participants will gain a better understanding of travel policies and how to create and submit reports in ctclink. This is a topic that is relevant and necessary to the day-to-day operations of the campus