Dalhousie Professional & Managerial Group (DPMG)

Conference

Coming together to learn

2023 conference

This year’s theme is Moving Forward Together, and will welcome everyone physically back to campus to explore how we move forward in our careers while supporting the environment around us.

Join us on Thursday, June 8th at the Emera IDEA Building on Sexton Campus.

Registration for the 2023 conference is now open!

Concurrent session choices can be indicated by selecting an Add-On. If you plan on joining for lunch and/or the social event select a ticket as well so we can plan for appropriate numbers.

Schedule

Start	End	Event	Location
8:00 am	8:30 am	Registration and Meet & Greet	Lobby
8:30 am	9:00 am	Opening Remarks	Auditorium G109
9:00 am	10:00 am	AGM	Auditorium G109
10:00 am	10:30 am	Morning Break (Booths open)	Lobby
10:30 am	11:30 am	Morning Concurrent Sessions	Auditorium G109
		Indigenous Community Engagement	Auditorium G109
		Working with 2SLGBTQ+ Advisor Olivia Fader	Romero Classroom 1004
11:30 am	12:00 pm	Sustainable Transportation	Auditorium G109
12:00 pm	1:30 pm	Lunch	Learning Commons
		Sustainable meal	Learning Commons
		Booths close at 1:30	Lobby
1:00 pm	1:30 pm	Lunch & Learn: Introduction to the DPMG	Auditorium G109
1:30pm	2:30 pm	Afternoon Concurrent Sessions
		Communicating Together	Auditorium G109
		What’s Next? Journeying into Retirement	Romero Classroom 1004
2:30 pm	3:00 pm	Closing	Auditorium G109
3:00 pm	4:00 pm	Social	Learning Commons

Conference Sessions

Indigenous Community Engagement

Working with 2SLGBTQ+ Advisor Olivia Fader

In her session, Supporting 2SLGBTQ+ Students, Olivia will share insights on the students she supports, ways to access Gender Affirming Care on campus, and offer strategies for more inclusive professional practice.

Hosted by Dalhousie’s first 2SLGBTQ+ Advisor, Olivia Fader supports students through 1-1 advising, group programming, and campus-wide educational events to create a student experience that is meaningful and facilitates a sense of belonging. You can learn more about Olivia here: https://www.dal.ca/news/2022/10/26/dalhousie-hires-first-advisor-to-support-2slgbtq--students.html

Sustainable Transportation

This session will discuss several popular electric transportation options; including electric cars, eBikes, & eScooters; that are currently available in our community, are growing in demand, and not-coincidentally will be on special interactive display over the lunch break for this conference. We will have representatives from the Electric Vehicle Association of Atlantic Canada, Clean Nova Scotia / NextRide, HFX eScooters, and ZEN Electric Bikes here to give a quick introduction to the topics and outline our lunchtime options as well as a limited-space special post-lunch tour opportunity.

Lunch & Learn: Introduction to the DPMG

Are you new to the DPMG, or just interested in learning how to get the most out of being a DPMG member? Grab your lunch and stop by to find out more. Learn about the structure, various roles and responsibilities, how the DPMG benefits members, and how you can be an active participants.

Communicating Together

“Communicating Together” – In this session you’ll explore how a strong brand and a cohesive approach work to elevate the university’s reputation, drive brand awareness and consideration, engage our community, and deliver creative assets that resonate with diverse audiences. At the end of this session, you will gain a new appreciation for how you can leverage and find yourself in the new Dalhousie brand.

What’s Next? Journeying into Retirement

Are you nearing the end of your career and contemplating ‘what’s next’? While many of you have likely already done significant financial planning, have you devoted the same time and energy to imagining and planning for life’s next adventures? If not, now’s the time! Join recent Dal retiree, Dr. Sue Hutchinson, researcher and creator of The Retired You Retirement Lifestyle Program for this interactive workshop.

Note: This workshop does not deal with financial planning.

During the workshop you’ll get a chance to:

Think about key aspects of work that you’d like to bring with you in retirement;
Consider what’s important for a happy & fulfilling life in retirement;
Hear advice from other retirees about beginning the journey;
Identify immediate ‘next steps’ for planning for a life you’ll love in retirement.

Information Booths

A variety of information booths will be at the conference to help attendees find important information, ask questions, and connect in person. The booths will be open from 10:00 am to 1:30 pm during the conference.

The following booth will be available during the conference (others may be added):

Information Technology Services

"Information Technology Services (ITS) provides technology and communications services to support the learning, teaching, research, innovation, and administrative goals of Dalhousie University. Our team of 130 professionals help Dal staff, faculty, and students with their technology needs focusing on enhancing the user experience and delivering integrated technology solutions to connect our Dal community.

Some of our services include network and telephone services, data center and server support, collaboration tools like M365, SharePoint, and Teams, service desk, computer purchasing, computer labs and software access, support for applications like Banner and DalCard, and technology project management. For a complete list of ITS services, please view our page on myDal.

Visit the ITS booth during the conference to learn more about LastPass – a password manager tool that remembers your passwords and logs you in to your online accounts as you work. LastPass saves your time by automating all of your logins and eliminating the frustration of lost and forgotten passwords.

Check out Gartner, a research portal that helps staff to translate complex IT issues to comprehensive advice and insights to make business decisions involving technology.

In the ITS booth, you can chat with an ITS staff support member who can help you with any questions about IT services at the university"

Talent Pathways

Learn about Talent Pathways, Dalhousie’s internal temporary staffing program.

LifeWorks (EFP)

LifeWorks is your Employee and Family Assistance Program (EAP) provider to support the four pillars of health: mental, physical, social and financial. In addition to clinical counselling sessions, the EAP provides access to professional consultations through lawyers, financial advisors, and dieticians. Our new app provides easy access to these resources and more!

Environmental Health and Safety

The Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) Office at Dalhousie University is dedicated to maintaining a safe and healthy environment for the university community. We offer a range of services such as providing guidance on occupational health and safety, conducting risk assessments, developing emergency response plans, and delivering safety training programs. The EH&S Office can provide faculty and staff with information on compliance with regulatory requirements, best practices for a safe workplace, tips on workplace ergonomics, guidance on identifying and assessing workplace hazards, and advice on mitigating and eliminating those hazards. Our expertise and resources can greatly assist members of the DPMG in ensuring a safe and compliant work environment, implementing effective safety policies, and addressing any concerns related to health and safety in the workplace.

Facilities Management

The Mysteries of Facilities Management

Open Learning

The Faculty of Open Learning & Career Development is one of many learning and training pathways available to you at Dalhousie University. If you’re looking to upskill in your current role at the university, we have a range of courses and certificates available to you through our tuition waiver program. The Faculty offers courses related to Adult Learning and Teaching, Business Operations and Management, English Language Studies, Microcredentials, Writing and Communication, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, among others.

HR

The HR booth will have representation from Talent Management, Employee Relations as well as the current AVP (acting) HR, Chris Hattie. We’ll be available for discussion and happy to answer all HR-related questions from visitors.

Centre for Executive and Graduate Education

Sustainability

UniForum

If you are interested in hosting a booth, please get in touch with dpmgconf@dal.ca

Sustainable Event

We are proud to be the first DPMG conference to participate in the Dalhousie Sustainable Events Program. (Sustainable Events Program - Office of Sustainability - Dalhousie University)

We are thrilled to have achieved a platinum level. To see how we scored, you can view our rating here [link to pdf]

We encourage participants to use sustainable transportation such as walking, cycling, public transit, or carpooling. The Emera Building has bike racks and a Bike Room (Bike Rooms - SmartTrip Dalhousie - Dalhousie University). The nearest bus stops are Morris St after Barrington St (90, 135, 136, 137, 138, 158, 159, 161, 165, 168A, 168B) And Spring Garden after Queen St (1, 8, 9A, 9B, 10).

Past conferences

The DPMG Executive and Professional Development Committees plan a DPMG Conference every year in June – all members are encouraged to attend! Explore past conferences:

Learn more about the Professional Development Committee.