Keri Shoemaker of Utah State University's Caine College of the Arts made some waves at the recent Western Association of College and University Business Officers (WACUBO) annual conference. Alongside colleague Whitney Pugh, Shoemaker shared insights from the trenches of higher education financial services to a national audience, a noteworthy achievement considering the depth and reach of WACUBO's influence since 1937. As part of their presentation, an interesting origami exercise initiated discussions on the challenges of university training, according to USU Today.
The conference, held on Hawaii's Big Island, pursued the collaborative ideal reflected in its theme, ‘A‘ohe hana nui ke alu ‘ia, or "No task is too big when done together by all". Representing USU, Shoemaker and Pugh, in presenting, took an innovative pedagogical twist by using physical activities to underline their points about employee training. After speeding through the folds of origami, which intentionally set the audience on a challenging endeavor, Pugh wrapped up the session with a bit about boomerang-throwing, as reported by USU Today.
Shoemaker was quoted expressing the excitement of highlighting USU Business Services' strides on a platform as grand as WACUBO's. "We presented information about what we’ve done here within Business Services at USU on training our employees," Shoemaker said, as per USU Today, spotlighting the importance and uniqueness of the training modules developed and used at USU. The national conference served as an excellent opportunity for USU to underline its commitment to professional development.
The key takeaways from the conference weren't just limited to presentations, though. Michael C. Bush, a noted speaker at the event, made an impression on the USU delegates, delivering insights on maintaining a positive workplace environment and underscoring the importance of community, a principle Shoemaker holds in high regard within her team. "His main takeaway was creating community, which I love. I try to do that within my own business services team. I try to create that community," Shoemaker said, as obtained by USU Today.
