Keynote Speaker:

    
Marian Higgins, PhD
Be Inspired Counseling & Consulting, LLC
   

Session Title: Reflecting on Inclusivity and Equity to Improve Services to Students

Presentation Description and Learning Outcomes

Session Description:  Experiential educators frequently engage with college students holding different identities and with unique experiences. But, how often do we think about the impact of our individual identities and values on our work with them? How often do we pay attention to policies and practices that continue to marginalize students?  In this interactive session, we will explore the significance of inclusion and equity as they relate to experiential educators.  More specifically, we will focus on the awareness, knowledge, and skills needed to engage students’ representing different identities and experiences.

Learning Outcomes
As a result of participating in this session, attendees will be able to:

• discuss how their identities create the lens for interacting with students
• identify strategies for supporting students as they consider their unique identities, experiential learning opportunities, and career aspirations
• modify their delivery of services to reflect inclusivity of all students
• utilize inclusion and equity assessment tools useful for self-assessment, environmental assessment, and student assessment

Biography:  Dr. Marian Higgins is the owner of Be Inspired Counseling and Consulting, LLC, a personal and professional development company specializing in career management and addressing equity and inclusion in the workplace.  Dr. Higgins has presented to and assisted professionals in higher education, non-profits, and corporations. She draws upon her experience as a former administrator at the University of Georgia Career Center where she supervised and coached staff, created and implemented talent management strategies, managed diversity and inclusion initiatives, and provided consultations to employers and career services practitioners on diversity recruitment and programming.   

Dr. Higgins is also a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Georgia in the Department of Counseling and Human Development Services.   She recently launched Dive In, a podcast focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion as they relate to career development.   

Dr. Higgins received her Ph.D. in counseling and personnel services from The University of Georgia, a Master of Science degree in counseling from the University of Memphis, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and the recipient of the Southern Association of Colleges and Employers Champion of Diversity award and the Research Fellowship.