Schedule

[Download a printable version of the conference schedule.]

Thursday May 11
8:00 am - 9:00 am: Registration and Breakfast Location: Dining Hall
9:15 am - 10:30 am: Welcome and Opening Remarks Speakers: Dr. Sonia Mastrangelo, Dr. Anne Showalter, Dr. Meridith Lovell-Johnston, Dr. Linda Rodenburg (Principal of Orillia Campus) Location: OA 1033 Opening Keynote Address: *A Generation Running on Empty: A Look at the Subcortex* Speaker: Dr. Stuart Shanker (via Zoom) Location: OA 1033 Dr. Shanker will discuss how to support self-regulation in young adults by starting with reducing the negative impacts of stress. According to Shanker, many behaviour, mood, emotional, learning, and social challenges are caused or exacerbated by an overactive stress system. Shanker will share the 5-step model for managing stress and energy flow in order to reduce the impact of an overactive stress response system on young adults' day-to-day functioning and productivity. The method starts with reframing people's misbehavior (i.e., procrastination) as stress behavior and identifying and reducing stressors across the five domains. Additionally, he will identify the hidden stressors that have plagued young adults during the pandemic and how stress and anxiety can be curtailed through self-regulatory practices. Lastly, Dr. Shanker will present data on the mental health challenges impacting young adults and will discuss the importance of understanding the difference between self-regulation and self-control when considering these mental health challenges.
10:30 am - 10:45 am: Morning Refreshment Break Location: Learning Commons
10:45 am - 12:00 pm *LIGHTS! CAMERAS! ACTION RESEARCH! - Self-Reg in the Spotlight for Preservice Teachers' Wellbeing* Speaker: Dr. Marie-Christina Edwards Location: OA 1022 The teaching profession is well-known for its inherent and relentless stressors. Also known is the link between a teacher's capacity to effectively manage stress and the academic and well-being sccesses of their students. So how do how do university students, studying to become teachers, learn about stress, the brain/body response to stress, and have an opportunity to personally prepare themselves for this demanding profession? In this presentation, I will share how Self-Reg is under the spotLIGHTS as preservice teachers focus their CAMERAS no areas of personal significance, to engage in ACTION research projects. Learn how their research resulted in informed plans that supported improved self-regulation.	10:45 am - 12:00 pm *Overwhelmed Students / Overwhelmed Staff and Faculty: Personality Disorders in University Students* Speaker: Dr. Les Fleischer Location: OA 2018 Some of the most challenging students for university staff and faculty are those who present with personality disorders. I will highlight how to identify those students who may have personality disorders and will address some of the common challenges. Often these students evoke powerful emotions, resulting in dysregulation, interpersonal conflict, splitting, boundary problems, and impasses. Methods for addressing these challenges and strategies for how to best help these students will be examined. I will present some brief vignettes and there will be plenty of time for questions and discussion.	10:45 am - 12:00 pm *Mentorship: The Missing Piece of Your Well-being Toolkit* Speakers: Dr. Teri Rubinoff Location: OA 2019 Have you ever considered mentorship as part of a well-being toolkit? At The Mentoree, our goal is to create a collaborative mentorship community for educators grounded in well-being, professional learning, and efficacy. Find out how the virtual community that we have built and continue to evolve is grounded in co-regulating relationships that support well-being and provide a foundation for the professional learning that leads to a sense of efficacy. We believe in reciprocal relationships between mentors and mentees; we all have something to teach and we all have something to learn.
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm: Lunch Location: Dining Hall
1:15 pm - 2:30 pm: Student Speaker Series *Using the Self-Reg Framework to Support the Mental Health and Wellbeing of an International Female Graduate Student* Speakers: Ms. Claudia Flores Moreno and Dr. Meridith Lovell-Johnston Location: OA 1022 The COVID-19 pandemic closures and the ban on international student travel in March 2020 added additional barriers and challenges to international female graduate students beginning their studies abroad. In this presentation, we discuss how an international female graduate student self-regulated and how her two supervisors helped her to reframe her challenges through a Self-Reg lens as she transitioned to Canada over a two-year period commencing in July 2020. We invite participants to reflect on their or their students' own pandemic timelines and reframe their responses through a Self-Reg approach.	1:15 pm - 2:30 pm: Student Speaker Series *Functioning Dysfunctionally: The Highs and Lows of Neurodivergent Self-Regulation at the Post-Secondary Level* Speaker: Ms. Allison Gardiner Location: OA 2018 As the global affirmation of equity, diversity, and inclusion principles continues to develop, the obligation to understand and accommodate atypical life experiences rests solely on those with the power to affect social change. This presentation will give participants an in-depth and highly personal understanding of one such experience - as lived by the speaker, an undergraduate teacher candidate. By candidly reflecting on their time in post-secondary education, the speaker hopes to inspire empathy and compassion for the neurodivergent experience; and in turn, to empower participants in becoming active advocates for themselves and/or the students they support.	1:15 pm - 2:30 pm: Student Speaker Series *Overcoming Addiction: A Personal Journey* Speaker: Mr. Adrian DiCarlantonio Location: OA 2019 The primary topics I will focus on are the importance of emotional regulation, self-love, health/fitness, quality relationships (building & nurturing), circle of influence, and tools to sustain a positive mindset. I have selected the topics listed because I believe having the knowledge/ tools/ understanding of these are paramount to living a well-balanced lifestyle while cultivating the topics listed above fosters all the qualities to living a fulfilled well-balanced life. I will be taking a deeper dive into each topic listed above, providing life examples, tools, and personal experiences allowing the students to not only understand but relate which will allow them to engage in the question/answer toward the end of my presentation.
2:30 pm - 2:45 pm: Afternoon Break Location: Learning Commons
2:45 pm - 4:00 pm *Academic Procrastination and Students: Why Do They Put Off Academic Tasks?* Speaker: Dr. Brenda Smith-Chant Location: OA 1022 Current models of academic procrastination (putting off a high-value academic task for a low-value task or activity) focus on personality traits, self-control challenges, or emotional regulation issues. In a study of over 1,000 university students, we found evidence that student procrastination may be an (mal)adaptive strategic response to either too low, or too high levels of stress. In this view, the distracting aspect of many procrastination activities may serve as a method to manage stress levels, as per the famous Yerkes-Dodson theory. These findings provide important insights into interventions that may support students to be more productive.	2:45 pm - 4:00 pm *Exploring the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on International Students and Universities in Canada* Speaker: Dr. David Firang and Dr. Joseph Mensah Location: OA 2018 International students in Canada make enormous contribution to the Canadian economy. As domestic students’ enrolment has declined, international students’ admissions have compensated for economic losses that Canadian universities incur from the decline of domestic students’ enrolment. The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting international students’ admissions to Canadian universities. Drawing on various secondary data sources, this article argues that international students in Canada are vulnerable due to their temporary immigration status. They are excluded from most governments’ relief programs aimed at supporting Canadians during this pandemic. Most international students experience psychological and financial difficulties amid the pandemic. The situation is triggering a further decline in international students’ admission, creating economic implications for Canadian universities. By exploring the challenges facing international students and the strategies required to strengthen international students' resilience and universities’ capacities, the paper contributes to our understanding of the plights of international students and educational institutions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.	2:45 pm - 4:00 pm *Reflecting, Renewing and Restoring the Well Being of University Students in a Post Pandemic-World* Speaker: Ms. Connie Gale Location: OA 2019 This session will focus on where we were, where we are and where we want to go academically, socially, and emotionally after having experienced a world -wide pandemic. We will look at high yield strategies, multi dimensional resources and a variety of activities to enhance total well being. Ways to focus on positive growth opportunities will be presented by looking at a positive mind set. Participants will have an opportunity to do some self reflection pertaining to their own experiences. This session will also focus on rejuvenation and renewal.

Thursday May 11

8:00 am - 9:00 am: Registration and Breakfast

Location: Dining Hall

9:15 am - 10:30 am: Welcome and Opening Remarks

Speakers: Dr. Sonia Mastrangelo, Dr. Anne Showalter, Dr. Meridith Lovell-Johnston, Dr. Linda Rodenburg (Principal of Orillia Campus)

Location: OA 1033

Opening Keynote Address: A Generation Running on Empty: A Look at the Subcortex

Speaker: Dr. Stuart Shanker (via Zoom)

Location: OA 1033

Dr. Shanker will discuss how to support self-regulation in young adults by starting with reducing the negative impacts of stress. According to Shanker, many behaviour, mood, emotional, learning, and social challenges are caused or exacerbated by an overactive stress system. Shanker will share the 5-step model for managing stress and energy flow in order to reduce the impact of an overactive stress response system on young adults' day-to-day functioning and productivity. The method starts with reframing people's misbehavior (i.e., procrastination) as stress behavior and identifying and reducing stressors across the five domains. Additionally, he will identify the hidden stressors that have plagued young adults during the pandemic and how stress and anxiety can be curtailed through self-regulatory practices. Lastly, Dr. Shanker will present data on the mental health challenges impacting young adults and will discuss the importance of understanding the difference between self-regulation and self-control when considering these mental health challenges.

10:30 am - 10:45 am: Morning Refreshment Break

Location: Learning Commons

10:45 am - 12:00 pm

LIGHTS! CAMERAS! ACTION RESEARCH! - Self-Reg in the Spotlight for Preservice Teachers' Wellbeing

Speaker: Dr. Marie-Christina Edwards

Location: OA 1022

The teaching profession is well-known for its inherent and relentless stressors. Also known is the link between a teacher's capacity to effectively manage stress and the academic and well-being sccesses of their students. So how do how do university students, studying to become teachers, learn about stress, the brain/body response to stress, and have an opportunity to personally prepare themselves for this demanding profession? In this presentation, I will share how Self-Reg is under the spotLIGHTS as preservice teachers focus their CAMERAS no areas of personal significance, to engage in ACTION research projects. Learn how their research resulted in informed plans that supported improved self-regulation.

10:45 am - 12:00 pm

Overwhelmed Students / Overwhelmed Staff and Faculty: Personality Disorders in University Students

Speaker: Dr. Les Fleischer

Location: OA 2018

Some of the most challenging students for university staff and faculty are those who present with personality disorders. I will highlight how to identify those students who may have personality disorders and will address some of the common challenges. Often these students evoke powerful emotions, resulting in dysregulation, interpersonal conflict, splitting, boundary problems, and impasses. Methods for addressing these challenges and strategies for how to best help these students will be examined. I will present some brief vignettes and there will be plenty of time for questions and discussion.

10:45 am - 12:00 pm

Mentorship: The Missing Piece of Your Well-being Toolkit

Speakers: Dr. Teri Rubinoff

Location: OA 2019

Have you ever considered mentorship as part of a well-being toolkit? At The Mentoree, our goal is to create a collaborative mentorship community for educators grounded in well-being, professional learning, and efficacy. Find out how the virtual community that we have built and continue to evolve is grounded in co-regulating relationships that support well-being and provide a foundation for the professional learning that leads to a sense of efficacy. We believe in reciprocal relationships between mentors and mentees; we all have something to teach and we all have something to learn.

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm: Lunch

Location: Dining Hall

1:15 pm - 2:30 pm: Student Speaker Series

Using the Self-Reg Framework to Support the Mental Health and Wellbeing of an International Female Graduate Student

Speakers: Ms. Claudia Flores Moreno and Dr. Meridith Lovell-Johnston

Location: OA 1022

The COVID-19 pandemic closures and the ban on international student travel in March 2020 added additional barriers and challenges to international female graduate students beginning their studies abroad. In this presentation, we discuss how an international female graduate student self-regulated and how her two supervisors helped her to reframe her challenges through a Self-Reg lens as she transitioned to Canada over a two-year period commencing in July 2020. We invite participants to reflect on their or their students' own pandemic timelines and reframe their responses through a Self-Reg approach.

1:15 pm - 2:30 pm: Student Speaker Series

Functioning Dysfunctionally: The Highs and Lows of Neurodivergent Self-Regulation at the Post-Secondary Level

Speaker: Ms. Allison Gardiner

Location: OA 2018

As the global affirmation of equity, diversity, and inclusion principles continues to develop, the obligation to understand and accommodate atypical life experiences rests solely on those with the power to affect social change. This presentation will give participants an in-depth and highly personal understanding of one such experience - as lived by the speaker, an undergraduate teacher candidate. By candidly reflecting on their time in post-secondary education, the speaker hopes to inspire empathy and compassion for the neurodivergent experience; and in turn, to empower participants in becoming active advocates for themselves and/or the students they support.

1:15 pm - 2:30 pm: Student Speaker Series

Overcoming Addiction: A Personal Journey

Speaker: Mr. Adrian DiCarlantonio

Location: OA 2019

The primary topics I will focus on are the importance of emotional regulation, self-love, health/fitness, quality relationships (building & nurturing), circle of influence, and tools to sustain a positive mindset. I have selected the topics listed because I believe having the knowledge/ tools/ understanding of these are paramount to living a well-balanced lifestyle while cultivating the topics listed above fosters all the qualities to living a fulfilled well-balanced life. I will be taking a deeper dive into each topic listed above, providing life examples, tools, and personal experiences allowing the students to not only understand but relate which will allow them to engage in the question/answer toward the end of my presentation.

2:30 pm - 2:45 pm: Afternoon Break

Location: Learning Commons

2:45 pm - 4:00 pm

Academic Procrastination and Students: Why Do They Put Off Academic Tasks?

Speaker: Dr. Brenda Smith-Chant

Location: OA 1022

Current models of academic procrastination (putting off a high-value academic task for a low-value task or activity) focus on personality traits, self-control challenges, or emotional regulation issues. In a study of over 1,000 university students, we found evidence that student procrastination may be an (mal)adaptive strategic response to either too low, or too high levels of stress. In this view, the distracting aspect of many procrastination activities may serve as a method to manage stress levels, as per the famous Yerkes-Dodson theory. These findings provide important insights into interventions that may support students to be more productive.

2:45 pm - 4:00 pm

Exploring the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on International Students and Universities in Canada

Speaker: Dr. David Firang and Dr. Joseph Mensah

Location: OA 2018

International students in Canada make enormous contribution to the Canadian economy. As domestic students’ enrolment has declined, international students’ admissions have compensated for economic losses that Canadian universities incur from the decline of domestic students’ enrolment. The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting international students’ admissions to Canadian universities. Drawing on various secondary data sources, this article argues that international students in Canada are vulnerable due to their temporary immigration status. They are excluded from most governments’ relief programs aimed at supporting Canadians during this pandemic. Most international students experience psychological and financial difficulties amid the pandemic. The situation is triggering a further decline in international students’ admission, creating economic implications for Canadian universities. By exploring the challenges facing international students and the strategies required to strengthen international students' resilience and universities’ capacities, the paper contributes to our understanding of the plights of international students and educational institutions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

2:45 pm - 4:00 pm

Reflecting, Renewing and Restoring the Well Being of University Students in a Post Pandemic-World

Speaker: Ms. Connie Gale

Location: OA 2019

This session will focus on where we were, where we are and where we want to go academically, socially, and emotionally after having experienced a world -wide pandemic. We will look at high yield strategies, multi dimensional resources and a variety of activities to enhance total well being. Ways to focus on positive growth opportunities will be presented by looking at a positive mind set. Participants will have an opportunity to do some self reflection pertaining to their own experiences. This session will also focus on rejuvenation and renewal.

Friday May 12
8:00 am - 9:00 am: Breakfast Location: Dining Hall
9:00 am - 10:30 am: Morning Keynote Address: Self-Regulation and Its Application to Young Adults Speaker: Dr. Susan Hopkins Location: OA 1033 Dr. Hopkins will provide an overview of the self-regulation framework including the five domains: biological, cognitive, social, emotional, and prosocial along with the 5 steps of self-regulation. Using a case study approach and based on her work in the Northwest Territories, Dr. Hopkins will explain the brain-body response to stress and the roles of the limbic system and prefrontal cortex by using clips and data. She will engage participants in a discussion about the impacts of stress on young adults studying at the university level.
10:30 am - 10:45 am: Morning Refreshment Break Location: Learning Commons
10:45 am - 12:00 pm *Re:Imagining Accessibility: The Good, The Bad, and the Hope* Speakers: Dr. Anne Showalter and Mr. Eric Lehman Location: OA 1022 In the endemic phase of the pandemic, connection and witnessing need to be re-established in institutions of higher learning. The COVID pandemic brought about a dizzying number of pivots that resulted in incredible freedom for some and terrifying struggles for others. Accessibility concerns of all sorts arose: some of which were creatively addressed and others that continue to need further discussion, reflection and action. Join your moderators and share some of your pandemic experiences as learners, instructors, and academics so we can collectively re-imagine and re-think academic accessibility and support each other in the present and beyond.	10:45 am - 12:00 pm *Promoting a Community of Safety in Your Classroom* Speaker: Ms. Alexandra Thompson Location: OA 2018 This workshop will use discussion, storytelling and a peppering of theory to explore how to create safer spaces in a university classroom. I will draw on my 13 years of teaching post-secondary, as well as my 12 seasons in the youth camping movement. We will explore how to set a tone of caring and concern, how to create a social and fun environment, how to promote self-care in the classroom, and the benefits of nature-based practices.	10:45 am - 12:00 pm *Teacher Candidate Wellbeing in the Lakehead Faculty of Education* Speaker: Dr. Gary Pluim Location: OA 2019 The 2020-22 COVID-19 pandemic heightened student anxiety at Lakehead University, posing challenges to personal and professional development amongst teacher candidates. After the World Health Organization declared the pandemic to be at a transition point in January 2023, many assumed that well-being in our society would return to healthy, pre-pandemic standards. Yet data from our recent student survey in the Faculty of Education paints a different picture, one that suggests that student stress has lingered into the post-pandemic period. This presentation will provide insights into the contemporary conditions of teacher education and the perspectives of education students currently undergoing this journey..
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm: Lunch Location: Dining Hall 12:15 pm - 12:45 pm: Lunch Keynote *Talkin' 'Bout my Generation: Enduring Myths, Material Realities, and Mash-ups* Speaker: Dr. Michael Höchsmann Young people today are faced with increasingly chaotic conditions of life that change at a blistering speed. A cultural history of the post-war (WW II) era in the global North can be written drawing upon demographic categories from Boomers to Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z or identity tropes of youth such as the rebel, the activist, the slacker, and the digital native. Youth and childhood are the only identity anchors that we can all lay some claim to; everyone shares the experience of growing up. Over the years, sociologists and cultural theorists have helped to frame youth lives in flux in relation to ruptural economic, social, cultural, and technological change. Paying attention to "youth voice," both DIY and from community-based youth engagement projects, has also proven insightful. In this presentation, I will provide some frames and perspectives on youth identity performance, alienation, resistance, and engagement.
1:15 pm - 2:30 pm *Trigger Warnings May Not be Enough: Cultivating a Trauma-Informed Classroom* Speakers: Dr. Angela Hovey and Mr. Evan George Location: OA 1022 In 2014, a US college created a policy requiring faculty to provide trigger warnings for students sparking a heated debate across North America regarding the need for and efficacy of trigger warnings in higher education. In this workshop, we present the findings of our study on opinions about the use of trigger warnings in classrooms and discuss the need to be more intentional about supporting students and their mental health. A broader conversation about integrating trauma-informed practices in higher education will be facilitated and participants will have opportunities to share their experiences, ideas, and approaches to supporting student mental health.	1:15 pm - 2:30 pm *Managing Mental Health Through Nutrition, Exercise and Stress Reduction* Facilitator: Ms. Ilona Brodi Da Silva Location: OA 2018 With the overwhelming number of individuals affected by mental illness, it is imperative to address one’s current nutrition, exercise regime, and stress management. With current research and clinical studies, it has been shown that there is a bidirectional relationship between depression and diabetes and lifestyle choices. We will explore how proper nutrition, strength training, and stress reduction can all help to mitigate the negative effects of mental illness and possibly even prevent it.	1:15 pm - 2:30 pm *From Darkness to Light: Caring for a Young Adult with Mental Health Issues* Speaker: Ms. Jennifer Della Mea Location: OA 2019 The increasing rates of youth mental health issues and school avoidance, or “refusal”, across schools in Ontario are alarming. In turn, youth face the possibility of losing their education, future employment and opportunities, social networks, and life. In this presentation, Jennifer Della Mea will present anecdotal evidence based on her own personal experiences to discuss the struggles she has faced as a parent dealing with a young adult son who is suffering from mental health challenges. She will explore the characteristics of school avoidance, the effects of anxiety and depression on learning, and the strategies available to regain hope and resilience in order to consider how educational systems can change to help students with mental health disabilities.
2:30 pm - 2:45 pm: Afternoon Break Location: Learning Commons
2:45 pm - 4:00 pm *Introducing The Applied Self-Regulation Knowledge (ASK) Network* Speakers: Dr. Sonia Mastrangelo and Dr. Anne Showalter Location: OA 1022 In this session we will discuss the process of asset mapping that was undertaken to conceptualize the ASK organization. With the support of Dr. Hopkins, we have created this group to help us apply self-regulation in various contexts (education, mental health, social work, fitness). We will share information about the work currently underway to launch a self-regulation course specifically tailored for university students who wish to learn more about self-regulation. In addition, we will share our mission, values, networking, and future collaboration opportunities.	2:45 pm - 4:00 pm *The Lingering Effects of Trauma and COVID for Children and Adults and Ways to Promote Healing and Resilience* Speakers: Dr. Gerry Costa (by Zoom); Facilitator: Dr. Meridith Lovell-Johnston Location: OA 2018 This presentation will examine the significant impact of traumatic events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, on losses in children, adults, and families, including the inequities in losses. The impact of adversity and stress will be considered through the neuro-relational and Self-Reg frameworks. Participants will be able to understand and apply the simple, yet powerful acts of “presence” and “listening”. Ways to promote “mentalization” will be illustrated through the ”power of pause” and the impact of our non-verbal interactions (right brain) will be described using the “A.G.I.L.E.” framework. We will end by reflecting on “ordinary” moments between and among us.	2:45 pm - 4:00 pm *Moving Forward in Uncertain Times While Scaling Back to the Basics. The Importance of Youth Hubs and Social Interactions Amongst Students* Speaker(s): Mr. Bruno Bilotta and Ms. Ida Maria Carriero Location: OA 2019 Students of all ages are finding it difficult to assimilate back into a “so-called” normal environment. The pandemic disrupted many aspects of life including academics, social interactions, and self-regulation among students. Mental health issues are more prevalent than ever, creating a tremendous need for a restorative and holistic approach toward student advocacy. Student-led Youth Hubs are essential for providing a support system that empowers a diverse group of individuals with rapid and quality services. Youth Hubs are an outlet for students and are essential for providing non-traditional methods of combating mental health issues.
4:00 pm - 4:30 pm: Closing Remarks and Invitation to Remain for Networking Session Closing Remarks: Hon. Michael A. Tibollo, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Speakers/Facilitators: Dr. Sonia Mastrangelo, Dr. Anne Showalter, and Dr. Meridith Lovell-Johnston Location: OA 1022