Sessions and Speakers

Excel is an excellent tool, but not every workplace process is truly spreadsheet-shaped. When a small student-support program needed a way to track participants, repeated contacts, advising notes, and follow-up, the work required more than a table of information. It required a system that could connect records and present them in a way that matched how staff actually completed the work.

This session will share how Microsoft Lists, Power Apps, and generative AI were used to build a functional participant-tracking tool. Attendees will see the original workflow problem, the structure created in Microsoft Lists, the people-centered Power Apps interface, and examples of how generative AI supported learning and troubleshooting throughout the process. The session will also share practical lessons about testing, permissions, interface design, and the small adjustments involved in turning a working idea into a usable tool.

By the end of the session, participants will be able to recognize when a process may not be well suited to Excel, describe the different purposes served by Microsoft Lists and Power Apps, identify a manageable workflow problem that could benefit from a low-code solution, and explain how generative AI can assist a non-developer without replacing subject-matter expertise or human judgment.

By the end of the session, participants will be able to:

• Recognize signs that a workflow may have outgrown Excel.

• Explain the different roles of Excel, Microsoft Lists, and Power Apps.

• Identify workplace processes that may be good candidates for a low-code solution.

• Explain how generative AI can support someone learning an unfamiliar low-code platform without replacing subject-matter expertise, testing, or human judgment.

• Apply a people-centered approach to evaluating or redesigning an everyday workflow.

Attendees will leave with a relatable example of how WSU employees can use curiosity, available resources, and knowledge of their own work to improve a local process. The session emphasizes that ingenuity does not always mean inventing something entirely new. Sometimes it means recognizing that the current tool does not fit the work and being willing to explore a better approach.

Did you know WSU pioneered the award winning Grants Forecasting tool in Adaptive Planning? This tool is a university-wide grants forecasting tool enhancing support for research on a brand new level. It assists Grant Managers and Principal Investigators (PIs) across the WSU system in projecting future expenses and remaining balances on their grants

Learn more about this tool with Modernization’s Grants team as they demonstrate the Grants Forecasting tool in Adaptive Planning for Grant Managers, PIs, and AFOs.

Learn about the university’s new marketplace for scientific supplies in Workday which simplifies how departments purchase commonly used used scientific and research supplies.

This panel discussion brings together members of ITS and WSU’s AI and tech governance to discuss the safe and ethical use of AI applications when performing finance, HCM, and administrative tasks, with an emphasis on data security. Topics will include AI resources, university policy, and tips and guidelines for finance and HCM employees using AI at work. Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions for a Q&A portion.

Learn about TouchNet, the university’s comprehensive suite of applications that support the commerce needs of colleges and universities. TouchNet includes solutions such as Student Office Cashiering for departmental payments and deposits, a Student Account Center for student payments, and more.

Join Modernization’s HCM team for an interactive and engaging run down of the latest HR related updates and optimizations in Workday. This 90-minute session includes plenty of time for Q&A. Modernization holds What’s New sessions every quarter, and October’s session is the third in this year’s series.

Join five university communicators from ITS, HRS, and Modernization for a discussion about managing both long and short-term projects, events, and communications. Topics include:

• Using content calendars and templates for repeating events or communications.
• Time management and organization.
• Working through “writer’s block” and other creative or productive roadblocks.
• Planning for and executing emergency communications.

This session offers strategies, tips, and tricks for handling projects and communications at any scale, for employees of all experience levels.

Learn about Workday’s Accounting Center, which consolidates accounting from external sources into Workday.

Accounting Center will support the following objectives for improved financial reporting and budget planning at WSU:

– Consolidation of accounting from external sources into Workday, including attributes that may not naturally exist within Workday.

– Expanded available data points.

– Increased ability to reconcile with other systems, and simplified bank reconciliation.

– Reduction in accounting errors and increased trust in financial data.

Everyday Coug Ingenuity is about practical learning, meaningful connection, and the confidence to solve real problems in everyday work. That’s exactly what this session does. The loneliness epidemic isn’t abstract, it’s showing up in our Zoom fatigue, our siloed departments, and our teams that are technically collaborating but not really connecting. This session gives WSU employees practical, research-backed tools to do something simple but surprisingly rare: actually connect with the people they work with every day. No grand initiatives required. Just skills any Coug can start using right away.

Most of us have experienced going through the motions at work without really feeling seen or connected. It shows up in our Zoom calls, in the hallways where we walk past people without stopping, and into meetings where we’re technically together but not really present with each other. The U.S. Surgeon General called it a public health epidemic, and higher education employees are not immune.

But here’s what the research actually shows: connection is a skill, and it can be practiced.

We’ve all sat through the sessions that tell us to reach out if we’re struggling, to check in on our colleagues, to keep our doors open. And those things aren’t wrong. But they put the weight of fixing it on the very person who is already running on empty. And, in real life, waiting for someone to reach out means waiting for something that may never happen. This session flips that. We’ll focus on something harder and more honest. How do I recognize when someone is reaching out? How do I respond in ways that actually help? And how do I build environments where connection happens naturally?

We’ll move quickly past the why and most of the session will be on practical strategies you can use the same day, whether you’re trying to feel more connected yourself or trying to build a team that actually functions like one.

Participants will leave able to:

• Recognize personal and environmental barriers to genuine connection at work.

• Identify and respond to bids for connection from colleagues.

• Apply practical strategies for building organic connection within their teams.

This presentation will equip departments with the foundational knowledge needed to navigate graduate assistantships confidently and effectively in their day-to-day work. Assistantship processes can often feel complex, especially for those new to the role, and this session simplifies key concepts into practical, accessible guidance.

By focusing on clear explanations of assistantship types, eligibility, funding, and processes, the session empowers staff to problem-solve more independently, reduce errors, and make informed decisions. It also connects attendees to existing resources and trainings, supporting continued learning beyond the session.

Learn about Security Roles in Workday, organizations, cost centers compared to supervisory organizations, and how to successfully manage security roles for the teams you support.

Every member of the WSU community deserves to work, learn, and participate in an environment free from discrimination and harassment.

UPPM 10.60, the university’s policy prohibiting discrimination and harassment, outlines our shared responsibility to foster a respectful, inclusive environment, and what to do when concerns arise. This training helps you understand your role in supporting a community where everyone can fully access opportunities and feel respected.

Attending the entirety of this session completes your annual Employee Rights and Responsibilities Under UPPM 10.60 training assignment for 2026.

University Ethics Policy training is part of Washington State University’s commitment to maintaining a workplace built on integrity, accountability, and public trust. It’s designed to help you recognize ethical considerations in your day-to-day work and feel confident navigating situations that may not always be clear-cut.

Attending the entirety of this session completes your annual WSU’s University Ethics Policy Under UPPM 10.65 training assignment for 2026.