Session Description: ​​When new systems, tools, or processes roll out across an enterprise, the hardest part is rarely the technology — it's bringing people along. This interactive session equips staff across the University with a practical, people-centered approach for navigating disruptive change. Whether your team is adapting to a new SaaS platform, rethinking workflows with AI, or implementing process improvements that cut across departments, the patterns of what works — and what stalls — are remarkably similar. Drawing from change management research and real-world higher ed experience, we'll explore why disruption creates disconnection, how to build trust and alignment before friction sets in, and what it takes to sustain momentum after the initial launch. Participants will work through scenarios, share challenges with peers across functions, and leave with a framework and toolkit they can put to use on whatever initiative is already keeping them up at night.​​

Facilitator Biography: ​Noelle Chaltry is an IT Project Manager at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, specializing in strategic innovation, stakeholder engagement, and AI implementation. She is currently completing her Master of Science in Information Technology & Management with dual emphasis on Generative AI and Organizational Leadership. Noelle is passionate about using interactive, people-centered methods to navigate complex change and foster trust across diverse teams.