An Invitation to Our Higher Education Colleagues 

What: Free 3-Session Series: Community in the Time of Conflict 
Why: Facilitated real-time community discussions among higher education colleagues to share experiences, emotions, and best practices
When: (all times Eastern)

  • Wednesday, May 15, 2024, 4-5 pm 
    • Focus: Doing the Work While Managing your Own Emotions 
  • Wednesday, May 29, 2024, 4-5 pm
    • Focus: Personal Well-Being and Replenishment 
  • Tuesday, June 11, 2024, 4-5 pm
    • Focus: Reflecting on Technique and Sharing Learning

We are officially on fire. It’s been a helluva year, and we are in the thick of it right now–correction, YOU are in the thick of it. We see you, care, and want to be helpful. We have been racking our brains trying to figure out the most authentic-to-us, constructive, and helpful way to show up for you. 

In early 2020, we had conversations similar to those we are having now. Covid seemingly came from nowhere and turned our lives upside down. We were scared, confused, and isolated. We did what came most natural to us, we asked: How can we help? Then, very quickly and in the middle of the uncertainty, launched a series called “Leadership in the Time of Coronavirus.” We opened it up to our colleagues as a place to just connect with one another about what is happening on your respective campuses, share best practices, and just exhale with others who were also emotionally spent. We are doing the same thing now, creating and holding space for you. It’s what we do, and is surely all-too-clear to you, too, there’s no way around, only through. For those who are interested, let’s find a path through this together. 

Why Are We Doing This?
I am–our team is–caregivers of the caregivers. You are caregivers on your campuses. You work with staff, students, families, administrators. You are responsible for buildings, programming, communication, collections, schedules, experiences, and well-being. You have a huge responsibility, and we acknowledge the emotional toll this work takes on you. Given our commitment to our work, we are doing what we know how to do best, create and hold space for those who are the caregivers of your campuses, communities, young people, and each other. 

Beginning on May 15, we are hosting a free 3-session series: Community in the Time of Conflict, a Zoom-based community gathering space for our colleagues in higher education. We are also higher education professionals. Our team has many years of individual and collective experience on campuses and working with campus colleagues. Our goal in these sessions is not to teach, debate, or solve anything that is happening in the world (we wish we could!). We just want to acknowledge, head-on, and help facilitate engagement real-time between colleagues at different institutions who are knee-deep in conflict, or at the other extreme, sometimes deafening silence. 

Our Community sessions are not being recorded. Though we cannot guarantee confidentiality nor that everyone will feel the same level of safety, these sessions are meant only for people who want and are able to be in a shared space meant for genuinely embracing ourselves and each other right now. With this in mind, please feel free to share this invitation with others on your campus or other campuses who might be interested in joining. Let’s break Zoom showing support for each other!  

REGISTER NOW!

Registration for this event conveys agreement that you will honor the community guidelines for the safety and benefit of all participants. I understand that these guidelines are in place to foster an inclusive and collaborative environment. I agree to:

  • Practice generosity: None of us know what to do right now. Let people be where they are without judgment or criticism. Together, we might find a shared path. 
  • Engage: The goal of these sessions is to communicate - we hope that you'll turn on your cameras and actively participate. This is a collective space, not a fishbowl exercise.  
  • Share time and contribution: We want to allow for broad engagement from a variety of perspectives and communication styles
  • Self-monitor: Pay attention to how you are contributing and consider the needs of the group
  • Listen for understanding: This is a learning space. We can’t learn when we are the only ones talking.  
  • Dialogue over debate: This is not the place for taking a political stance. We are not asking you to be agnostic, just don’t use this space for political debate. 
  • Contribute constructively to discussions and activities: Different people will interpret “constructive” differently. Use helpful, caring language, and pay attention to your tone and intention. 
  • Share best practices: Bring examples of what is working well for you and/or on your campus real-time. Help your colleagues have a more robust toolkit for their work. 
  • Avoid any form of harassment: Enough said. 

Failure to adhere to these guidelines may result in your removal from the space to ensure the event remains a generous learning environment.