Dear Staff and Faculty,
As part of our efforts to retain and recruit the best talent for the University of New Haven, we launched a 100-Day Challenge on Community, Connection, and Compassion and created a corresponding series of discussions and workshops starting Tuesday, February 10th.
Cultivating Inclusive Excellence in Challenging Times
As global conflicts continue, and general tensions run high, many members of our campus community are understandably concerned about the potential for even small interactions to turn into challenging confrontations. The Inclusive Excellence Division will be offering a series of workshops and programs to help faculty and staff with strategies to engage in productive dialogue, build an environment that is equitable and inclusive for all, while minimizing and managing conflict that may be unproductive or harmful. These sessions are listed below and will be offered in-person and via Zoom. {Links will be provided.}
Recognizing the Impact of World Events in the Workplace (Tuesday, February 10, 9:00am – 10:00am, BCST 307)
One of the many ways workplaces can be more inclusive and create a sense of belonging is by recognizing the impact of world events on people’s lives and work. This is especially important in diverse teams (which most of our teams are) because something that is deeply impactful for one person may barely register with another. At the same time, it can be challenging to keep up with the seemingly constant stream of news, disasters, and troubling events that happen on a daily basis. This session will discuss the pro-active measures people and teams can take to be supportive and identify strategies and resources to mobilize if and when people on our team are impacted.
Practice Responding to Microaggressions (Thursday, February 20, 9:00am BCTS 307)
Microaggressions are the “everyday verbal, nonverbal and environmental slights, snubs or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory or negative messages to target persons solely upon their marginalized group membership (Sue et al, 2010).” Many faculty and staff are now familiar with the concept of microaggressions but still are unsure what to do when they happen. Join the Inclusive Excellence Division team to proactively plan ahead and practice using strategies to respond to microaggressions productively.
Cultivating Empathy When Tragedy Strikes: Supporting ALL students and staff in Times of Crisis (Thursday, March 20, 9:00am, BCST 307)
Our campus, and the country as a whole, repeatedly experiences incidents of violence toward a particular group, often rooted in hate (and even when these are not hate crimes, per se, the communities impacted are often still left living with grief). When these incidents happen, ALL members of our community are harmed, and ALL of us have a responsibility to support our targeted students, colleagues and classmates. This workshop will discuss strategies for being a strong ally to impacted students and colleagues, including how instructors might consider acknowledging the trauma caused by these events with their classes. These strategies are also applicable to major events that clearly impact everyone. The latter part of this session will be an open discussion around how these strategies may be applied around the impact of recent executive order implementation.
Take a Deep Breath: Maintaining Calm and Care in the Face of Conflict (Thursday, April 3, 9:00am BCST 307)
When someone says or does something that we find problematic, it is natural to become anxious (or angry or fearful), but letting your emotions drive your behavior may potentially escalate the situation and create more conflict. In this workshop, we will discuss why these situations can be so stressful and explore strategies for staying in control of our emotions so we can better achieve our goals. Participants will be invited to engage in self-reflection (both during and after the workshop) in order to handle these conversations with compassion and equanimity, for both ourselves and others.
When Conflict Arises in the Workplace – (Thursday, May 1st, 9:00am BCST 307)
Conflict is an inevitable part of working in groups and teams. Conflict is also one of the major reasons many people avoid group projects and other work that depends on other people. In this session, staff will have the opportunity to identify proactive measures to initiate before conflict arises and ways to apply their skills to addressing conflict in ways that build capacity and help people work together better.