Becoming One UT
Student Success and Leadership during Turbulent Times
The 2020 Academic Affairs and Student Success event was held virtually, Oct. 26-30 at 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. EDT each day.
UT Academic and Student Affairs Virtual Summit Program
Monday, Oct. 26, 2020
10:00-11:30 AM EDT
Session Title:
Compassion Fatigue: Assessing the Wellbeing of our Faculty and Staff During COVID
These are unprecedented times and many of us are being asked to constantly accommodate the needs of others. However, we are not able to assess the toll that this constant state of caregiving is taking on our own personal wellness. In this session, we will explore the concept of compassion fatigue and how it relates to our current environment. We will also assess the messaging that higher education professionals have received in regard to self-care. Have institutions adequately responded to the needs of staff and faculty during this time? We will wrap up our time with a discussion focused on how our institutions can empower both faculty/staff to care for their own wellbeing. Please come prepared to participate in an interactive discussion.
Speakers:
Kayce Matthews, director, Tennessee Coalition for Healthy and Safe Campus Communities (CHASCo)
Jordan Owens, statewide training specialist, Tennessee Sexual Assault Center
Presentation Video: Session 1: Compassion Fatigue: Assessing the Wellbeing of Our Faculty and Staff During COVID
Presentation: Session 1: Compassion Fatigue, Kayce Matthews and Jordan Owens
Resources
- Overwhelmed: The real campus mental-health crisis and new models for well-being
- Infographic: COVID-19’s Impact on Mental Health and Workplace Well-being
- EAB: Provide holistic mental health and well-being support for your faculty and staff during COVID-19
- EAB: COVID-19 Employee Mental Health Support Audit and Resource Guide
- Video: Beyond the Cliff
- Facebook Group: Higher Ed and the Coronavirus
- Poem: The Oak Tree by Johnny Ray Ryder Jr.
- YouTube Channel: Rescue & Restore
- Video: Mindful Breathing (3-minute exercise)
- YouTube: Yoga Nidras relaxation exercises
- App: Insight Timer
- App: Sanvello
- App: Calm
- App: Headspace
- Music: Jazz for Cooking
Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020
10:00-11:30 AM EDT
Session Title:
Campuses and Viewpoint Diversity: Why It Matters and How to Foster It
Why does viewpoint diversity matter on campus in general and in the classroom in particular? While various answers have been offered for this question, one may be the most salient: Currently, campuses are not educating students in a way that prepares them to interact with the wide range of viewpoints they’ll encounter in society. For example, on the most sensitive issues that touch identity, students regularly go through their education believing that certain perspectives are above criticism or questioning, except by those of questionable morals. However, this narrow approach works directly against the goal of strong, cohesive communities. Participants will come away with a better understanding of why change is needed and suggestions for how to make it happen.
Speaker:
Ilana Redstone, associate professor of sociology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Diverse Perspectives Consulting LLCPresentation: Session 2: Viewpoint Diversity, Ilana Redstone
Resources
- Don’t Label Me: How to Do Diversity without Inflaming the Culture Wars
- YouTube Series: Beyond Bigots and Snowflakes
- Diversity in Academe: Do Colleges Quash Conservative Views?
- Unassailable Ideas: How Unwritten Rules and Social Media Shape Discourse in American Higher Education
- Nonprofit Viewpoint Diversity Group: Heterodox Academy
- Online Modules: Open Mind Platform for Constructive Dialogue
Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020
10:00-11:30 AM EDT
Session Title:
Talk Is Cheap, But Also Priceless: The Role the First Amendment Plays on America’s Campuses
Join us for an engaging exploration of the First Amendment’s five freedoms and how they apply at colleges and universities. From assembly and protests to controversial speakers and academic freedom, the First Amendment provides the foundation for the marketplace of ideas on campus. This session will detail what our free expression rights do – and do not – protect, and how these constitutional guarantees can enrich higher education. Participants will be invited to consider the application of these five freedoms to campuses in the UT System.
Speaker:
Ken Paulson, director, Free Speech Center, Middle Tennessee State University; professor, Recording Industry DepartmentPresentation: Session 3: First Amendment, Ken Paulson
Resources
- FIRE: First Amendment Library
- UT Systemwide Free Speech Policy for Faculty and Students
- Tennessee Campus Free Speech Protection Act
- Discussion Guide for Children: Your Voice is Your Superpower
- FIRE: Free Speech Zones
- MTSU First Amendment Center
- Subscription: MTSU Free Speech Newsletter
Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020
10:00-11:30 AM EDT
Session Title:
Who’s Afraid of Office Hours? (Who Knows What They Even Are?)
This session investigates what influences students’ engagement with college officials. Participants will discuss the potential outcomes of students adopting different engagement strategies in a system that typically rewards just a select few. As student success depends on accessing resources inside and outside the classroom, we will think collaboratively about how to help both students and the counselors, mentors and professors who work with them through the college transition process. Lastly, participants will consider the distinct needs of students of color and other vulnerable groups at UT and discuss how to best serve these students in 2020.
Speaker:
Anthony Jack, assistant professor, Harvard University Graduate School of Education
Presentation Video: Who’s Afraid of Office Hours? (And Who Knows What They Even Are?)
Presentation: Session 4: Office Hours, Anthony Jack
Resources
- The Privileged Poor: How Elite Colleges Are Failing Disadvantaged Students
- Race Dialogues: A Facilitator’s Guide to Tackling the Elephant in the Classroom
- NYT Article: I Was a Low-Income College Student. Classes Weren’t the Hard Part.
Friday, Oct. 30, 2020
10:00-11:30 AM EDT
Session Title:
Becoming One UT: Leadership During Crisis and Unpredictability
This year has been filled with unprecedented circumstances that have greatly impacted day-to-day functions within the UT System and the lives of faculty, staff and students. Navigating the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with racial, social and political tensions that impact our nation and local communities, has required university employees to lead in new and unfamiliar ways. In this panel discussion, participants will share their reflections about leadership during a period of crisis and unpredictability, highlight lessons learned and discuss how each university employee can provide leadership in their current role as we look to the future.
Speakers:
Donde Plowman, chancellor, UT Knoxville
Keith Carver, chancellor, UT Martin
Gina Stafford, assistant vice chancellor, Office of Communications and Marketing, UT Chattanooga
Lori Gonzalez, vice chancellor for academic, faculty and student affairs, UT Health Science Center
Panel Discussion: Session 5: Becoming One UT: Leadership During Crisis and Unpredictability
Resource