Tuesday, June 4, 2024
2:00 – 3:30 pm ET

Explore Lessons Learned & Prepare Now for a Politically Charged Fall 

The Israel-Hamas war has created an unprecedented and pivotal moment in our history. Administrators are grappling with how to set policies balancing the need to provide ample opportunity for free expression on campus with the need to preserve the daily functioning of the university. As many academic years come to an end, it is time to assess what has transpired across the nation and to proactively prepare for what many predict will be a politically charged fall.

Join us on June 4, 2024, and spend 90 minutes with expert presenters Attorney Allen Groves (Syracuse University) and Dr. Grant Azdell (Randolph-Macon College) as they share their personal experience and insight on policy development, crisis response protocols and managing campus impact when students and community members gather in numbers to express themselves.

Your ability to de-escalate or manage these events will determine whether or not you are able to protect your institution’s academic integrity and withstand political and editorial backlash. Alleviate problems before they occur by ensuring that your policies and procedures dictate an appropriate response.

Topics Covered

Gain crucial, actionable takeaways that will help you:

• Assess what has taken place this spring and gain crucial insights to ensure your campus is prepared for what many predict will be a politically charged fall.
• De-escalate unrest and the resurgence in student/faculty activism while maintaining the daily functioning of your institution.
• Manage and address events involving controversial speakers/organizations, political groups, and protestors, and minimize institutional risk before they come to campus. Ensure appropriate response protocols if it becomes necessary.
• Appreciate examples associated with protests on campuses to help you identify resources, tools, and strategies you can use to manage challenging interactions on your campus.
• Mitigate the impact protesters - on both sides of the issue - have had on civility and the polarizing effect many feel.
• Alleviate problems prior to them occurring by creating policies and procedures to address disruptive and non-disruptive protests, rallies, controversial speakers, and other events.

Presenters

Dr. Grant L. Azdell currently serves as the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, and is a Professor at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia.
Click here for full bio.

Allen Groves serves Syracuse University as Senior Vice President for the Student Experience, the Chief Student Experience Officer of the University.
Click here for full bio.