Thursday, October 17, 2024
2:00 – 3:30 pm ET

Build Connection & A Sense of Belonging with Inclusion, Respect & Dignity in Campus Efforts

Students are looking for connection and a sense of belonging. One way of doing this is in celebrating and observing their holidays, festivals and religious traditions. But doing so in a meaningful, respectful and inclusive way can be challenging – especially at public institutions. Faculty and administrators are tasked with the challenge of creating meaningful spaces for celebration and ensuring safety and respect for all beliefs. It can be a difficult juxtaposition. 

Join us on October 17, 2024 when our presenter will explore strategies for cultivating an inclusive environment through recognizing and celebrating holidays and observances. Ensure voices and experiences are honored during these times by focusing on inclusion, respect and dignity in campus efforts. 

Topics Covered

Gain crucial, actionable takeaways that will help you:

• Focus on themes of belonging and connection to support retention and persistence efforts.
• Equip your staff with the tools they need to build support and create meaningful partnerships for promoting diverse events - find ways to maximize impact and not over-burden employees.
• Be proactive to avoid microaggressions and macro aggressions that can occur around these observances.
• Dismantle the fear and anxiety that can often be attributed to holidays and celebrations on campus due to cultural appropriation or misappropriation by ensuring these events are meaningful, engaging, developmental and honor the history and reasons behind their importance.
• Create innovative ways to highlight a variety of known and lesser-known important dates and observances throughout the year by engaging your campus community in a variety of ways that are inclusive, educational and appropriate. 
• Manage fallout if events go poorly or are met with protest. 
  

Presenter

Ali Martin Scoufield (she/her) is a scholar-practitioner with twenty years of experience working and leading in higher education. Ali believes in the importance of blending research with practical application and demonstrates this as a Doctoral Teaching Fellow and Research Assistant at Cleveland State University (CSU).
Click here for full bio.