Utilizing on-campus expertise
At App State, we have a working group that comprises faculty, staff and students. The individuals who make up this group are monitoring the impact government decisions are having on our campus, and they are providing expertise, guidance and perspective as we teach and learn amid uncertainty. This working group, established and charged by Chancellor Sheri Everts during the spring 2017 semester, is led by Dr. Jacqui Bergman, vice provost for faculty affairs.
We strive to provide support, resources and information to the members of our community who may be experiencing fear and uncertainty related to their citizenship status. Regardless of immigration status, our university will continue to dedicate resources to ensure the safety and well-being of every member of the App State Community.
Individualized support
When it comes to providing support to individuals, this is not a public act, nor is it made public, unless it is done so by the individual, at that person’s discretion. While individuals are free to comment on their experiences to the extent that they are not violating employment or conduct policies, the university administration rarely does so. Sometimes this is because of employment policies and/or state or federal law, and sometimes it is a judgment call made by those who have access to more information than the rest of us have. When you work for or attend App State — or any other higher education institution — you put a certain level of trust in those who manage matters of health, safety and well-being for the institution. Not everyone can and/or will know everything that takes place at every level, but this institution holds as a core value its support for students, faculty and staff, and efforts to do so take place 24/7. If you’re reading this, the chances are high that you’re one of the people who help make our campus a community that cares.
Below are listed some of the more recent and upcoming initiatives specifically related to creating a culture of respect for thought, belief and community at App State. It is by no means exhaustive. On any given day, the university events calendar is filled with excellent programming — much of it open to the public — that evokes meaningful, thoughtful dialogue.
Campus programming
Efforts to reduce bias and foster resiliency include:
The creation of a faculty development program for inclusive excellence through ongoing collaboration between the Center for Academic Excellence, Dr. Brandy Bryson, program director for inclusive excellence, and a core group of faculty coordinators. Read more about the Inclusive Excellence Team’s on-campus work here.
Sustained Dialogue, a dialogue-to-action process for transforming relationships and creating informed community change, now in its fifth year.
Programmatic events such as the “Say What?” summit on freedom of speech, which took place on App State’s campus during the spring 2017 and fall 2018 semesters.
Updates and clarifications to our policy manual during spring and summer of 2017, which led to App State achieving “Green Light” status with the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.
The Inclusion Infusion Summer Diversity Institute hosted on App State’s campus — an event designed to encourage inclusion practices and relationships that support a state of being valued, respected and supported. Dr. Idella Glenn and Thereza Pizzuto of the National Coalition Building Institute co-facilitated the 2019 institute, demonstrating various skills and techniques on how faculty and staff can address difficult community issues and help serve as a resource when emotional campus conflicts emerge.
Professional development workshops offered throughout the year by the Center for Academic Excellence on bullying, conflict, handling criticism, effective communication and similar topics.
A half-day of new faculty orientation dedicated to teaching faculty how to create an inclusive classroom.
A Faculty Senate-sponsored faculty–student listening session held in October 2016 in response to a chalking incident on App State’s campus.
The online reporting system for discrimination, harassment and/or retaliation can be found at report.appstate.edu/.
Education and support initiatives sponsored by the Office of Title IX Compliance.
Faculty research and creative endeavors, such as the expertise of anthropologist Dr. Jon Carter and sociologist Dr. Cameron Lippard, and artwork by ethnographer Ann Pegelow Kaplan.
