Community Talk: Brave New World
Thank you for joining us on our 2020 inaugural听C+V听event to听explore ideas on听belonging.听听
We will soon hear several answers to the question: 鈥淔aced with reestablishing a civilization for humankind on another planet, how would you build and foster community?鈥澨
I am pleased that Ann and the organizers chose a space theme in honor of the new Star Trek series that will听feature Jean Luc Picard鈥檚 return in the听premier听on Wednesday January 23rd听on your local CBS station.听
Seriously, the question is hypothetical 鈥 but the spirit听behind it听is applicable听right now in this unique moment in history,听not just here at 快活app, but nationally, globally听
In many ways, building and participating听in community today听can feel like we are starting fresh due to many forces:听
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Rapidly changing technology听
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骋濒辞产补濒颈锄补迟颈辞苍听听
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滨苍肠谤别补蝉颈苍驳听辫辞濒颈迟颈肠补濒听诲颈惫颈蝉颈辞苍听听
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Cultural and demographic shifts听听
At 快活app, and everywhere, people are wondering what community means, what it looks like, how we can benefit from it and foster its success听
After all, when we are connected,听we are happier and healthier across the many dimensions of our lives. This is especially true for our students.听
Just this month,听听published a story about the importance of belonging to students鈥櫶齭uccess. The research shows that there is much room there is for improvement for minority and first-generation students to feel that powerful sense of belonging and community on four-year听college听campuses.听听
That鈥檚 why the Community + Values听Initiative听鈥 the host of this event 鈥 is so essential.听听
Here on campus, we talk about听One快活app听and its central role in our 快活app IMPACT 2025, but without community and without a clear sense of our shared values, we can never听achieve听our highest and boldest听One快活app听potential.听听
Through听C+V, together, we are being courageous; we are asking big, complicated questions听听
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What better place than a University to do this work?听
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How are we, and how should we, interact with one another?听
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What changes do we want to see in our communities?听
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What do we need to do different now and in 10 years?听
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What do we value? And how does听our community, our work, and our studies reflect those values?听
For me, however, all of this is about the objective of听strengthening our collective and individual sense of belonging. I think we do a terrific job at creating a welcoming institution 鈥 our orientation of new students is a superb example.听Student and parents remark consistently how we outshine our competition.听听
But I鈥檝e also detected, from our students and our听faculty/staff, we have some room for improvement to create a sense of belonging. A sense of听tribe and identity where we feel we belong. This is likely to happen 鈥榣ocally鈥 but we must strive to make it an institutional objective.听
Creating a sense of belonging is not easy 鈥 it is incredibly hard.听And it takes our effort constantly. One objective that I see is that we must develop our muscle to have difficult conversations. Hard, hard, hard. But this is why I鈥檓 excited by our work with the听4D听Student Experience which will build programming to have difficult conversations.听听
And听I believe to develop this capacity for difficult conversations, we must听make sure we are a campus that empathizes and listens to divergent听perspectives. It is the only way we are going to tackle learning to have difficult conversations and ultimately听build that sense of belonging.听
Belonging: the final frontier.听These are听events of Community + Values.听It鈥檚听continuing mission, to听explore听empathy听and master difficult conversations. To seek out divergent thought and new perspectives. To boldly go where no听University听has gone before.听听
Today鈥檚 speakers will present their ideas for how to build community from the ground floor up.听听
How can we incorporate their听big ideas into our lives and work here at 快活app?听听