Inclusive Leadership Virtual Workshops Available to Faculty And Staff

The Ivy+ Faculty Advancement Network launched the free workshops, which will take place on Dec. 7 and 14, Jan. 23, and Feb. 15.

The Ivy+ Faculty Advancement Network has launched an inclusive leadership virtual workshop series

The free workshops are available to faculty and staff through Dartmouth's institutional membership in the Faculty Advancement Network (FAN), which includes 12 national research universities that collaborate to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the American professoriate.

"Participating a FAN workshop is a great way to connect with colleagues at other institutions and learn new ideas," says Michelle Warren, senior advisor for faculty development, diversity, and inclusion for the Arts and Sciences. "The ones I've joined in the past were full of useful information and well-designed interactive sessions."

Navigating Sensitive Topics in Your Teaching and Research Spaces 
Thursday, Dec. 7, 12 p.m.–1:30 p.m. 
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Discussing contentious and difficult topics in the classroom is an essential part of the learning experience. These topics provide opportunities for deepening understanding of complex issues and learning about different perspectives and approaches, but they can also create dynamics that are not consistent with the values of constructive, respectful, and inclusive dialogue. Faculty must also navigate the fine line between tenets of academic freedom and respectful engagement with students. 

In this interactive workshop moderated by Gary Bennett, dean of the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences at Duke University, faculty will discuss strategies and best practices to foster learning environments where such dialogue can take place and discuss how to manage challenging conversations and interactions in the classroom.
 
How to Manage Yourself and Have More Productive Conversations with Colleagues
Thursday, December 14, 1–3 p.m.
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This workshop will be moderated by three professionals from the Center for Workplace Development at Harvard University: Terry Barton, director of employee learning and development; Valy Bayer, senior learning and development specialist; and Chelsey Platt Angelone, senior training program manager. 

The workshop will focus on conversations that may feel "difficult", go awry, or end without immediate resolution. You will be encouraged to reflect on your own real-life examples and embrace a learning stance to expand understanding of the other's point of view.

During the session you will:

  • Explore Chris Argyris' "Ladder of Inference" and how it relates to you and these conversations.
  • Discuss ways to break free of assumptions, increase self-awareness and decrease the tension that causes communication difficulties.
  • Identify what you can apply moving forward.

The Prepared Faculty Leader: A Conversation with John Jackson and Erika James 
Tuesday, January 23, 12–1 p.m.
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This session features University of Pennsylvania Provost John L. Jackson, Jr. in conversation with Erika H. James, Dean of the Wharton School, about advice for faculty in leadership roles.

Teaching Excellence and Free Expression
Thursday, Feb. 15, 3:30–5 p.m. 
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From time to time, a professor or a student group exercises their right to free expression in ways that roil the campus. Questions emerge about the climate of inclusion and about how far is too far with regards to our freedoms. Frederick Wherry of Princeton University leads this inquiry on addressing those questions.