The Senators Challenge:
Dear Faculty Colleagues,
Welcome to the January issue of
Engage! As you read our first issue of the new year, did you realize that the newsletter is a continuous work in progress, just like the Faculty Senate? The newsletter serves as one way to communicate with faculty by providing current information and updates on the Vanderbilt Community. This month's newsletter includes information, tools, and resources relevant to educators.
I have received several emails from faculty and students letting me know they appreciate the Faculty Senate and Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to Savor Diversity. Many expressed how wonderful the idea is.
On Monday, January 16, 2016, we hosted a Savor Diversity event in my area and we had a wonderful time. Eleven participants including faculty, staff, and one VU student participated. Each participant shared their special contributions and unique qualities that make them different. We spent time discussing various diverse attributes that exists. We looked at how we think and learn, our religious preferences, personality types, gender, racial differences, and beyond. Finally, the group shared positive examples of how diversity strengthens Vanderbilt in an appreciative inquiry format and we discussed how diversity at Vanderbilt results in better outcomes. Examples ranged from better submissions for grants because of diverse teams, to improvement in student thinking because they are challenged to think by looking at facts, not fears.
We also touched on how students feel when they lose their voices in the classroom due to the power differential with professors. We discussed how some professors encourage students to speak up and share their voices by creating safe learning environments, without fear of retribution in class grades or assessments. However, we still have room to grow. As we support our students freedom of expression in the classroom, we must help reduce their fears by encouraging them to share openly and honestly. We agreed that fear of the unknown drives biases and stereotypes. We felt that experiencing life together helps reduce fear by making the unknown known to us.
If you want to host a Savor Diversity event, please do and remember to register your event by clicking on the link:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SavorDiversity
.
Savor Diversity is interesting and fun!
2. Complete your Project Safe Training:
Senators, please take 15 minutes to complete the web-based training.
Our goal is that all senators will complete the training by February 1, 2017.
- Search for the course: Golden Opportunity/Golden Obligation
- Print the Project Safe Logo to place on your door or within your syllabus.
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The January Faculty Senate meeting was almost entirely dedicated to consideration of six important motions that came out of our Senate Affairs and Faculty Manual committees. Important changes were made to Senate leadership succession, Senate quorum requirements, faculty awards, and re-incorporation of the UCC into the faculty manual. We are grateful to the leadership of both of those committees for their diligence.
IMPORTANT: The Senate gladly welcomes your input! All committee motions that are considered by the Senate are placed before the entire faculty, prior to Senate meetings, via the Faculty Senate portal. All faculty members (whose positions are covered by the faculty manual) may offer comments or questions by either reaching out to their elected Senators or submitting their thoughts through the anonymous feedback messenger on the Senate portal.
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1. GO THERE Campaign:
Join the Faculty Senate in support of the Chancellor's campus wide kickoff for the mental health and well-being campaign. The event is hosted by the Office of the Chancellor, in collaboration with the Office of the Provost. It will be held on January 27, 2017, 11:00 am - 2:00 pm in the Student Life Center (SLC) Ballroom. While you are there, please stop by the Faculty Senate table to support our students and faculty.
2.
Engage: We are concerned that all faculty members might not receive their Engage newsletter. Senators, please inquire at your department meetings. Let us know if faculty members are getting their issue of Engage. If they are not, please have them email the Faculty Senate at
facultysenate@vanderbilt.edu
to be added to the distribution list.
3.
Ask the Provost: Provost Susan Wente will be our guest speaker at the February 2 Faculty Senate Assembly meeting. She will be available to answer your questions. Please submit your questions for Provost Wente by 5:00 pm on Monday, January 23, 2017. Submit questions via the
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Continuing our theme on mental health, depression and anxiety are common mental health conditions that are common in the general population (6-7% and 18-20% respectively). (National Institute of Mental Health)
Anxiety
: Anxiety is manifested in various forms including obsessive compulsive disorders, panic attacks, and post-traumatic stress disorder, to name a few. Those with anxiety often experience intrusive thoughts that they cannot turn off. Panic attacks manifest as a sudden onset of symptoms such as fear, a pounding heart, feeling tremulous, and sweating. Some forms of anxiety are treated with CBT and medication as part of the treatment plan. Learn more about anxiety at:
http://www.apa.org/topics/anxiety/index.aspx.
Depression: Those who suffer with depression may experience symptoms of sadness/depressed mood and anhedonia (lost interests in usual activities). They may have trouble with sleep, weight gain or loss, lack of energy, inability to concentrate, and having feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt. Some will experience thoughts of death and in the worse scenario, the patient commits suicide. Treatment is available and if you are concerned you may be depressed. Contact your health care provider for an assessment. Learn more about depression at:
http://www.apa.org/topics/depression/.
Stress:
Stress and stress reactions also contribute to anxious feelings that can affect your mood. Do you experience stress? Most everyone does. What causes your stress? How is your body affected by stress? How do you respond to and recover from stress? Flooding or amygdala hijacking is a stress response. It usually results in a feeling of being overwhelmed and is accompanied by a rapid heart rate and shallow breathing and sweating. Click on the link to learn more about stress reactions.
Flooding is a normal response. Some people flood faster or more frequently than others. How likely are you to flood? Take this self-assessment developed by John M. Gottman.
[Take flooding assessment here]
Chronic
stress can affect your health and memory. Your behaviors when stressed can affect those around you. How does your stress impact your students, peers/colleagues, and family? Watch the video below.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a process that allows you to focus your mind and re
duce stress reactions. For a quick introduction to mindfulness watch
60 Minutes Special on Mindfulness
by Anderson Cooper. (12 min) The
University of Massachusetts, Center for Mindfulness
has resources that can help individuals who flood and want to use mindfulness as a method to manage stress. Consider trying their web-based, self-guided MBST program. (
http://www.umassmed.edu/cfm/
) Also consider using a meditation app such as Headspace or Calm (free) to prompt you to practice MBSR daily or weekly. You can also incorporate your spiritual and emotional wellness into your MBSR.
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The Faculty Senate
celebrated the holidays with a recognition and appreciation luncheon. The celebration was Friday, December 16. During this time we expressed our Senator appreciation as we recognized those who have gone above and beyond during the first semester. We gave a certificate of appreciation to Senators Scott Pearson, Lou Outlaw, Xenofon
Koutsoukos, Brooke Ackerly, and Brian Heuser.
Ex- officios, Richard Willis, and Ann Price also received certificates. Thank you, Senators! We admire your hard work. Thank you to everyone who attended the luncheon, including Dean Phillipe Fauchet, Vice Chancellor George Hill and General Counsel Audrey Anderson.
Any Senator interested in serving as Faculty Senate leadership on the Executive Committee or as a Standing Committee Chairperson, please contact the EC. We will provide insight into all leadership activities.
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Dean Philippe Fauchet, School of Engineering, has been named a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. This distinction recognizes inventors who have a patent issued from the United States Patent and Trademark Office and who have created or facilitated superior inventions that impact quality of life, economic development and the greater good of society. With more than 30 years of experience in silicon photonics, he holds 10 patents and is co-founder of SiMPore Inc., a nanotechnology company that designs and produces membranes and membrane-enabled products.
Fauchet is the author of more than 400 publications, and has edited 14 books. He is a Fellow of the Optical Society of America, the American Physical Society, the Materials Research Society, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and the International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE). He serves on various boards for industrial and governmental entities.
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Chancellor's Mental Health and Well-being Campaign Kickoff
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Brightspace will replace Blackboard, the university's current course management system. It was chosen after an in depth needs assessment and vendor selection process which involved faculty, students, and staff. The transition from Blackboard to Brightspace will occur in stages, beginning this month. The transition will finish in June. During and after the transition, the Vanderbilt
Center for Teaching will provide training and support for faculty and students using Brightspace. Provost Susan R. Wente said, "The move to Brightspace is part of Vanderbilt's ongoing strategic effort to embrace educational technologies that foster innovation in learning, teaching and discovery. Brightspace is a modern, responsive course management system that will support effective teaching across the entire campus."
Details of the transition and updates are available at:
https://www.vanderbilt.edu/brightspace.
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A
ny senator with thoughts, concerns or new business for the Executive Committee to address can
submit them in writing to the EC via
email
or anonymously via the
Faculty Senate Portal
Feedback
Form.
Your comments are expected and appreciated.
Wishing you a safe, healthy and productive 2017!
From Your
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