Message from the Chair
By: Kristi Lonardo Clemens - Chair, CSJE
Hello Commission Members!
I hope your academic year has gotten off to a great start. I am still adjusting to the “term” system here at Dartmouth College, as opposed to all of my years at institutions on a “semester” system. It makes me more mindful to be inclusive of all of our cycles and schedules!
How wonderful and yet how challenging language can be! Working with students as they navigate their changing perspectives on identity, inclusion, and the language therein, we are regularly reminded of the power of language.
And for us, as administrators, advisors, faculty and beyond- how do we continue to challenge ourselves?
How can we be assured that our colleagues are holding us accountable to the values we espouse and that we are able to hold ourselves accountable? Through all of our years of education, both formal and informal, we have accepted that we are never done learning. Yet it can be difficult in challenging economic times to continue our education formally through an advanced degree, or by attending national conferences.
In the realm of social justice education, sometimes dialogue is the best teaching tool, but with campus responsibilities increasing in the light of staff reductions, finding that time and energy to dialogue may not be possible.
The Directorate Body and I have discussed this challenge at length, and hope that you will take advantage of some of our offerings to keep yourself energized and current.
Now more than ever, we urge you to attend or initiate a “Meet-up” in your area. Josh Walehwa and Erica Geers, our Regional Programming Coordinators, have been working hard with other CSJE members to cover many areas throughout the country. Keep an eye on our listserv for meet-ups in your area, or if you are feeling the need to dig into an issue with some colleagues, please be in touch with them to help you plan. Information on upcoming meet-ups is also available in this newsletter and on our website.
If you are unable to travel, Robbie Routenberg (Institute Coordinator) has started a program called “Dial-A-Dialogue”. The first call took place on October 14, and it was a great conversation. If you have content suggestions for this program, please be in touch with Robbie!
Finally, you will start to see some heavier content here in “Voices”. We feel a responsibility to the field to continue to sort out some issues on facilitation, education, and navigating the complex world that our campuses can feel like. We are lucky to have some great scholars in the field who work closely with our commission, and we are happy to give them the opportunity to share their perspective and good work. If you have feedback on any newsletter pieces or would like to contribute, please feel free to contact me or our newsletter coordinators, Heather Wilhelm and Dre Domingue.
I wish you all the best, and thank you for your continued involvement with and support for the Commission.
Best Regards,
Kristi Clemens
kristi.l.clemens@dartmouth.edu
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