Fall Programming Highlights

November 07, 2022

Submitted By: Office of Diversity, Equity, and Community Engagement

Here is another opportunity to experience some of the diversity, equity, inclusion, social justice, and belonging (DEIJB) programs held during the first half of the fall 2022 semester. Through these programs and important topics, our goals are to provoke thought and inspire action that will contribute to a campus climate of inclusion. We encourage you to visit the links to the recordings included below.

Fall 2022 Annual DEIJB Professional Development Program – Better Together: Fostering a Culture of Empathy and Respect

Educator and author Tim Wise joined us virtually to discuss the ways in which practicing empathy and respect cultivates a more inclusive and welcoming campus culture and how we can embed these qualities into our daily interactions in the UHart community. He shared three key principles to building a culture of empathy and respect:

Listen to what people are telling you, even if it is difficult to hear.
Trust that people know their experiences, better than you know their experiences.
We all need to have radical humility around our own frame of reference.

Wise stated, “Radical humility is important. It isn't just the academic substance, it’s realizing that all of our lenses are shaped by experience.” He continued on to say, “The first question that someone asks when they’re engaged in radical humility is, ‘Why is that triggering me so much? Why is that statement bothering me? What is it about it that’s got me upset? Why do I not resonate with that, and why does that not resonate with me?’”

View the recording of this professional development program here (please note: you will need to sign in with your University of Hartford email and password to view this recording).

Tim Wise, Author and Educator

September Learning Circle: Awakening Your Critical Consciousness

Focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, social justice, and belonging (DEIJB) topics, Learning Circles offer a brave space and an opportunity for professionally facilitated discussions. Prof. Kristin “KC” Comeforo kicked off the yearlong series of Learning Circles with a conversation about “Awakening Your Critical Consciousness.” KC walked attendees through the steps of awakening our critical consciousness through the processes of reflection, recognition, and action. By understanding how we are all implicated in systems of oppression and how different forms of oppression intersect and overlap, we are better able to recognize the ways in which we can each affect change.

View the recording of the September Learning Circle here.

Prof. Kristin “KC” Comeforo

Indigenous People’s Day - Land Acknowledgment Ceremony

With the guidance of the Golden Hill Paugussett, the Amplifying Indigenous Voices Working Group in collaboration with the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Community Engagement and a Faculty Learning Community, crafted a proposal that sought to recognize the history of Native peoples’ territories, raise awareness, and amplify Indigenous voices on the University of Hartford campus. Clan Mother Shoran Waupatukuay Piper and members of the Golden Hill Paugussett tribe joined us on campus to share insights on the importance of acknowledging the history and traditional stewards of the land on which we learn, work, and live.

In addition to hearing from tribal leaders, campus administrators also offered remarks about the importance of taking action and continuing the work of making our campus and community more just. In her comments, interim provost Katherine Black stated, “Institutions of higher education, like the University of Hartford, must ensure students learn and understand the true history of this country. In partnership with Indigenous People, together we can envision what reparative justice would look like and empower us all to make change."

View the recording of the ceremony here. Read more about the UHart Land Acknowledgment here. To join the Amplifying Indigenous Voices Working Group, email Judy Wyman Kelly.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day Land Acknowledgement Ceremony

If you have feedback about the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Community Engagement's DEIJB programs thus far this semester, please complete this brief form and/or contact Christine Grant, Assistant Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Community Engagement (cgrant@hartford.edu; 860-768-4220) and/or Lisa Coté, Assistant Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (licote@hartford.edu; 860-768-4932).