By CSU Student Success Network Staff
May 2021
Building on our summer 2020 conversation series, nearly 60 individuals from 17 campuses came together virtually on February 11 to participate in another Navigating Uncertainty Together session. The self-moderated session enabled cross-campus groups of individuals in similar roles to share their experiences over the past year, learn from one another, and collectively identify equity-minded approaches to challenges they are facing in their work. Below, we share some of the themes and strategies that emerged from the conversations.
One important theme that surfaced was the need for grace during these challenging times. Participants emphasized the many ways they have learned to ask for, give, and receive empathy, patience, and flexibility over the past year—and that we need to carry forward these practices with students and one another as our communities continue to face long-standing inequities and deep losses.
Participants also noted that often, our institutional and system policies profess empathy and flexibility, but do not enact it. Creating student-, faculty-, and staff-centered policies that cultivate empathy can be a critical positive change emerging from this difficult year.
We hope you find inspiration and insight for your own work from the conversations summarized here.
The CSU Student Success Network is facilitated by the Education Insights Center (EdInsights) at Sacramento State University. For more information, email studentsuccessnetwork@edinsightscenter.org. or visit the EdInsights and Sacramento State websites.