More than 100 students, staff, administrators, deans and faculty at the University of Colorado at Boulder gathered to discuss strategies for enhancing the campus environment at the Chancellor's Retreat on Community, held Sept. 22 at the University Club.
"This is what a university is supposed to be about聴learning about different points of view and talking with people you don't know to find ways to create a community that is supportive and enriching," said Chancellor Byyny.
The meeting was coordinated by the Building Community Campaign Committee, a group that has been meeting for the past year to address issues, concerns and perceptions about the lack of a feeling of community on the Boulder campus.
Elease Robbins, interim associate vice chancellor for student affairs and dean of students, is chair of the building community campaign committee.
"This is a great start for including the campus in discussions regarding building community," Robbins said. "A wide variety of people had an opportunity to explore the issues from multiple perspectives."
Jack Kelso, emeritus professor of anthropology and faculty ombudsperson, Jennifer Lyn Simpson, doctoral student and research associate for the building community campaign and Brenda J. Allen, associate chair and associate professor of the communication department, gave motivating speeches on the importance of improving the sense of belonging at CU-Boulder. They also addressed the challenges that inhibit it.
Excerpts from their speeches will be printed in the Oct. 8 edition of the campus newspaper, the Carillon.
Fifteen small groups assembled to discuss the definition of community, inhibitors to enhancing community, and what can be done collectively and individually to promote community on the campus.
Following are some of the strategies that were presented:
* Examine and revise campus reward systems that recognize competition over collaboration.
* Involve faculty and include an academic focus on defining and developing a supportive community.
* Create shared values, purpose and experiences by building traditions of community meetings and celebrations, which evolve over time and are flexible, so that all people feel included.
* Plant seeds of courtesy, civility, welcoming and caring. One simple strategy is to acknowledge and greet other people.
* Work together to rally around things the community agrees on. The analogy of an athletic team was used as an example of teambuilding, working together for a common goal in spite of differences.
* Take risks to offer mutual support, respect, trust and acceptance of others.
* Appreciate and respect others' differences.
* Include underrepresented groups and people not associated with a particular group in community-building activities.
* Integrate existing campus groups to be a part of a larger community.
* Celebrate the positives of the campus community and appreciate small successes.
* Examine and change physical spaces to encourage community interactions.
For more information on the building community campaign, or to nominate someone who has done something great for the community, visit the Web site at .