Faculty Development Day is scheduled for Wednesday, August 21 , 8:30 a.m.- noon in the Guerrieri Academic Commons Assembly Hall. The focus for this year's event is Reparative Humanism in Higher Education: Recasting Agreements to Humanize Teaching & Learning, which will be led by guest speaker Dr. Mays Imad, associate professor at Connecticut College.
Fostering an empowering and nurturing educational environment means we must address the wellbeing of both students and faculty. Dr. Imad will focus on connecting (or reconnecting) with our students while mitigating the factors leading to faculty burnout, acknowledging that the constant demands and pressures faced by educators and learners alike can lead to exhaustion, cynicism, and a reduced sense of effectiveness.
At the core of the discussion will be the concept of reparative humanism, a philosophical approach dedicated to mending the human condition by embracing humanistic principles. These principles emphasize recognizing the "whole" person and advocating for personal autonomy, self-determination, interconnectedness, social responsibility, and the inherent worth and dignity of every individual, including students and faculty alike.
During the Faculty Development Day event, we will draw upon the insights of educational theorist Laura Rendon, who critiques the exclusive and inequitable "agreements" that underlie traditional higher education to discuss how these frameworks can exacerbate disconnection, stress, and burnout for both students and faculty. For this event, we will extend an invitation to all faculty and academic staff to re-evaluate and transform these agreements so they better reflect our collective humanity, and empower us as educators to nurture not just the intellect, but also the hearts and spirits of our students.
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