Students and employees began gathering last week to participate in a series of discussions intended to foster shared understanding during the ongoing Tivoli Quad protests. The Listening Sessions are meant to create a brave space for members of the Metropolitan State University of Denver community to share feelings and perspectives on the complex set of issues surrounding the protests.
To facilitate these important conversations, MSU Denver leaders turned to a team of Student Affairs and Academic Affairs leaders as well as organizers of the Dialogues Program, which brings people together to deeply engage in listening and share experiences and to remain open to perspectives other than their own.
The team hosted three sessions last week, two specifically for students and one for faculty and staff members. The sessions were open only to Roadrunners who completed the participation form provided in recent communications from President Janine Davidson, Ph.D.
Sessions are purposefully being kept small to ensure that each participant has an opportunity to speak and be heard. Each gathering begins with introductions, after which facilitators ground the group in the session’s purpose and help members establish group norms.
“We take time to discuss how we are feeling about what’s happening on campus, nationally and globally,” said Elise Krumholz, assistant director of Restorative Justice and Student Conflict Resolution, “but we also identify needs of our MSU Denver community in engaging in deeper dialogue, education or other ways to support students, faculty and staff.”
Creating space for important conversations
The Listening Sessions provide a space for MSU Denver students, faculty members and staff members to process campus demonstrations and to gather community members’ concerns, needs, questions and ideas to help address current tensions and to help the University plan dialogue and education-based efforts, Krumholz said.
The Listening Sessions are a first step in planning dialogues. While those conversations will take time to build, University leaders know there is a strong need for listening now. Facilitators will capture high-level themes, ideas, concerns and questions to share with University leaders who are planning next steps.
What’s next
Facilitators will schedule additional Listening Sessions in the coming weeks to ensure that a broad representation of voices is heard. Please fill out the form to indicate your interest in participating.
“The overall objective is to better understand the needs of students, faculty and staff so that the University can intentionally implement programming that supports generative conflict resolution and community connections despite differences,” Krumholz said.
The sessions are a shared effort between the Student Affairs and Academic Affairs branches, and facilitators from both areas will be present at each session.
Those supporting the logistics and facilitation of the Listening Sessions include:
- Student Affairs:
- Elise Krumholz, assistant director of Restorative Justice and Student Conflict Resolution
- Lynn Teasley, interim assistant director of Student Accountability and Behavioral Intervention
- Academic Affairs:
- Katia Campbell, Ph.D., associate dean in the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
- Christina Foust, Ph.D., professor, Communication Studies
- Elisa Varela, Ph.D., assistant professor, Communication Studies
- Shayla Bischoff, assistant to the associate vice president for Undergraduate Studies
