In a previous newsletter, we addressed academic burnout and vitality. Well, in the middle of a pandemic, those topics seem as quaint as discussions of the 2025 enrollment cliff. How I long for those days! But for all of you leading in this state of continuing crisis, here are some resources:
For All of Us
- Many of you may have already seen the HBR article on anticipatory grief and anxiety and how it may affect day-to-day behavior. For those of us who have experienced significant loss, we know grief accretes — it can sneak up on us, emerge when we least expect it, and otherwise catch us off guard. As leaders and colleagues, our current situation makes the normal May end-of-year stress and attendant “interesting” behavior by colleagues (or ourselves!) look like a walk in the park.
- Here are some extended resources for dealing with this “emotional overdrive” as a leader:
For Faculty & Staff
- The Graduate School of Social Work has put together a list of community resources including health and wellness, community support, resources for children, volunteer opportunities and news sources.
- Join us April 8th from 10-11 am at the Heart of Higher Education (HOHE) with Dr. Paul Michalec. HOHE is a place for staff, faculty, and academic administrators to explore the complex thoughts and emotions that accompany stress, uncertainty, and ambiguity together. This long standing resource has gone virtual to support us all.
For Faculty
- OTL’s latest post for faculty teaching now: On Cognitive Load & Learning Under Stress
- Faculty UnMeetings Join us on Friday, April 10th from 10:00-11:00 by Zoom.
Are you looking for an informal and casual place to gather with faculty to connect, reflect, share stories and ideas, and find community in this uncertain time?If so, join Dr. Paul Michalec (Faculty Fellow, OTL) and Dr. Laura Sponsler (Resident Scholar – Teaching and Professional Faculty) for a faculty unmeeting on Fridays at 10am, throughout the spring quarter.The goals for this unmeeting are simple: to be together, build new relationships, share teaching stories, and strengthen our community through conversation and reflection.WE invite all DU faculty in all ranks and series to join us for this drop-in session. No agenda. No program. Just an opportunity to log in and be present to your experiences and the stories of your colleagues.
For Students
- OTL Learning resources for students: Keep Learning Remotely