Fall 2019 Connectivity Series Re-cap | Winter 2020
Active Bystanders: Studies, Stories, and Systems
From October 28 to October 30, AdvanceRIT hosted 4 Active Bystander Workshops with the College of Liberal Arts (COLA). The goals of these sessions were to bring awareness to the importance of being an active bystander in situations of microaggression. The workshops focused on tackling microaggressions as a bystander through the use of “micro-interventions.” The intent of the micro-intervention is to first make the microaggression visible, then disarm the microaggression, educate the perpetrator, and finally seek external reinforcement.
Feedback of the four workshops was overwhelmingly positive, with more than 80% of attendees anticipating making changes to their current practices as a result of attending this session, as well as reporting that this session has enhanced the way they perceive the issue. In terms of the most significant takeaways from this workshop many commented about being more aware, and sensitive to those around them, as well as what they can do in their role. When asked what they can do differently as a result of the session multiple individuals said that they are going to look into their own micro-aggressive behavior, and always be open to the people and resources around them. Overall this session was effective for people to take a deeper look into being an active bystander and dealing with microaggressions.
Connectivity Series: Florence Hudson and Susan Puglia
Florence Hudson, founder and CEO of FD Hint, and Susan Puglia, retired Vice President of IBM, hosted two interactive workshops on October 24, 2019, to provide faculty and staff with tools to advance their professional and career development as well as improve work-life integration. The first session, “Creating an Inclusive and Vibrant Working Environment and the GROW Model, for Coaching Yourself and Others,” focused on how to promote vibrant working environments through mentoring, coaching, and sponsorship. The second session, “Roundtable Discussion on Work Life Balance,” centered on an open discussion where Florence, Susan, and other RIT faculty shared experiences and methods to successfully manage their personal and professional lives.
Feedback from the two workshops were positive, with more than 75% agreeing that these sessions enhanced the way they think about the topics/issues discussed. Furthermore, over 60% of attendees planned to change their current practices to both support inclusive and vibrant working environments as well as improve work-life integration. Overall, the session was beneficial, with many attendees commented on the GROW model (set Goals, assess Reality, determine Options, Work it) and establishing networks as the main takeaways of the two events.