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CEHHS A&E Summit

Fostering Belonging

April 8 – April 14, 2024

Belonging Starts Here. Join us for the 2024 CEHHS A&E Summit, where we will explore the theme of Fostering Belonging in education, health, and human sciences. This event will feature inspiring speakers, interactive workshops, and networking opportunities for students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community partners. Learn how to create inclusive and supportive environments that promote access and engagement for all. Don’t miss this chance to connect with others as we envision a more inclusive CEHHS, UT Knoxville, and world.

Register for the 2024 CEHHS A&E Summit Events

Curated Resource Guide: Fostering Belonging

If you belong, you stay. CEHHS A&E offers a list of resources about fostering belonging as part of the 2024 CEHHS A&E Summit. This guide emphasizes the importance of understanding diverse backgrounds and experiences to foster emotional, social, and cognitive development, ultimately contributing to a cohesive and vibrant community. These resources are available through the UT Library and online.

Together We Strive: Insights from CEHHS Staff

Learn the Secrets to Fostering Belonging! Join us for an enriching panel discussion that features valuable perspectives and experiences shared by members of the CEHHS staff. Gain unique insights into fostering belonging, building collaborations, and promoting a thriving community within our institution. This event will be helpful to staff members and their supervisors in enhancing our shared understanding or organizational dynamics and fostering a supportive work environment. Don’t miss this event on Tuesday, April 9th from 12 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. ET in-person (Claxton Education Building, Room 205/206) or online (Zoom). Food will be provided for in-person participants.

Event Details

Tuesday, April 9, 2024
12 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. ET
Claxton Education Building, Room 205/206
Zoom

Centering the Marginalized: Exploring Shared Equity Leadership to Enhance Belonging

Research has shown that too much emphasis is placed on equity leadership in the form of activities that focus solely on changing inequitable policies (Kezar et al., 2021). To push past this approach and engage in more transformative practices, this workshop explores a new framework called Shared Equity Leadership (SEL) to help university stakeholders shift out of neutral. By engaging with SEL, participants will learn how to expand the work of leadership by including more people in a variety of positions and roles who can work together to promote more just and equitable outcomes. Presentation by Jamal-Jared Alexander, assistant professor with the UT Knoxville Department of English.

Event Details

Wednesday, April 10, 2023
1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. ET
Claxton Education Building, Room 205/206
Zoom

Sunday | Comforts of Home: Foodies Unite Potluck

Let’s Eat! Bring your favorite homemade dish and share in the joy of communal dining. It’s a perfect opportunity to showcase your culinary skills, savor a variety of flavors, mingle with fellow food enthusiasts, and frolic through the gardens and green space. Don’t miss out on this feast of fellowship and deliciousness! Join this Communities of Care event on Sunday, April 14 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the UT Gardens.

Part of the Foodies Unite and Caregivers of Children Communities of Care.

Event Details

Thursday, April 14, 2023
4 p.m. – 6 p.m. ET
UT Gardens Friendship Pavilion


Previous Summits

At the Overlap: Intersectionality

April 10 – April 14, 2023

Keynote: Navigating DEI During Contemporary Times

Intersectionality? What’s that? In this webinar, panelists will define and explain “intersectionality,” specifically how this concept connects to creating inclusive spaces. From each of their lenses and experiences, panelists will discuss concepts and experiences relating to their own intersectional identities as well as their communities. The webinar will include structured and audience questions.

Additional Events:

  • Curated Resource Guide: Intersectionality (Monday, April 10)
  • “You Can Teach That:”: A K-13 Tool Kit for Navigating Divisive Concepts (Tuesday, April 11)
  • The Power of Language: Telling Your Story with Equity & Inclusion (Wednesday, April 12)
  • Engaging in Cultural Humility: Partnership with Nonprofits (Thursday, April14)

Accessing the (In)Accessible

April 4 – April 8, 2022

Keynote: Rocky Top Representation: How Might the University of Tennessee Create More Equitable Access? (Friday, April 8)

Having people who hold different identities in the same space does not mean we have achieved representation, solved access concerns, or addressed equity issues. Creating an environment focused on diversity, inclusion, equity, and justice requires attention to and action on each of the dimensions that create a campus climate and culture. Utilizing a systemic lens and inviting analysis of internal and external elements, Sonja Ardoin, PhD, will offer practical strategies to advance equitable access for students who hold minoritized identities at the University of Tennessee.

Additional Events:

  • Affirming Gender Diversity on Campus (Monday, April 4)
  • Retention and Recruitment of Underrepresented Graduate Students of Color (Tuesday, April 5)
  • Cognizance of Bias: Exploring Ways to Acknowledge and Address Bias as Inclusive Leaders (Wednesday, April 6)
  • Dialogues with the Dean and Dorian (Thursday, April 7)