Dear ACPA Members,
Here we are again at the start of a new academic year! Having worked on a college campus for 25 years before transitioning to the association industry, I have fond memories of the electricity that can be felt on a college campus. I even have positive memories of the never-ending weekdays and long nights side-by-side with colleagues committed to making the best fresh start for thousands of students. For new students and their families, this time of year can be both exciting and frightening. For returning students, this time of year is hopefully filled with joyful reunions, recalibrating goals and expectations, and focusing forward on what is yet to come.
For staff and faculty, I know the feeling of being torn by both excitement and dread at this time of year. I am certain that you can also motivated by the electricity of campus openings and activities but have likely not had enough time or rest over the summer months since the closing of the last academic term to feel fully prepared for the new term ahead. Now that I am employed in the non-profit world in support of higher education, I admit that I am vicariously receiving energy from the members and volunteer leaders of this great association while also being grateful to not be feeling the same pressures and challenges that often define this time of year. One of my life philosophies is the core belief that “more than one thing can be true at the same time,” and there is no other time of the professional calendar that I live amongst this tension.
If you are feeling filled with both excitement and dread right now as you begin the new term, you are not alone. I think it’s important that we talk about it with colleagues and loved ones, so we have somewhere to place that energy in hope that it does not shape how we show up with and for students in our work. If you’re a supervisor, I encourage you to hold space for your staff to check-in with you and each other regularly. If you’re a staff member and feel safe to do so, I hope you will find moments to share with your supervisor and colleagues that it would be beneficial to check-in on each other’s humanity and well-being during this peak period in higher education…if not year-round. These conversations can be difficult to initiate and something we routinely advocate to our students with roommates, classmates, romantic partners, organizational leaders, and more, yet we struggle to follow our own guidance. It is my lived experience and my professional observation over many years that we in higher education are among the best in creating space and facilitating difficult dialogues for students in conflict or crisis, yet we (yes, I include myself) are horrible at following our own practice in and out of the workplace.
We are at our busiest in higher education in the first weeks of the fall term, yet there is much happening in the world around us that requires our attention and action. When we are working late nights and weekends to create welcoming experiences and environments for students, we tend to minimize, or even avoid, some of the challenging things happening around us. As the fall 2023 term begins, our colleagues in numerous states are facing attacks on efforts related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Higher education continues to deal with public, political, and cultural scrutiny, and the negative rhetoric and legislative nightmares will likely be with us for several years to come… and definitely through the U.S. Presidential election in 2024. I cringe to say it, but I think we are only experiencing the tip of the iceberg and there is much below water that will continue to surface in the coming months.
All that preamble to say this: “Congratulations on the start of a new term!” AND keep your attention focused forward on the importance of creating space for difficult conversations because there is much that depends on our bravery in the next year. It is only through the humanization of others’ experiences and perspectives will we bridge the numerous divisions that separate us culturally, ideologically, and politically. I ask that you join me in a pledge to be better at creating space for difficult conversations at work and in your life beyond work. When was the last time you invited a family member with different values or political views to talk about their perspectives on critical issues facing our society and/or higher education? It is scary to think about inviting conflict into our relationships, but it is the only way we will create a more understanding, appreciative, accepting, and loving world. I once heard ACPA member Jonathan Poullard say, “I can disagree with you vehemently and hold you close at heart at the same time.” Wow. This statement has stuck with me for many years and fits in line with my life philosophy of holding multiple truths simultaneously. Can you imagine would our world be like if we embrace each other through times of conflict and tension rather than distancing ourselves when things get too hard?
Amidst the busy and excitement of the start of a new academic year, can we make a commitment to each other that we will initiate at least one difficult conversation this fall term with the hope of strengthening our relationships with colleagues, supervisors, family members, friends, etc.? I invite you will share your stories with me of how and when you prioritized creating loving, yet challenging conversations over the next several months.
In solidarity,
Chris Moody, Ed.D.
ACPA Executive Director