Upcoming Town Hall
I’m excited to announce our next Division-wide Town Hall will be Thursday, November 16 from 10:00 – 12:00 p.m. in the Glenn Miller Ballroom.
We will be discussing the Foundations of Excellence Initiative with Russell Moore, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. This initiative is a campus-wide effort to evaluate the first-year undergraduate experience. We hope that through this initiative, we can bring together perspectives from faculty, staff and students in a collaborative effort to remove institutional barriers to student progress and collectively contribute to improved student outcomes. I truly look forward to sharing more about the Foundations of Excellence Initiative at our Town Hall as we all look toward the future of higher education.
The “Why” Behind Our Work
There’s a fascinating TED Talk by Simon Sinek on leadership that inspires action, and I strongly encourage you to watch . Sinek discusses the concept of “The Golden Circle” and how we, either as individuals or organizations, can effectively communicate our purpose. He says that it’s easy to communicate what we do and how we do it, but communicating why we do what we do is what drives consumers (in this case, our students) to action.
If we take some time to think about the why of our work in the Division of Student Affairs, we can answer the question of our existence differently: we believe every student deserves to succeed and have a positive, well-rounded experience at CU Boulder - no matter where they come from. We provide support services and resources (the what and the how) that are relevant to students’ needs in order to create an inclusive and optimal environment to succeed– from living and eating on campus, to educating on the importance of health and wellness, to getting involved in the campus community. Student Affairs exists to support students in every aspect of their co-curricular experience at CU Boulder.
Thinking about the why when it comes to what we do, and our purpose, helps drive innovation. I encourage you to start thinking about your why, not only within your department but also at the division-level as we all work toward greater collaboration. I look forward to continuing this dialogue at our Town Hall on November 16.
Sincerely,
Christina Gonzales