We work closely with you and to tailor conversations to your specific audiences and needs. Each department and unit is a unique microculture unto itself, and a one-size -fits-all approach to discussing important issues is not effective.

 

Often, it can be useful to have a third-party outside of a department present new ideas and best practices on a topic, even if the group has discussed it before. This approach allows each member of the community to be on equal footing in a conversation as a participant, able to share their professional views on the issue, rather than being asked to defend a topic just because they happened to bring it up.

 

We will work with you to develop the most effective pathway forward so that your department can engage in dialogue on the important issues that we all contend with in academia in the pursuit of the academic mission.

Topics

If you don’t see a specific topic listed, reach out for a consultation to see if we can meet your needs or direct you to an appropriate partner office on campus.

Difficult Dialogues in the Classroom

This is a central challenge for instructors of every level. Shifting student needs, expectations, and styles of engaging mean that even years of experience in the classroom can be rendered ineffective. Many instructors are fearful of straying too far from the syllabus out of concern that a conversation may “go off the rails;” however, in doing so, we risk a hollowing of the academic mission.

Contact us to learn about our facilitated discussions to understand how we got here, concrete language to guide discussions, and best practice guidance to allow your instructors to recenter academics and scholarship.

Academic Leadership

For some, a role in leadership is a chance to make their mark and move their department or unit in a bold new direction. For others, they see an opportunity to serve and give back as a good steward for their colleagues and school. For others, it is a sacrifice; an obligatory role that detracts from time researching or teaching. For many, it is all three at the same time.

Contact us to learn about our private individual consultations as well as group dialogues on academic leadership for people at any stage of their career.

Faculty Hiring

It’s a buyer’s market, and guess what? You’re the seller. Yes, your department has been hiring faculty for many years, yet shifts in the market, particularly, changes in the needs and goals of applicants warrant a review of our current practices to ensure we are engaging in equitable and effective processes to bring the best and brightest to USC.

We help departments understand how they can strengthen their current practices and adapt to new hiring environments. Contact us to learn how we help departments and search committees through tailored, facilitated discussions as well as concrete best practice guidance.

Well-being and Resilience

For many, the challenges of the day make the pursuit of “well-being” seem like a fantasy. For some, the pursuit of personal well-being feels selfish. Yet, in the end, our capacity to achieve any of our goals, even if those goals are to support others, requires us to draw from our own wells to succeed. How do we refill them?

Contact us to learn how we can tailor dialogues and workshops to your unique groups and departments.