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Campus Announcements

Reimagining the Academy conference Sept. 20-21

Open to all; free registration by Sept. 6

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Campus Announcements

Reimagining the Academy conference Sept. 20-21

Published •

Miami University, Kent State University, and Bowling Green State University have joined forces for September’s Reimagining the Academy Conference that will focus on topics related to inclusive excellence.

Miami will host the conference on Friday, Sept. 20, and Saturday, Sept. 21, in the Armstrong Student Center. The “Coalition-Building in a Divided World” theme builds on the success of last year’s conference at Kent State. 

Cristina Alcalde, vice president for Transformational and Inclusive Excellence, said, “We are so excited for Miami to host the conference, and for attendees from across Ohio to network, learn, and connect with one another as they participate in sessions ranging from civil rights, accessibility, and student success to a vice president panel focused on coalition-building across Ohio.”

She added, “Because we recognize that the work of coalition-building can be challenging, we are especially proud to feature two plenary sessions that center wellness for faculty, staff, and students. There will also be a variety of other opportunities and spaces to engage and learn about wellness practices during the conference.”

Sessions begin at 10 a.m. and continue throughout the day on both days. Registration is free to faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members, and virtual engagement opportunities also will be available. Come to one or all of the sessions as your schedule allows.. The deadline to register is Friday, Sept. 6, and the campus community is also invited to sign-up to volunteer. 

This year’s conference will explore how individuals can come together to build on strengths, discuss and develop spaces and strategies of resistance and support, and learn from one another. Organizers call the theme of coalition-building “a form of radical hope and a pathway to a more just world in our increasingly divided world.”

Previously, each university held an annual conference on topics related to inclusive excellence. This alliance brings together the communities and expertise of the three universities and is open to students, faculty, and staff across Ohio and beyond.

Highlighted plenary sessions that everyone can attend include:

  •   “Self-care, collective care and soul care for academic thriving” by facilitator Candice Hargons, associate professor in the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University.
  •   “Healing is our right” by facilitators Danielle Valentine, senior lecturer in the Department of Gender and Sexuality Studies & American Studies at Vanderbilt. University, and Shevonne Nelson Dillingham, a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging professional with extensive experience in creating inclusive environments and driving cultural transformation. 

More than 50 other sessions from presenters across the state include:

  •   Barriers impeding the progression from high school to college for first-generation college students.
  •   Centering student voices: supporting disabled students in higher education.
  •   Mental wellness while working with and for others.
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Office of Transformational and Inclusive Excellence MU News