Washington State University faculty and graduate students are invited to a one-day spring ELEVATE event on Feb. 20 to learn more about combatting burnout and supporting students’ personal welfare.
ELEVATE will be hosted in person on the WSU Pullman campus and broadcast virtually systemwide with some locally hosted events on select campuses.
“These are unique times for instructors in many ways, and the university is interested in sharing expert information and tools to equip them to be personally and professionally fortified and successful,” said Erika Offerdahl, director of the WSU Transformation Change Initiative (TCI), part of the provost’s office.
TCI is hosting ELEVATE. Registration for participants is now open online.
Four-part event
From 9:10–10:40 a.m., presentations from four 2022 TCI IDEA — the acronym for inclusion, diversity, equity, and access — grant recipients will share their successes and lessons learned.
A workshop from 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. will be led by guest expert Rebecca Pope-Ruark, director of the Georgia Institute of Technology Office of Faculty Professional Development. She is a podcast host, educator, facilitator, coach, and author of “You Aren’t Alone: Burnout Resilience in Challenging Times.” She will introduce four pillars of burnout resilience — purpose, compassion, connection, and balance — and will lead participants through an interactive exercise focused on one pillar, said Offerdahl.
From 12:30–1:30 p.m., participants will discuss the workshop in working groups.
A session from 1:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m. will focus on understanding an instructor’s role in supporting student health and wellbeing. Featured will be WSU Pullman’s Jenna Hyatt, interim assistant vice chancellor and dean of students; Joel Schwartzkoph, assistant vice chancellor for student health and wellbeing and executive director of Cougar Health Services; and Jennifer Ellsworth, director of counseling and psychological services.
Complements PIT Stops
ELEVATE — the acronym for engage learners, enhance voices, and advance teaching excellence — complements a new TCI initiative, PIT Stops. ELEVATE is designed to help faculty delve into important teaching and learning topics. The inaugural event was held in August 2022.
TCI goal
The goal of the TCI is to produce transformational change institutionally by creating a university that supports students emotionally, socially, academically, and individually. It aims to do this by producing graduates positioned for lifelong success. Faculty development and support is needed to accomplish this goal, Offerdahl said.
