To kickoff season three, I invite you to join me for a discussion at a gathering of the Trans*forming Higher Education Collaborative in Tucson, Arizona. T.H.E. Collaborative is “a group of transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) educators dedicated to addressing transgender oppression in and through higher education." (T.H.E. Vision Statement, 2018) We centered the work of adrienne marry brown’s book, “Emergent Strategy”, by focusing on three questions. We had a very robust convening around these questions, so you have the honor of digesting the entirety of the discussion in three parts. Episode 31, Part One centers the question:“What does it mean for us to convene across and within geographies and institutional hierarchies?”Episode 31, Part Two centers the question:“What does it mean to build something that has never been built before?”Episode 31, Part Three continues the discussion from part two, as well as centers the question:“What does trans*forming higher education mean to you?”In the spirit of brown’s work, T.H.E. Collaborative centered this Emergent Strategy principle: “There is a conversation in the room that only these people at this moment can have. Find it”

Resilient Campus

Trans*Forming Higher Education Collaborative (Part 3)

Trans*Forming Higher Education Collaborative Think Tank (Part 2)

To kickoff season three, I invite you to join me for a discussion at a gathering of the Trans*forming Higher Education Collaborative in Tucson, Arizona. T.H.E. Collaborative is “a group of transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) educators dedicated to addressing transgender oppression in and through higher education." (T.H.E. Vision Statement, 2018) We centered the work of adrienne marry brown’s book, “Emergent Strategy”, by focusing on three questions. We had a very robust convening around these questions, so you have the honor of digesting the entirety of the discussion in three parts. Episode 31, Part One centers the question:“What does it mean for us to convene across and within geographies and institutional hierarchies?”Episode 31, Part Two centers the question:“What does it mean to build something that has never been built before?”Episode 31, Part Three continues the discussion from part two, as well as centers the question:“What does trans*forming higher education mean to you?”In the spirit of brown’s work, T.H.E. Collaborative centered this Emergent Strategy principle: “There is a conversation in the room that only these people at this moment can have. Find it."Guests included:Z NicolazzoMelvin WhiteheadAlex LangeS SimmonsSy SimmsD-L StewartAlden JonesT.J. JourianSaby Labor

Trans*Forming Higher Education Collaborative Think Tank (Part 1)

In episode 30, my guest Tori Svoboda shares raw stories and thoughts on life as a professional in higher education as well as equity in the academy. She discusses her lifelong journey, her experiences as a student, and how that all shapes her work today. Tori encourages us to take action and be relevant, while trying to balance not being too disruptive. Make sure to check out some great resources in the show notes! About Tori: A formerly low-income and still first-generation student, staff, and faculty person, Tori worked in student affairs for 20 years before changing lanes to full-time faculty life 5 years ago. Tori now directs the master's program and teaches in the doctoral program in Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. Tori has a chapter coming out in the book, Social Class in the Academy, edited by Becky Martinez and Sonja Ardoin, entitled, "I could always go back to being a bartender: Musings of an ambivalent academic." If you meet Tori, ask about her family, including Stella, Hannah, and Millie - the three dogs who rule the roost. 

Tori Svoboda “Speaking Your Truth and Being Enough”

In episode 29, my guest Julia R. Golden reminds us to be careful, kind, and patient with ourselves. Julia talks about the work they move forward, not only in Boston but across the nation through the NASPA Ubuntu Institute. Julia encourages us to follow our heart and trust our gut. We conclude our discussion with a tremendous list of resources and fantastic guidance to inform your daily work. 

Julia R. Golden “Trusting Your Gut and Following Your Heart as Social Justice Educators”

Intro Paragraph: In episode 28, Dr. Sonja Ardoin provides an overview of her current work as a scholar-practitioner. She highlights tremendous resources on the issues of social class, rural experiences, and first-generation pathways in higher education. She shares information about her upcoming book and provides contact information so you can add her to your network. About Dr. Ardoin: Sonja Ardoin, Ph.D. is an author, learner, educator, & facilitator. Proud of her hometown of Vidrine, Lousiana and her first-generation college student to PhD journey, Sonja is now a scholar-practitioner of higher education. She studies social class identity, college access and success for rural and first-generation college students, student and women's leadership, and career preparation and pathways in higher education and student affairs. Learn more at www.sonjaardoin.com. 

Dr. Sonja Ardoin “Drawing Connections to Social Class, First-Gen, and Rural Identity Dimensions in Higher Education”

In this episode, Erin-Kate Escobar (she/her/they/them) shines light on countless practices of personal and professional resources and strategies for changing the world one human connection at a time Erin-Kate highlights a program she coordinates for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) students that uses “mentoring pods”. She discusses the foundational readings and bodies of work that inform her approach today. Erin-Kate has tremendous guidance regarding finding community in this work and shares tips and tools for practicing internal self-work as well. We conclude the interview by addressing the prevalence of experiences of personal trauma in professional roles as social justice educators. A note about sensitive content: We talk about experiences of sexual harassment in organizational settings, so I include a note to listeners to provide agency in tuning into this part of the interview or opting out. About Erin-Kate: Erin-Kate Escobar (she/her/they/them) holds a master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs from the University of Vermont. They provide leadership, outreach, policy, and programming support for campus-wide diversity initiatives. Her primary responsibilities at California Institute of Technology include the Women's Engagement Board, Women Mentoring Women, LGBTQ+ support, safe zone training, and facilitating workshops and training on topics of diversity, inclusion and unconscious bias. 

Erin-Kate Escobar “Changing the World One ‘Mentoring Pod’ and Human Connection at a Time”

In part two of episode 26, Drea Elzy and I have an unfiltered conversation about resources that inform her wildly brilliant mind. You are being invited to listen in on Drea and I bouncing ideas off one another like two old friends catching up. We giggle, we ponder, and we dive deeply into lessons and guidance from her personal and professional journeys navigating West Coast and the Midwest. Connect with Drea on multiple social media accounts. I tried to close out our discussion a couple of times unsuccessfully and my good friend Drea was not ready to close out just yet. On a technical note, the sound quality was not the best during our call and there was a slight delay, but Dustin Ramsdell of Higher Ed Geek worked his magic to enhance the quality. Drea and I even have a technical moment that I decided to keep in the episode in the spirit of providing unfiltered spaces, because Drea flows seamlessly back into a beautiful stream of thought and it was pretty hilarious. About Drea: Originally from Los Angeles California, Drea now works in a unique blended space which touches K-12, higher ed, and policy in the City of Chicago. 

Drea Elzy (Part 2) “Climbing Up, Down, and Across the Proverbial Mountain with Intentionality”

Amplifying the voices of college inclusion innovators in higher education. The Resilient Campus Podcast is a weekly source of resilience, created in response to college professionals experiencing burnout and exhaustion doing college inclusion and social justice work. Host, Dr. Saby Labor, will interview coaches and influencers to strengthen our daily mindset so that we can sustain this work collectively. Whether you have diversity and inclusion in your professional responsibilities or you work in another functional area and build campus movements because that's just who you are - this podcast is for you.

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