January Institute 2022: Pandemic Scholarship and Resilience.
Wednesday, January 12 from 9:00 AM-4:00 PM at Festival Conference & Student Center. Click here for a PDF of the schedule.
The past few years have been characterized by a global health pandemic, structural racism exposed openly on the streets across the world, political division and unrest, disparities in wealth and health, and a climate crisis looming. It is no surprise that scholars may be facing challenges to scholarly productivity which disproportionately affect BIPOC faculty, women, and caretakers. Given how many of us have been living with trauma and working through burnout in some cases, an opportunity to connect with others in an environment of self-care might be just what is needed to start 2022. Guest facilitators for January Institute will engage participants in a variety of activities such as interactive workshops/roundtables, mindfulness practice, music, movement, reflection, and facilitated discussions.
This Pandemic Scholarship and Resilience Institute is designed to encourage self-care, educate participants about trauma and resilience, and provide an opportunity to connect with others while taking steps towards reinvigorating your scholarly work. Self-care and scholarship go hand-in-hand; when we take care of the scholar (body, emotions, mind), scholarly passion naturally re-emerges in a scholarly community and scholarly productivity has an environment in which to grow. This community offers a combination of self-care, interpersonal connection, and collective encouragement from a group of peers who are also struggling and taking small steps forward in their pandemic scholarly work.
The Center for Faculty Innovation wants to thank the Office of Research and Scholarship as a co-partner in envisioning January Institute 2022.
Given the disproportionate burden and often hidden labor that goes into supporting diverse scholars and diverse scholarship on campus, we want to acknowledge Sisters in Session (SIS), AsianPacific Island, and Desi American (APIDA) Caucus, and Madison Hispanic Caucus (MHC) as co-partners in this work and, therefore, for January Institute 2022.
Schedule for the Day
9:00-11:00: Morning Interactive Plenary
Resiliency, Scholarship, and Caring for Self Amidst Pandemic Pressures
The mounting pressures and realities of faculty life within a continued Pandemic have contributed to emotional exhaustion and waning motivation for many. Call forth aspects of your personal and professional life that have been impacted by the Pandemic in a safe space using tools such as a wellness inventory and guided meditation. In a community of colleagues, engage in activities that allow for self -compassion and awareness so that meaningful energies might then be directed towards scholarly endeavors. We will provide space to recalibrate ourselves, rather than relying on coping strategies that do not serve us well. Resiliency within a supportive context will be emphasized. Participants will be encouraged to find agency and give voice to the necessity for systems and work environments that both enhance scholarly work and support personal wellness.
Co-facilitated by:
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Tammy Gilligan, Ph. D., Graduate Psychology, and
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Michele Kielty, Ph. D., Graduate Psychology
Festival Ballroom A
11:15-12:15: Choice of workshops/roundtables or optional scholarly work time .
You'll need to choose your session when you register.
Recalibrating Scholarship Amid the Pandemic: Scholarship productivity and passion have waxed and waned for many in higher education during the pandemic. This “caring” space will encourage sharing, listening, and empathy in a process of discussing participants’ recent work in scholarship. Each person will be offered space to reflect on scholarship productivity, reconceptualize what “productivity” means to them, and develop ideas for action steps.
Facilitated by: Joe LeBlanc, Graduate Psychology and CFI.
Festival Ballroom B
Growing Yourself as a Scholar: Scholarly Writing Habits: One of the challenges academics face is maintaining their scholarly productivity. This roundtable aims to help faculty overcome obstacles—such as writer's block, procrastination, or lack of motivation—by supporting the continuous growth of academics as scholars. The session provides faculty participants an opportunity to identify roadblocks to their scholarly productivity and to share/learn coping strategies to overcome such roadblocks and engage in more confident, consistent, and efficient scholarly writing.
Facilitated by: Yeonsoo Kim, School of Communication Studies and CFI.
Festival Ballroom C
Pandemic Scholarship Agendas: Prioritize Projects and Mindfully Manage Your Time: Are you trying to get a grip on your pandemic scholarly life? In this workshop, you will: practice communicating your scholarship agenda; create a visual diagram of your scholarly projects; and develop a scholarly plan for the next year that involves self-care and grace.
Facilitated by Ed Brantmeier, CFI and Learning, Technology, & Leadership Education.
Festival Conference room 7
Independent work on your scholarship: Focus on advancing a scholarly project during this time.
Festival Conference room 1 & common areas
12:30-1:15: Symposium Lunch
Festival Ballroom A
Make sure to register for lunch before noon on Thursday, January 6.
1:30-2:30: Afternoon Interactive Plenary
Using Music as a Way to Process and Release: A Jam Circle. Within this interactive-session attendees will engage in a participatory music making experience. Through the use of guided questions and reflection opportunities, participants will make music collectively in a process of recognizing common struggles and the disproportionate (i.e., on BIPOC, women, caretaking faculty) burdens from the pandemic. The collective music-making experience will nurture motivation and re-engagement with scholarship. Participants will have the opportunity to use music as a way to energize, inspire, and affirm our journeys as scholars.
Facilitated by Amy Lewis, Ph. D., Music and CFI.
Festival Ballroom B
2:45-4:00: Choice of scholarship consultations or optional scholarly work time.
Scholarship Consultations: Meet 1-1 with a consultant and focus on your needs related to researching, writing, or scholarly process.
Scholarly consultants include Joe LeBlanc, Yeonsoo Kim, and Dayna Henry.
Festival Ballroom C
Hike and Write in the Arboretum: Faculty members interested in navigating winter weather can choose to go for a walk in the nearby JMU Arboretum. Bring a journal, pen, or portable electronic device and brainstorm ways to infuse nature’s insights into your own well-being and into your scholarly work.
Facilitated by Ed Brantmeier, CFI and Learning, Technology, & Leadership Education.
Meet at the Festival Ballroom Foyer registration desk.
Independent work on your scholarship: Focus on advancing a scholarly project during this time.
Festival Conference room 1 & common areas
Click here for a PDF of the schedule
Our programs are intended for JMU faculty or staff only. If you are a student or administrator and would like to attend, please sign up and leave a note at the end of the survey.
We want this program to be welcoming, accessible, and inclusive for all of our participants. Please describe any considerations (e.g., disability, wellness, cultural, etc.) you want us to know about in the registration survey. You may also reach out to us personally at Tiffany Runion, runiontt@jmu.edu or (540)568-4858.
