As Pedagogo Season 4 comes to a close, we look back at this season’s exploration of community building and highlight themes from our conversations with higher ed leaders, DEI champions, and social activists, as well as non-profit and industry leaders. Join Dr. Divya Bheda as she reflects on this season’s topics, explores the potential for growth and nourishment in the communities we are rooted in, and provides action items to help put these ideas into practice. 

Guest: Dr. Ereka Williams

Our identities connect us to a vast webwork of community which informs our perspectives and our relationships. By minding these connections to our communities, we can create spaces for fellow community members in higher ed decision-making. Learn ways that higher ed leaders and faculty can come together to support the communities we share, and learn strategies to inculcate democratic values in higher ed to promote the shared success of every stakeholder.

This episode explores:

• The values and beliefs within our communities that underlie ideas and solutions
• Why centering language and culture is essential to supporting our communities
•  The importance of looking at the data that drives decision-making through a human lens
• Community-centric methods to positively impact student outcomes, in the classroom and beyond

Guest: Dr. Kate McConnell

There’s more to creating a community than bringing together individuals with a shared purpose or identity; the success of a community depends on the skills and values of those individuals who choose to build and sustain it. As educators, how can we model and teach the core abilities required to create successful communities? Learn how bringing principles of civic engagement to the classroom can positively impact student outcomes and help to instill the attitudes and dispositions that contribute to healthy communities.

This episode explores:

• The importance of human interaction and collaboration to build and sustain community
• Providing positive examples for students to build and sustain impactful communities
• Teaching tools and strategies to connect learning outcomes to civic-engagement skills
• Building respect and trust in collaboration to reach authentic consensus in higher ed

Guest: Dr. Craig Pepin

The pandemic era has led us to discover new channels of communication, which have connected us across the country and around the world. But what essential aspects of pre-pandemic community are missing in our most task-oriented virtual spaces? Learn about the opportunities and responsibilities we share, as well as the challenges and limitations we face, as members of virtual and in-person communities. See how we can drive innovation while supporting the shared mission and vision of the community.

This episode explores:

• The role that community plays for professional organizations in higher education
• Prioritizing human connection and relationship building within work communities
• The nuances of networking and community, as well as collaboration and consensus
• Civility, transparency, and equity as key principles to build impactful communities

Guests: Dr. Kathleen Doll and Dr. Albertina Lopez

Community is an essential aspect of our lives. It provides a safe, welcoming space to connect with those who share our values while also challenging us to consider new perspectives. We need community to achieve our goals — both individually and as a society — and when we build our communities with intention, we can create the momentum necessary to move the needle on social change. Learn how community and collective action work together to build and sustain movements towards equity and justice — in higher education and beyond.

This episode explores:

• The meaning and function of community in academia and social justice work
• The role of community in higher education as it relates to student success
• Best practices to create purpose-driven communities and sustain momentum
• Being intentional in building nurturing and equitable communities

Guest: Dr. John Broome

Communication can be challenging in higher education. From institution to institution — and even within the same institution — differences in power, position, or pedigree can impede effective communication. But the pandemic era ushered in new channels of communication that have allowed those from higher ed to connect and share ideas from anywhere in the world, at any time of day, and irrespective of differences. Hear from the creator of the online group, Higher Ed Learning Collective, and learn how this space has evolved since the outset of the pandemic.

This episode explores:

• Adapting to the needs of higher ed communities — in the pandemic era and beyond
• Considerations for encouraging productive communication in online communities
• The key role community moderators serve to promote equity and social justice
• The importance of leadership and organizational structure to sustain common goals

Guest: Dr. Annabelle Goodwin

Community building is important to the shared success of students and faculty in online education, but it requires a different set of strategies to foster belonging and extend support than those of in-person learning. With thoughtful approaches to relationship building and inclusion, educators can bridge the gaps in distance learning and create close-knit virtual communities. Learn why intentionality is central to building community in online education and how to implement inclusivity initiatives for the greatest impact in virtual learning spaces. 

This episode explores:

• The importance of proactive relationship building to improve student outcomes
• Planning interactions that strengthen personal and professional networks
• Tips to achieve institutional initiatives related to diversity, equity, and inclusion
•  How to apply an inclusive excellence model across all aspects of online education

Guest: Dr. Jane Irungu

Colleges and universities bring together individuals from diverse backgrounds and circumstances to achieve a shared goal as an institution. The overall success of the campus community depends on the success of its stakeholders, so creating a goal-oriented community means finding effective ways to support the individual needs of students, faculty, staff, and leadership. Learn strategies for building inclusive, collaborative communities within brick-and-mortar institutions, and see how the pandemic-related challenges have presented opportunities to build stronger communities.

The episode explores:

• The value of community for everyone in higher ed – students, faculty, staff, and leadership
• Challenges to building community in traditional higher ed institutions
• The importance of mission and vision to community
• Tips to facilitate inclusive, collaborative learning in the classroom

The events of the past two years have underlined the importance of community. Presented with the challenges of social isolation, we sought digital spaces to connect, communicate, collaborate, and drive social change. Pedagogo Season 4 will bring you insightful conversations with higher ed leaders, DEI champions, and social activists, as well as non-profit and industry leaders, as they share diverse ideas and perspectives that center on the theme of “Community and Connections for Equity and Success.” Join Dr. Divya Bheda as she begins this season’s exploration of community building, its potential to promote equity, inclusion, and access in education and assessment, and how it can help us lead the next generation of global citizens. 

In this episode, Dr. Divya Bheda recaps the highlights of this season’s seven episodes, touching on common themes. Dr. Bheda shares her own reflections, along with suggested next steps so that you can bring these big ideas into your work as an educator. 

• Balancing the need for self-care with our drive to serve others and to continuously improve our performance and programs 
• Empowering students by involving them in curriculum development, assessment design, and decision making 
• Supporting students as they deal with the daily challenges that can impact their education 
• Checking our biases as we work with an increasingly diverse student body 
• Humanizing the academy by prioritizing people, practicing compassion, and centering relationships 
• Reimagining education and assessment to meet 21st-century needs and challenges