New Framework Tackles Stress
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December 3, 2015 | Vol. 114 no. 10 | middleburycampus.com Students Discuss Appropriation, Race by Philip bohlman - News Editor - On Monday, Nov. 30, Interim - - - - - - - and history. - - - the administration had a position - - dent. propriation. In response, Fernán- “cultivating respect and re- sponsibility for self, others and Michael O’hara - our shared environment” and - “fostering a diverse and inclusive SEE TOWN HALL, PAGE 2 New Framework Tackles Stress Middlebury Signs Climate by Eliza Teach - News Editor - Pledge with 200 Colleges - by Caroline Agsten - - News Editor dent stress and promote men- - - - - - - - ish and Interim Chief Diversity - “As institu- - - tions of higher education, we ap- - plaud the progress already made to promote clean energy and cli- - SEE “THE GRID”, PAGE 2 mate action as we seek a compre- hensive, ambitious agreement at the upcoming United Nations Cli- mate Negotiations in Paris. We - recognize the urgent need to act - now to avoid irreversible costs to - our global community’s economic prosperity and public health and are optimistic that world leaders will reach an agreement to secure a transition to a low carbon fu- ture. Today our school pledges to accelerate the transition to low- carbon energy while enhancing sustainable and resilient prac- - tices across our campus.” - - - - - - The Campus - TWO MEN STUDENTS SLEEP NEW SKETCH INDICTED FOR SEX OUTSIDE IN COMEDY GROUP: TRAFFICKING IN VT SOLIDARITY WITH MIDDLEBURY PAGE 4 VT HOMELESS DISCOUNT COMEDY PAGE 8 PAGE 12 inside 2NEWS | December 3, 2015 Community “The Grid” Focuses on Mental Health CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 items because the whole community had workshops will leverage Posse’s experi- yet to be involved in the conversation. ence designing and facilitating interac- Council “It wasn’t meant to be, ‘here’s what is tive experiences that explore and confront on what had transpired throughout the good for everybody, as we recognized the challenging sociopolitical issues facing year, particularly framed around student need for a much broader community con- higher education today.” stress. Update versation, which we have moved forward In addition to these workshops, the Col- “We discussed what it feels like to not - By Nick Garber be able to get out from underneath the ing to be really thoughtful about which of hold four faculty-recruitment workshops Community Council stressors of day-to-day life as students at the agenda items we felt were good, solid designed to boost their goal of further di- Correspondent & Contributing Middlebury and what that brought to the ideas to at least try, and which we would versifying the faculty. Writer have to hold on until more people weighed were missing, and what students thought On Nov. 9, Community Council reviewed in on them.” its large list of potential solutions to student Thus far this fall, “The Grid” has been generation students or students coming stress, discussing whether additional topics These talks on diversity and inclusiv- presented to the Board of Trustees, the from high school backgrounds where hav- should be added. ity paired with what was surfacing about President Senior Leadership Group, the ing some kind of summer preparation pro- Several students agreed that the advising student stress led to a sense of urgency on Middlebury Leadership Group, the Com- the part of the Board of Trustees that the munity Council and the entire Student potential long-term objective is the addi- opportunity to engage with their advisors administration needed to discuss these is- Life Division. Students were shown the on subjects that are not purely academic, sues and work to develop an action plan. plan on Dec. 2 and faculty will be shown they said, would be highly valued. “We were asked by the Board of Trust- on Dec. 17. - In addition, Public Safety Telecom ees to identify the areas in which we could These discussions have involved a pow- tion will continue. Manager and Tech Support Specialist Solon have the greatest impact and to identify erpoint on the components of “The Grid” “One of the important things we’ll need Coburn, citing a recent New York Times three ‘experiments’ that we could have on followed by brainstorm sessions in which to clarify moving forward is how this con- article, mentioned the possibility of framing the ground in September that would ad- small groups address what might already stress not simply as a negative emotion, dress some of the causes of student stress,” be happening on the small scale in order said. “What is a mechanism that allows the but as a tool which can be utilized to one’s advantage. to gauge what efforts are already afoot, campus to own this conversation and for On Nov. 16, the Council dedicated its perhaps departmentally or in a student it to continue in a robust fashion so that weren’t trying to collapse the diversity and meeting to the subject of faculty stress, with people really think their good ideas are be- inclusivity piece into the rest of the stu- several professors sharing their thoughts on already in place, these small groups have ing recorded and acted upon?” dent stress like a problem to be solved, but the issue. then fed additional ideas into “The Grid.” One such mechanism is slated to be rather saw a great deal of overlap between “One of the ironies of this is that as this a website welcoming community input the stressors that students brought with (who has taught in the Department of the grid grows, there is a danger of the thing to further the conversation surrounding them when they came to the College or ex- itself becoming an overwhelming docu- these objectives. Such a platform would perienced as a result of being a student in with another professor that certain measures ment, which we are trying to avoid,” Smith provide a space where new ideas can begin a community that traversed between the to combat student stress may only increase to take shape and form. realms of academic stress and issues of the stress felt by faculty. Self-scheduled with a thing that is supposed to be helping “We are beginning work on a website identity, community, student support and exams, she said, were one example. with stress!” that will act as a hub for discussion and bias. “There is a very high percentage of One of the experiments slated to begin ideas around issues of stress, inclusiv- cheating that goes on with self-scheduled In what started as a brainstorming ses- this Winter Term is a storytelling series ity, resilience, mind-body well-being and exams,” she said. “So if you’re managing sion with a white board and a great deal of called “It’s Not What You Think,” a space more,” said Vice President for Communi- the anxiety about whether your students buzz-words surrounding stressors across - cations and Marketing Bill Burger. “Given are going to be dishonest in taking it, or - verse with students on past failures and the number of initiatives that are being you’re spending the time following up on dez began to separate these words into the twists and turns of life. This is built considered and that are in place already a dishonesty case, that’s a lot of time and three categories which naturally morphed across the institution, we felt it would be an immense amount of stress for a faculty into the three experiments requested by about at a conference and is targeted to be helpful to the community if we created a member.” Whittington. a natural complement to existing story- modest site to describe these efforts and “We started by seeing how those quali- telling series such as “What Matters to Me invite suggestions and comments. I think ties or stressors settled into three big cat- and Why” put on by the Center for Social - got here, I did a lot of self-scheduled exams, egories, and then within each category we tinue to evolve the site and our approach because I thought it was easier for students,” started to brainstorm both what was al- the need to identify and build upon such to it over time.” he said. “But after several cycles of honor ready happening, as well as what we could code review committee reports, I could not synergies within the community. While this project could potentially imagine happening this year and beyond,” in good conscience continue because of the President of the College Laurie L. Pat- continue under a working group as a part incidence of cheating.” ton reached out to the community earlier of Community Council or some kind of hy- from each of those big umbrella categories “From a faculty perspective, when this week outlining a list of activities work- that we thought we could actually try to you encounter an instance of cheating or ing to create a more inclusive community, make happen this year.” plagiarism… there’s nothing in my teaching including several objectives outlined by She said, “We’ll need to see which career that has made me feel worse than “The Grid.” One such measure they have things are really going to stay and what is slated for this fall couldn’t be the more that,” Johnson said. taken is inviting the Posse Foundation to the space for experimentation. The idea substantial ticket items because they were Faculty also cited students’ frequent host three on-campus workshops — one here is to keep things dynamic and open. out of sync, and thus not yet included in desire to see course syllabi during the the budget cycle which starts every Janu- summer before registration takes place. for faulty and administrators and one for ary. They furthermore planned to follow “Very often, a faculty member is planning student leaders.