November 2017 Tuesday Tips

7 November 2017:

What does a plant look like without enough nutrients, water, or sunlight to thrive? What do people look like without enough food, sleep, or shelter to thrive? Thriving requires that fundamental needs be met. Maslow’s 1943 paper on human motivation suggests a hierarchy of human needs, the most basic of which must be met (e.g. food, sleep, and shelter) before being able to focus on higher level needs (e.g. pursuing one’s full potential). When students struggle in class, it might not be that they’re lazy, uninterested, or ill-equipped for college. In some cases, it might be that they’re not getting their most fundamental needs met in life.

As educators, we encourage students to maximize their potential, which is only a possibility after their basic needs are met. Similarly, faculty can only maximize their potential when their basic needs are met. Chico State has numerous resources to assist both students and faculty with basic needs so our campus community can thrive.

Depending on a student’s situation, faculty can facilitate learning by handling some class policy violations on a case-by case basis. More than ever before, Chico State students are under significant financial pressures, working long hours outside of class, and have family obligations that are often “culturally non-negotiable.” Strict and unforgiving policies about assignment due dates or punctuality can exacerbate an already stressful situation for students. Fair and equitable class rules are important but must be in place to support and motivate more than penalize. Students who have their basic needs met, but just don’t’ try, deserve the consequences. Students who don’t have their basic needs met deserve compassion (and perhaps consequences as well as determined case-by-case). All students deserve access to this list of available resources. 

Knowing that many students, particularly in light of our changing demographics, may be (a) intimated to speak with a professor about their needs and (b) unaware of resources to help them, please consider informing students about this list to help them be successful by announcing them in class and including pertinent info on Bb or your syllabus. If you’re aware of other resources that should be added to the list, please reply to this e-mail.

14 November 2017:

Podcasts are the new radio. You can listen while commuting, working out, or eating lunch. They can be informative, entertaining, and thought-provoking. Below are some popular podcasts related to higher ed and learning. If you prefer to hear the local beat, tune in to Caffeinated Cats featuring Chico State faculty, staff, and students. Hosts Zach Justus, Tracy Butts, and Mary Wallmark cover campus initiatives, teaching stories, and interviews with campus guests. They’ll be doing a live podcast on 11/28 from 8-9am in the BMU atrium with a focus on Chico State’s Giving Day. Guests are encouraged to drop in and say hi or donate to a cause.

Happy listening!

• Teaching in Higher Ed
• Inside Higher Ed
• Higher Ed Happy Hour
• Times Higher Education
• Higher Ed Live
• The Anthill
• The Torch: Great Courses
• TED Radio Hour

28 November 2017:

While sexual harassment accusations in the workplace have been rampant in the news lately, Chico State remains committed to keeping our work lives safe, productive, and welcoming. Obviously, nonconsensual activities are prohibited but EO 1096 takes it a step further and requires that CSU employees do not enter into a consensual relationship with either a student or employee over whom they have authority or influence.

Since much of what we hear is about what not to do, today’s tip shares what to do.

• Access Safe Place if you need advocacy services for domestic and sexual violence (available to Chico State faculty, staff, and students).
• Contact Chico State’s Title IX coordinator with questions or concerns about misconduct (email Dylan Saake or call 530-898-4949)
• Stay up-to-date on your DTS training to “Eliminate Campus Sexual Misconduct”
• Treat others how you want to be treated (Golden Rule)
• Treat others the way they want to be treated (Platinum Rule)