The Committee for Inclusive Excellence is launching a year-long initiative for 2024-25 called GSSM: A Community of Consciousness. Each month, we will focus on one of the concepts in the inclusion statement and offer community-wide activities and conversations centered around that word. Community of Consciousness is all about being aware of how our words and actions affect our community, from interpersonal interactions to shared facilities. Join us to explore how we can pursue inclusive excellence together!
Please help us track our progress during the year by responding to our Inclusion Survey.
Word of the Month: Welcome
Welcome means to greet people hospitably or with courtesy, to receive with gladness or delight, or a greeting or reception upon arrival. We believe feeling and being welcomed is the crucial first step to entry in any group, and thus it is an integral part of inclusion. When we feel welcome, we:
- Feel seen as an individual
- Are able to be wholly present
- Believe the group wants us to be there
- Develop a sense of connection
What does welcome mean to GSSM? Please tell us your thoughts in this quick poll! Share examples of how you feel welcome at GSSM and/or ways the GSSM community can be welcoming. You can even upload photos or artwork if you like! We will share your responses anonymously next week.
Community of Consciousness Schedule
September: Welcome
- Tuesday, September 24: Autumn Yoga
6 p.m. on the front lawn
October: Safe
- Tuesday, October 8: Faculty & Staff Inclusion Conversation
12 p.m. (bring your own lunch) in the SAC conference room (D203) - TBD: Safety Program
November: Nurture
- Tuesday, November 12: Faculty & Staff Inclusion Conversation
12 p.m. (bring your own lunch) in the SAC conference room (D203) - Wednesday, November 13: World Kindness Day
- Month-long service project: TBD
December: Respect
- Tuesday, December 10: Faculty & Staff Inclusion Conversation
12 p.m. (bring your own lunch) in the SAC conference room (D203)
January: Value
- Tuesday, January 14: Faculty & Staff Inclusion Conversation
12 p.m. (bring your own lunch) in the SAC conference room (D203) - Monday, January 20: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Creative Expression Contest
February: Empower
- Tuesday, February 11: Faculty & Staff Inclusion Conversation
12 p.m. (bring your own lunch) in the SAC conference room (D203) - TBD: Empower Program
March: Thrive
- Tuesday, March 11: Faculty & Staff Inclusion Conversation
12 p.m. (bring your own lunch) in the SAC conference room (D203) - TBD: Thrive Program
April: Belong
- Tuesday, April 8: Faculty & Staff Inclusion Conversation
12 p.m. (bring your own lunch) in the SAC conference room (D203) - TBD: Belong Program
May: A Community of Consciousness
- Tuesday, May 13: Faculty & Staff Inclusion Conversation
12 p.m. (bring your own lunch) in the SAC conference room (D203)