Wendy Jones's Archive

A CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) is a volunteer appointed by a judge to help guide a child or set of siblings through the CPS system as an advocate in their foster placement, school, and in court.  CASAs are committed to making a difference for children who might otherwise slip through the cracks in an overburdened foster care system. Join us for lunch on Friday, October 11 at 11:30 in the Adams Center as the Big Country CASA Events Director joins two ACU employees who are currently serving as CASAs to hear more about this volunteer opportunity. HR wants to remind employees that CASA is being added to the list of approved activities for staff to use with Sick-to-Service hours. Email rsvp2ac@acu.edu or call x2455 to sign up for this session.

This post includes the second set of thought questions related to Austin Channing Brown’s book, I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness.

One can look anywhere from Harvard Business Review to Brené Brown to find those touting the importance of curiosity to spark change. Brené Brown asserts that “in the context of solving problems, failure to be curious results in poor solutions. Curiosity means focusing on the nature of the problem before even considering a solution.”

Austin Channing Brown argues for curiosity as a holy process: “Our only chance at dismantling racial injustice is being more curious about its origins than we are worried about our comfort. It’s not a comfortable conversation for any of us. It is risky and messy. But is this not the work we have been called to anyway? Is this not the work of the Holy Spirit to illuminate truth and inspire transformation? It’s haunting. But it’s also holy” (117-18).

As you think through this week’s questions, I hope you will become curious about your own experiences (or lack of experiences) and how they might lead you to the point where “doing nothing is no longer an option” (58).

Laura Bolin Carroll, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Adams Center for Teaching and Learning

Thought Questions for June 17

Bonus media: Earlier this summer Nathan Gibbs reported for KACU on memorial ceremony for Grover Cleveland Everett, the victim of a 1922 lynching in Abilene. During the ceremony soil was collected that will become part of the permanent collection at The Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama. Nathan and his students continue to work on a documentary about the lynching.

Summer Schedule of Readings

Many of you picked up Austin Channing Brown’s book, I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness, to read over the summer. In it, Brown writes to an audience largely composed of white Christians, challenging perceptions and calling for racial justice.

As academics, we’ve been trained to value dialogue and critique, but if we’re not careful dialogue can succumb to what Alice Raynor calls “the coercive force of dialectic” — an attempt to force others’ stories into a predetermined meaning, often one that makes us feel comfortable. One response to this impulse is to practice Krista Ratcliffe’s concept of rhetorical listening: “a stance of openness that a person may choose to assume in relation to any person, text, or culture.”

This summer we have the opportunity to listen to Austin Channing Brown’s sharing of her experience, to choose a stance of openness, and to learn. Every two weeks, you will be emailed thought questions, created by Brown to help listen to her work. We challenge you to sit with those questions, not rushing to answers but considering what you can learn.

Laura Bolin Carroll, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Adams Center for Teaching and Learning

Thought Questions for June 3 
(pages 11-39)
Chapter 1: White People are Exhausting
Chapter 2: Playing Spades

What was the racial diversity like at your elementary or middle school? Was there diversity among teachers? Administration? Was there diversity in your library? Artwork? Curriculum?

Austin discusses how it generally feels to be the only black woman in a predominately white organization, especially one that uses phrases like “Is this person a good fit for our organization?” Asking this question is not inherently negative, but it can be used as a code to mask closed attitudes. How do you think the language of being a “good fit” impacts racial diversity in hiring, performance reviews, and work experiences?

The 30 for 30 Team Challenge Starts TODAY! Challenge yourself to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day over the next 30 days – 30 for 30. Participants will earn 1 Wellness Point. To register for the challenge, each participant must log on to the wellness website to create or join a team by, Monday, February 4^th:

Instructions to Create a Team

• Login at www.gpatpa.com
• Click  Wellness, Click My Challenges and select 30 for 30 challenge from the dropdown options, Click ‘Create New Team’ on the bottom right corner
• Enter Team Name and click ‘Save’. The maximum team size is 4 people per team. Once the team size has been met, the team will no longer display as an option for participants to enroll.
• The team is now created and participants can join your team. You are designated “team captain” if you created the team.

Instructions to Join a Team

• Login at www.gpatpa.com
• Click  Wellness, Click My Challenges and select 30 for 30 challenge from the dropdown options
• Select your team and you are now enrolled in the challenge.

 Questions? Contact your GPA Wellness Coordinator at wellness@gpatpa.com  or by calling 469-445-3150

During the busy holiday season, keep in mind that all faculty and staff on ACU’s medical insurance and their dependents (age 2 and over) have access to Wildcat Care Telehealth.  Online medical visits are available 24/7 at a $45 per use fee.  Simply go to wildcat.care and click the “Sign in” button in the upper right-hand corner to get started.  Within minutes you will have a video or phone visit with a medical provider.  If a prescription is necessary, it will be sent to the pharmacy of your choice. Stay well!

Human Resources would like to invite all Faculty and Staff to enjoy a Christmas Luncheon in the Bean. Lunch will be served from 11:30 – 1:00 on Tuesday, Dec. 19. Lunch will be provided at no charge to Faculty and Staff with their ID Card. Family members and students may purchase a meal for $5. Please RSVP by Dec 18.

All benefits-eligible employees will need to complete their enrollment online between November 6 and November 10th. Schedule an appointment if you would like assistance enrolling in your benefits during this week. Walk-Ins are welcome as well.

Please plan to attend one of the following Benefits Open Enrollment Informational meetings to learn about your benefit offerings for 2018.

Mon., Oct. 30: (Core Classroom- foyer of Brown Library)

• 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m., 2:30-4:00 p.m. and 4:00-5:00 p.m.

Tues., Oct. 31: (Adams Center)

• 1:30-3:00 p.m. and 3:30-5:00 p.m.

Wed., Nov. 1: (Core Classroom- foyer of Brown Library)

• 8:30-10:00 a.m. and 3:00-4:30 p.m.

Thurs., Nov. 2: (Adams Center)

• 1:30-3:00 p.m. and 3:30-5:00 p.m.

Fri., Nov. 3: (Core Classroom- foyer of Brown Library)

• 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. and 2:30-4:00 p.m.

View the 2018 Open Enrollment Presentation.

Dr. Don Barwick provides our clients with expertise in operations, people/ organization and technology and has over 15 years of experience in higher education. Don began his career in higher education at the Texas Agricultural Extension Services, a member of the Texas A&M University System (TAMUS), in procurement services. He then served as the assistant director of purchasing for Texas A&M University-Commerce. After his tenure at Texas A&M University- Commerce, Don served as the records management officer, special projects officer and procurement manager for the Texas A&M University System (TAMUS) offices.

Don spearheaded several important initiatives during his tenure at the TAMUS. He streamlined procurement functions; ensured that minority and women-owned business received equal access and equal opportunity to provide goods/services to member institutions across the state of Texas; managed and coordinated records retention efforts, implemented an enterprise content management (ECM) system; and led the design, development and deployment of an e-procurement system across the TAMUS.

Don received his B.A. in English and his B.A. in History from Texas A&M University, his M.A. in History from Arkansas State University and is Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Texas A&M University. Don and his wife Anna reside with their daughter in College Station, Texas.

Informational meetings for Benefits Open Enrollment continue this week. We will be in Chapel on the Hill at the following times:

Tuesday, November 1: 3:00-4:30 p.m.
Wednesday, November 2: 9:00-10:30 a.m., 2:30-4:00 pm.