Interconnectedness
We foster interconnectedness and cultivate a culture where all our community members’ perspectives and voices are valued and supported, championing human dignity and justice through our work.
We dedicate ourselves to fostering a culture of interconnectedness, belonging, and wellness within our college as well as in the research and service we lead in our communities. Building an environment where faculty, staff, and students feel supported and valued—and have opportunities to progress in their goals and careers—helps us recruit and retain the best and brightest individuals. We lead by example and teach best practices for creating supportive educational environments.
Strategic Priority 3.1: Create internal structures to support a culture of interconnectedness, belonging, and well-being in all we do. (Wolfpack 2030: Goal 4)
Key initiatives:
- Create permanent structures and/or leadership positions within the College of Education focused on creating a culture that fosters interconnectedness, human dignity, belonging and well-being.
- Leverage existing and implement additional engagement surveys of faculty, staff and students to receive regular feedback on college culture and practices.
- Develop intentional recruitment and retention practices to increase overall representation of faculty, staff and students in ways that honor the broad array of perspectives in the state of North Carolina.
- Better integrate professional faculty and staff career pathways throughout the college and increase utilization of professional development opportunities.
Strategic Priority 3.2: Champion a culture of belonging through events, programs and activities. (Wolfpack 2030: Goals 4, 5)
Key initiatives:
- Evaluate and streamline existing programming to prioritize alignment with the needs of faculty, staff and student retention and increase participation and the lifting of voices throughout the College of Education community.
- Identify and implement new solutions to offer targeted, meaningful and timely support to student needs, as well as to faculty and staff.
Strategic Priority 3.3: Lead the integration of research-based best practices related to interconnectedness, belonging, and well being in education. (Wolfpack 2030 Goals: 1, 3, 4)
- Develop interdisciplinary non-degree programs (e.g., certificates) focused on interconnectedness, human dignity, belonging, and well being.
- Design and conduct professional development opportunities focused on integrating research-based best practices related to interconnectedness, human dignity, belonging, and well being in educational settings.
- Develop resources to support the evaluation of curricula and integrate interconnectedness, human dignity, justice, well being, and belonging into coursework, attending to the needs of all students and better preparing our graduates to work with all populations.
Proposed metrics
- Faculty, staff and student engagement survey results*
- Faculty, staff and student composition*
- Faculty, staff and student retention
- Faculty, staff and student sense of belonging
- Participation in events and programming related to interconnectedness, belonging and well-being
- Average response and resolution times to concerns
- Number of courses that emphasize interconnectedness, within the curricula.
*Denotes direct alignment with Wolfpack 2030: Powering the Extraordinary strategic plan metrics