October Newsletter: Excellence
- President's Post
- JASPA Leadership Position Available
- Upcoming Online Enrichment Events
- More from the AJCU Network
President's Post
Even in the midst of a crisis, we are called to be the truest version of ourselves.
The past six months our lives have been dominated by COVID-19 and a harsh confrontation with racism. In the midst of all of this, perhaps our two most limited resources have been our time and our attention. The world, our jobs and our families have simply asked of us all that we have to give.
Victor Frankl wrote, “Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose.” The ability to derive meaning and purpose, in a context that is tremendously constrained and out of our control, requires time and more importantly our focused attention. Over the past six months, we have been in a crisis response mode that has monopolized our time and attention. Looking to the horizon, it is clear that the future holds more challenges and the ongoing need to be responsive to ongoing changes. It is clear we can no longer operate as though we are living through a short transition. Rather we need to begin to acknowledge this new normal and engage in personal practices that keep us anchored to our most firmly held values, aspirations and goals. While we may have limited control over what we are doing or how we are doing it, we can stay rooted in why we do what we do which in turn will make the hustle and bustle of our daily lives more sustainable and meaningful.
It is true too that as a network we must stay engaged in organizational practices that keep us tethered to our Jesuit tradition, values and mission. In a particular way, this year we must stay tapped into our values of cura personalis, social justice and solidarity. On the behalf of JASPA’s Executive Board, I want to invite you to join us in upcoming events through which we will invest in and explore our mission and these values in light of our current context. Tomorrow, colleagues from two of our institutions will help us develop tools to invest in our own self-care amidst the chaos, pain and confusion brought on by COVID and racial battle fatigue. Then later this semester, we will begin a series of events designed to build anti-racism capacities in ourselves, in our work, and in our institutions.
My hope for us all is that we might remain doggedly committed to self-reflection and the pursuit of meaning and purpose. And too I hope that together we might further our collective capacity to promote justice, solidarity and cura personalis.
Dave Johnson, PhD
Xavier University
JASPA President
JASPA Leadership Position Available
We are seeking a volunteer leader for the position of Innovation Grants Committee Chair. The primary purpose of this position is to manage a process that awards $8,000-$10,000 in grants to JASPA members who demonstrate creative and effective ways to apply current research to address pressing issues in Jesuit student affairs.
Programs must be original and replicable on most Jesuit campuses. While all projects that address the goals and values of JASPA are welcome, special emphasis will be placed on those that are focused on efforts promoting diversity and inclusion.
If you have questions, please contact Shannon Howes, Vice President for Scholarship and Member Services at showes1@luc.edu.
Click here to view the application.
Upcoming Online Enrichment Events
The JASPA Executive Board has made a commitment to engage in meaningful and mission-aligned anti-racism work. Efforts are underway to develop a series of online workshops that will call us to consider our collective obligations to confront institutional racism in our work and on our campuses. A series of three online events will engage anti-racism work through personal, functional area and institutional perspectives.
We invite colleagues who may have interest in helping to plan this important series to join us. For more information, please contact Jean Griffin, Vice President for Online Enrichment at griffinj6@xavier.edu.
More from the AJCU Network
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