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2011 NASPA Multicultural Institute

Program Description
Pre-Institute Workshops | Speakers

All Pre-Institute workshops occurred on
Thursday, December 8, 2011 from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Pre-Institute #1 Navigating Triggering Events: Critical Competencies for Facilitating Difficult Dialogues
Pre-Institute #2 It's Time to Talk About It: Engaging the Intersections of Religion and Sexual Orientation
Pre-Institute #3 Building Authentic, Honest Relationships Across Identity Groups


Pre-Institute Workshop #1
Navigating Triggering Events: Critical Competencies for Facilitating Difficult Dialogues
Presenters: Dr. Kathy Obear, Social Justice Training Institute & Dr. Becky Martinez, Infinity Martinez Consulting

Ever feel so triggered you couldn't respond effectively? Student Affairs practitioners and faculty often feel triggered during discussions involving issues of inclusion and social justice. Effectively navigating triggering moments is a critical multicultural competency for creating campus change. In this interactive session participants will identify their common triggers and reactions and explore strategies to use triggering events as teachable moments.

In this session we will use the model "Triggering Event Cycle" as a core framework to help participants explore strategies to more effectively navigate themselves and triggering situations. This model and other findings from Dr. Kathy Obear's dissertation, "Exploring the Phenomenon of Triggering Events for Social Justice Educators" (University of Massachusetts – Amherst, 2000) are consistent with the research about how people make meaning of events in the literature on group dynamics and the "ABC's" of Rational Emotive Therapy, Albert Ellis' framework that describes the interactions among an activating event and a person's thoughts, beliefs, feelings and resulting actions.

We will use a variety of self-reflection and experiential activities to teach the basic concepts and provide opportunities for participants to apply their learnings and insights to the types of triggering situations they experience in difficult dialogues. Participants will receive a workbook of handouts and Dr. Obear's article, "Navigating Triggering Events: Critical Skills for Facilitating Difficult Dialogues" (The Diversity Factor, vol. 15, 3) to help them continue to develop the competencies to navigate triggering events more effectively in the future.

Pre-Institute Workshop #2
It's Time to Talk About It: Engaging the Intersections of Religion Sexual Orientation
Presenter: Rev. Dr. Jamie Washington, President, The Washington Consulting Group and Founding Faculty, Social Justice Training Institute

"I don't believe in homosexuality." "I think that we shouldn't talk about sexual orientation and race in the same conversation: one is a choice and the other is not." "I'm a lesbian woman and I miss my church community, but I don't know what to do!" "I'm heterosexual and I want to be a better ally to the LGBTQ community; but my religious beliefs make this hard."  Have you heard, experienced or thought about any the above statements?  If so, this pre-conference is for you. 

Campus environments are experiencing increased visibility of LGBTQ communities; as well as an increase in religious student organizations and involvement.  On many  campuses conversations about religion and spirituality are seen as the responsibility of the Chaplain's office and conversely, LGBTQ issues are often relegated to the LGBTQ Center (if one exists), the student organization, or the Office of Multicultural Affairs.  While good work is being done and many good partnerships have been created on some campuses, there is still a significant need for enhanced skill development in order to engage effectively the complexities of religion and sexual orientation.

Today, student affairs professionals are needed to help facilitate this conversation in ways that religious leaders sometimes may not be able to given obligations to the denomination or religious institution.  

During this very interactive and practical session, participants will have the opportunity to:

  1. Examine and explore their own religious and spiritual beliefs as they relates to sexual orientation and gender identity.
  2. Explore effective strategies for engaging people with differing perspectives and beliefs; with the intention of building more inclusive campus communities.

In this session the facilitator will use the model, "Cycle of Oppression", as a core for unpacking and beginning to ask the critical questions needed for effective engagement. In addition, this session will include information on the Components of Sexuality and offer participants a foundation for engaging questions from all communities. There will be an opportunity to engage tough questions about biblical teachings and interpretations.  Participants will also be given practical skills and tools for navigating and engaging without promoting one view as more right than another. Participants will be given resources for continued self work and exploration of these issues. This session is for anyone who wants to create a space where sexual orientation, gender identity, and religion and spirituality can be explored and engaged more authentically and effectively.  


Pre-Institute Workshop #3
Building Authentic, Honest Relationships Across Identity Groups
Presenters: Cherie Brown, M.ED, Executive Director National Coalition Building Institute & Renay Scales, Ph.D., NCBI Regional Director for Campus Programs

Many of us have learned a lot about our own identities and what has shaped us.  At the same time, we have yet to fully take on understanding other identities, and the way(s) in which we perpetrate oppression to groups other than our own. How do we have the challenging conversations and experiences to grow our understanding of others and engage in our own work to combat the misinformation we have learned? Being able to tell another individual how they have practiced oppression in relationship with us in a way that they can hear and that is helpful requires skill.  Also, being able, ourselves, to receive the information others want to share with us in a non-defensive manner is critical to on-going dialogue. NCBI has developed principles and a process to achieve these outcomes.This pre-conference institute will be an interactive, hands on skill building session, teaching participants how to have these honest conversations.