Catching Up with Cody: Seeking to Make an Impact

Dear Colleagues,

In my LinkedIn travels this week, I saw and commented on a post from Teachers First that read, “No matter how much pedagogy we know, no matter how many degrees we have, unless our students know that we care, they will not learn from us.

I so agree. Through Voices of Regis, through meeting with members of the Regis University Student Government Association (RUSGA), and through a number of other impromptu conversations with our students, it is clear to me that they are seeking to belong, seeking to be seen, seeking to feel that we care, and seeking to make an impact.  

This is usually in response to my question, “Why Regis?”

Higher education is a service-oriented industry with a chance for each of us to make a difference and an impact on our students and their sense of belonging and being seen. This may be in person or over Zoom. This may be in the classroom or in a hallway. Even if your role with the University is not student-facing, it could be that your collaboration with a colleague may help to free up their time and energy in direct support for our students.  

We can also encourage and provide students with opportunities to create for and with one another this sense of belonging, of being seen and of being cared for. Such opportunities may be through a campus event, an online networking group or running for student government.

I know we care. I think we need to check in with ourselves and one another on how our care may be manifested or perceived. I use the analogy that when someone asks you what time it is, you don’t respond by telling them how to make a clock.  

This week, let’s think about how we are living cura personalis, especially for our students, and taking care of the entire person and caring for their individual needs.