All-Employees Opening Retreat
The Joy of Being a Student-Ready College
To actively engage all College employees in strategies that mark Earlham as a student-ready teaching and learning community. This year’s retreat focus will include defining a student-ready college, identifying areas where student readiness is already apparent, as well as identifying areas where our teaching and learning community acknowledges obstacles to student success and prioritizes interventions that increase our capacity for student readiness across the entire campus.
Retreat Schedule of Events
| Wednesday, August 14 | ||
| 8:00 -8:30 a.m. | Gathering and light breakfast | Carpenter Hall Lobby |
| 8:30-9:15 a.m. | Welcome & Opening Stillness (James Logan, Associate Academic Dean for Faculty and Mimi Holland, Coordinator of Quaker Life & Religious Life) | Goddard Auditorium |
| 9:15 – 10:00 a.m. | Introduction of President Paul Sniegowski and Provost/Vice President of Academic Affairs Lori Schroeder by Jennifer Seely (Clerk of the Faculty). Opening Presidential Remarks – Title (Paul Sniegowski) | |
| 10:00 – 10:15 a.m. | Questions & Answers | |
| 10:15 – 10:30 a.m. | Break | |
| 10:30 – 11:15 a.m. | The Joy Of Being a Student-Ready College…and the Ongoing Strategies for Success (Brian LaDuca, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs). | |
| 11:15 – 11:30 a.m. | Questions & Answers | |
| 11:30 a.m. – Noon. | Celebrating Our Colleagues: Announcement of tenure and promotion (Paul Sniegowski); Welcome back to those returning from sabbaticals and leaves (Lori Schroeder), and introduction of new faculty and staff (Chris Little, Associate Vice President for Human Resources, Safety and Risk, and Lori Schroeder) | |
| 12:30-1:45 p.m. | LUNCH: Runyan Dining Hall | |
| 2:00-2:50 p.m. | Breakout Session #1 – CHOICE OF FUN, GROOVY, & CONVERSATIONAL THINGS TO DO | |
| 3-3:50 p.m. | Breakout Session #2 – MORE FUN, GROOVY, & CONVERSATIONAL THINGS TO DO | |
| 4:30-6:00 p.m. | Food, Drinks & Hanging Out | |
| All are invited to attend a social gathering hosted by President Anne Houtman Venue: May-Crossen Student Commons (Runyan Center) | ||
| Thursday, August 15 | ||
| 8:15 -8:50 a.m. | Gathering & light breakfast | LBC Atrium & Richmond Room |
| 9:00 a.m. – 11 a.m. | Student Ready Strategies for All Employees (Brian LaDuca, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs and others?) | LBC 105 |
| 11:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. | Break | |
| 11:15 a.m. -11:30 a.m. | Closing Retreat Remarks (President Paul Sniegowski) | LBC 105 |
| 12:00 Noon | LUNCH: Runyan Dinning Hall | |
Breakout Sessions
Zooma Zumba
Host: Laura Hinkley, Associate Vice President of Institutional Advancement
Athletic & Wellness Center (Group Fitness Room)
One of the best ways to reduce stress, promote endorphins and put a smile on your face is to MOVE YOUR BODY! Come try a fun mix of dance and workout – the music is upbeat, there is no judgement and you might find a fun new addiction. Wearing sneakers or athletic shoes is recommended. We will do a beginner level and have about 9 routines with
a warm up and cool down!
Ceramics: A Haptic Experience -Confirmed
Host: Judy Wojcik, Associate Professor of Art, Ceramics
Center for the Visual & Performing Arts (Ceramics Studio)
**Limited to 16 participants
Working with clay is like learning a language. I like to think the hand, head and heart sync and art meets science in the studio. Over time, and with much practice, a mutual dialogue between the maker and the medium develops and one responds to the other with ease. EC’s Ceramics studio welcomes you to join a session of working with clay and learning about the studio. We welcome those with no experience and those with some or extensive experience. No experience necessary; those with experience please come!
The State of Earlham’s Union: A Conversation on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Host: Womai Song, Assistant Professor of History and African & African American Studies
LBC Richmond Room
Since its founding in 1847, and despite their late admission to the institution’s table in the 20th century, Earlham College has benefitted immensely from the service of members of underrepresented communities at all levels of its management, academic, and administrative structures including staff, faculty, cabinet, and Board of Trustees. In the midst of enervating adversities, the distinguished contributions by these esteemed colleagues who have come from different minoritized constituencies from within and outside of the United States have been critical in not only enriching the Earlham experience for our students but in enhancing the institution’s stellar record as a leading teaching and learning community amongst United States’ institutions of higher learning in the 21st century. In preparation for another academic year and in the context of Quaker values; our diversity aspirations; some of the recent tendentious Supreme Court Decisions; and in the spirit of continuously striving toward a more just, equitable and inclusive community; we assemble with open minds for unreserved reflections on the historical and contemporary experiences of a very valuable coterie of Earlham’s union.
DrumUnity: Building Community with Drums
Host: Keith Cozart, Instructor of Music, Director of Percussion Program
Center for the Visual & Performing Arts (Room 126)
**Limited to 25-30 participants
Since its inception in 1996, the Earlham Hand Drum Ensemble has aimed to bring people together in the spirit of wellness, movement, rhythm, and community. Employing the instrumentation of a West African djembe ensemble, participants explore and discover new ways of communicating through the voice of the drum. Celebrating the life of world renowned djembeföla (one who gives voice to the djembe) Mamady Keita, come drum in the spirit of joy and unity- “be together, be djembe.”
Equestrian adventure: Get a tour & ride a horse!
Host: Thea Clarkberg, Equestrian Program Faculty Advisor
Meet in the parking lot outside Barrett/Bundy
**Van capacity limited to 11 participants
Have you ever had wondered what your students do at the barn all day? Have you ever wanted to join the barn co-op yourself and get riding lessons? Join us at the Earlham Equestrian Center to learn more about the program, learn about horses, and get a brief riding lesson.
Beneath the Scenes: A Stroll Through Subterranean Earlham Host: Jason Elliot, Assistant Director of Public Safety Meet Outside Public Safety **Limited to 20 participants
Join a guided tour of some of those unseen spaces that keep the college running, those spaces that live in the lore of the college, passed down from class to class, a taste of the places that students (and Public Safety) talk about. The department of Public Safety will guide you safely through these spaces. Note: This tour will include walking, stairs, stooping, and close spaces.
Taste of Japan: Making Miso Soup- Confirmed
Host: Maya Kaneda, Japanese Language Fellow
Meet in the Athletics and Wellness Center kitchen (second floor observation room)
**Limited to 15 Participants**
Join the Japanese Cooking Club for a tasting of real Japanese Miso Soup. We will make several different kinds of Miso Soup and you can discover your favorite type of miso!
Please note that Miso Soup contains soybeans and fish stock.
Feedback and Discussion on Policy Revisions
Host: Gariot P. Louima, Senior Associate Vice President for Strategic and Diversity Initiatives LBC (Room 211)
This summer, Earlham employees received copies of four policies in revision: Nondiscrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy, Discrimination and Harassment Grievance Procedure, Employee-Student Consensual Sexual Relationships Policy, Policy for the Accommodations of Students with Disabilities. Share your feedback and ask questions.
The Life and History of the Earlham Cemetery: A Tour-Confirmed
Host: Tom Hamm, Professor of History, Quaker Scholar in Residence
Meet at front entrance to Lilly Library (weather permitting)
One of the benefits of being at Earlham is that you can have an office with a view of a cemetery! The college and the cemetery have been neighbors since 1861, and a legal agreement guarantees that the staff and students of Earlham College have the right to “stroll” through the cemetery grounds. On this stroll through the oldest sections of Earlham Cemetery, we’ll talk a bit about the cemetery’s history, look at the development of tombstone and funerary art, and tell some stories about some of the people laid to rest here.
International Students
Host: Candice Quinones, Director of International Student and
Scholar Services
LBC 201
International students, specifically those on F-1 student visas,
comprise, on average, roughly 20% of Earlham’s student population in
any given year. They come from many different countries and cultural
backgrounds, and they bring with them a wealth of experiences, varied
educational backgrounds, and many different perspectives that enrich
the Earlham community. They also face unique struggles due to a variety
of factors, such as their visa status, and at times, the campus experience
has been less than equitable and inclusive for them. Come learn more
about their needs, challenges, and ways that we all can help make
Earlham a better community with and for our international students.
Music from a 3-headed Piano Player
Host: Forrest Tobey, Professor of Music
Center for the Visual & Performing Arts (Lingle Hall)
Chat GTP Hosts: David Barbella, Associate Professor Computer Science, and Sofia Lemons, Assistant Professor of Computer Science
CST 303
In the past few years, large strides have been made in the development
of ChatGPT and other Large Language Models. These tools are now
capable of generating natural-sounding text on a wide range of topics.
Join Computer Science faculty for a discussion of how these tools
work, and share your ideas for the design and assessment of written
assignments in a world where such tools exist.