The College of Dentistry held the annual Faculty and Staff Enrichment Day on June 28. Each year, the event gives faculty and staff dedicated time for meaningful conversations and thoughtful reflection about ways to better the college and for personal development.
The challenge posed at this year’s event was how the college community can collaboratively foster a more inclusive environment at the college.
Cathy Pettid, LMHP, assistant vice chancellor and dean of students for UNO, and Phil Covington, EdD, assistant vice chancellor for student success for UNO and UNMC, discussed how each member of the college community plays an important role in each other’s safety and well-being.
Then participants engaged in "Conversations for Inclusive Excellence" around the topics of identity and inclusion, adverse childhood experiences affects across a lifetime, and behavioral science and inclusion.
Yun Saksena, BDSc, MMSc, DMD, associate dean for education, organized the event to help the college community reflect on the importance of inclusion "to advance our college mission, be excellent in all we do, and help each member of our community thrive."
"We need to acknowledge every individual is different like us, and ensure every person feels they belong, they matter, and they can fully participate and thrive," Saksena said. "Inclusion is a verb. We need to be intentional about it, otherwise we may accidentally exclude."
The conversations allowed participants to think about their colleagues' different perspectives.
"Our college community shared experiences that impacted our patients, students and each other, and discussed what we could do to foster an even more welcoming, inclusive environment than we already have," Saksena said.
Katina Winters, administration associate, enjoyed the opportunity to engage in conversations with other members of the college community, many that she doesn’t have the chance to work with often.
"I appreciated the opportunity to reflect on how our individual experiences and perspectives influence our work performance," Winters said. "This event empowered employees and will help drive better communication throughout the college."
Cathy Rutt, administrative associate, enjoyed the opportunity to get to know her colleagues better through hearing their personal stories about times they felt included or excluded.
"The inclusivity presentations and the small group discussions allowed for the opportunity to meet, interact and learn from others," Rutt said.
This event was part of the College of Dentistry’s ongoing efforts to foster an even more welcoming, inclusive environment.