CU Engineering Employee News & Resources - Oct. 20, 2020 | Faculty & Staff

CU Engineering Employee News & Resources - Oct. 20, 2020

The entries in last year's pumpkin carving contest on display in the Engineering Center lobby

Fall is a great time of year in the College of Engineering and Applied Science, and we want to celebrate it the best way we know how 鈥� with a pumpkin carving contest!听The 6th Annual CEAS Pumpkin Carving Contest will take place virtually on Friday, Oct.听30 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.听Pumpkins will be judged in various categories: Classic, Scariest, Engineering Themed, Funniest, CU Themed, and Best Overall.听Because we鈥檙e in a virtual environment, contestants from all departments/units are encouraged to purchase their own pumpkin(s) and create a work of art with the expectation that you follow campus and public health guidelines. To enter into the contest, submit two photos: 1) a photo of the final entry; and 2) a photo of the final entry with the artist(s) to Steph Prokop by Thursday, Oct.听29.听听

All staff, researchers, faculty, students, and guests are welcome to participate in judging each pumpkin via a virtual poll from 9 a.m.听to 2 p.m.听An email will be sent college-wide that morning.听The winning pumpkins will be announced on our social media platforms, and winners are given bragging rights for the entire year along with credit to purchase items at the . Good luck to everyone!

Virtual visits with the four finalists for CEAS dean started today! Each candidate will host a general town hall, as well as separate sessions for faculty, staff and students. Learn more on our Dean Finalist Interview Process webpage.听听

Faculty and staff: Do听you need 鈥減ractice鈥� having difficult conversations with students you are concerned about?听Especially conversations where you might need to manage a handoff to campus counseling services?听CU has partnered with Kognito to offer avatar-based training simulations for faculty and staff to improve their skill set in this important area.听Log on at 听and check it out 鈥� it鈥檚 free!

Accepting nominations for the 2020 Womxn Who Make a Difference award. to recognize one womxn who has made a difference in your life. The award ceremony will be held virtually on Wednesday, Nov. 18. Contact the Center for Inclusion & Social Change at cisc@colorado.edu if you have any questions. Thank you for taking the time to recognize women and their positive contributions to our community and our lives!听

Join Us for a (Safe) In-Person Social Event on Oct. 24.听All CU Engineering faculty, staff and families are invited to join the Engineering Social Club at 9 a.m. Oct. 24 for an in-person stroll around Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge in Denver. The Arsenal is a beautiful area with many walking trails. Join us to walk some trails,听in groups of up to five people, to scout for wildlife. Finish off your visit driving the Wildlife Drive, a one-way loop where you are most likely to see the refuge鈥檚 bison herd. 听during this outdoor event. Learn more and register on the event webpage.

3 steps to stop remote work burnout. Too much screen time, too many video calls and too few boundaries make working from home hard for all of us. Podcast host and writer Morra Aarons-Mele from the introverts in your life about protecting your energy and your limits.

How to Avoid Doing Harm When You Discuss Race at Work

The year 2020 has been challenging for many minority groups. Having discussions about race at work, although important, can lead to many people feeling distressed, exhausted, or dismissed. Research shows that at least听听believe that corporate messaging about racism is more about pressure from the outside than a genuine commitment against it.听But how often do supervisors and managers who are engaging in race dialogues consider the potential harm such dialogues can cause for racial and ethnic minority employees? Current research and experts in the diversity, equity and inclusion space support managers and team in taking a more informed and sustainable approach.听Here are some strategies you can start applying so that team members of all races feel acknowledged, valued and supported.

The trauma of racial dialogues

Trauma acts as a type of chronic stressor, that when left untreated can produce听. People who undergo trauma often experience feelings such as 听about themselves, fear, anger, shame, and hypervigilance.听Race dialogues in workplace spaces are ostensibly organized to help improve the conditions for racial and ethnic minority employees, but they may be harming the very groups they aim to help. What might that reality look like during conversations about race? Consider facilitating a discussion with the team and/or during 1:1 conversations that address emotional needs, how to access anti-racist resources, or consider conducting a cultural audit of the programs, policies, and practices embedded in our work that are biased and macro-aggressive in nature.听In other words, rather than calling on employees of color to recount traumatic experiences with racism and creating situations where they must personally carry the burden of change, managers should focus on the team itself and discussing necessary changes in your work.听

Understand your emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence, also known as EI or EQ, describes a person鈥檚 ability to recognize emotions, to understand their powerful effect, and to use that information to guide thinking and behavior. Emotions can inadvertently impact people in a negative way when the topic of race is discussed so it鈥檚 important for supervisors to recognize and understand emotions in yourself and your team members. During a discussion with the team or 1:1 conversations, ask team members to share an opinion about a strategy or project that can help increase emotional competence and construct an action plan that addresses any prejudices in the workplace. Supervisors hold influential power to mold, shape and model business practices by hearing from people who believe or think differently that can help the team鈥檚 performance, productivity, and personal excellence.

Schedule a guided racial dialogue

Finally, most leadership teams agree that moving forward with a race dialogue should seek for guidance of a skilled DEI facilitator to conduct such talks. A facilitator who understands the potential for trauma, who can pick up on microaggressions during the dialogue, and who has done the self-work to recognize their own internal biases so that they don鈥檛 transpose them onto the dialogue. There are many experts on campus who can help facilitate racial dialogue, please share your ideas and thoughts with Amy Moreno, director of inclusive culture, who can be a resource for additional information.听 Dialogue is part of diversity, inclusion, and equity initiatives, and supervisors must do so with the full understanding of what they are asking their racial and ethnic minority employees to give鈥攁nd be equally committed to giving back.

Ask a Workplace Coach! Do you have a question or need workplace advice? Ask us anything! Questions will be reviewed by Amy Moreno, director of inclusive culture, and Steph Prokop, assistant director of HR, and may be included anonymously in an upcoming newsletter. Submit your questions, ideas or suggestions here.

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