Trauma Healing for Educators of Color

POSTPONED to FALL 2023

Workshop Description

Faculty of color in academia often experience a range of microaggressions, racism, and are overburdened with service and mentorship requirements compared to their White counterparts. This workshop provides a space for faculty of color at Cal Poly to process those experiences in ways that result in healing from those negative, and often traumatic, experiences that are common among faculty of color at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs).  

After this workshop, faculty of color will have built a sense of community with others in the group and learned about putting into practice activities and behaviors that allow them to heal from their own trauma. This workshop aims to help retain and strengthen the BIPOC faculty community on campus and facilitate the development of positive coping skills. 

Workshop Goals and Activities

This workshop aims to provide faculty of color with a space to acknowledge, process, and begin to heal from traumatic experiences, especially experiences with racism, discrimination, and other negative experiences resulting from the oppression of marginalized and intersecting identities.  

Activities for this workshop include (1) an opportunity to discuss and process negative racialized academic experiences with similarly marginalized peers, (2) the use of evidence-based practices, including letter writing, breathing exercises, and affirmation development to heal from those experiences and become more efficacious and self-assured in an environment that often denigrates and invalidates BIPOC faculty.  

Intended Audience

Though centered on the experiences of faculty of color, all are welcome to attend and participate in this session, which utilizes journaling, meditation, and social identity affinity group caucusing.