The members of the Intergroup Dialogue Collective on Vassar’s campus came together organically and voluntarily over a series of months. Though they come from many different departments, they are united in their desire to help campus communication evolve. Using their varied backgrounds and strengths, this group hopes to invite civil conflict to Vassar with intergroup dialogue as the mode of communication.
6-week Intergroup Dialogue Course co-facilitated by Kimberly Williams Brown and Ed Pittman
First Retreat to discuss development of an Intergroup Dialogue Collective at Vassar College, initial core group:
Collective meets every 3 weeks, getting to know individual and collective strengths, review four stages of IGD and our distinct experiences with each stage, imagine model infused with radical love, begin to define the group, establish norms and create a strategic plan for intergroup dialogue at Vassar.
Presented, “Radical Love That Inspires Hope: A Faculty and Administrator Collective for Intergroup Dialogue” at the 3rd Biennial Conference on Intergroup Dialogue, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Meet every 2 weeks with Michael, Kim & Maritza in a tri-leadership model.
We welcomed our first student intern (Antonella DeCicci) and Self-Care for IGD Collective by way of Nahua Breathing & Meditation by Akaxe Yotzin and Anita Campion
Maritza and Michael represented IGD Collective at the invitation of Maria Hantzopoulos to a professional development series on teaching for faculty, the topic: “Building Community in the Classroom and Beyond”
We practiced dialogue with each other based on common readings and set out to address the power hierarchies in our group by naming them, discussing them, and strategizing about how to work through them often and consistently. Selected a chapter from each of these books: Facilitating Intergroup Dialogues; The Art of Effective Facilitation; Intergroup Dialogue: Deliberative Democracy in School, College, Community, and Workplace.
As we closed fall semester, we prepared for a January retreat. Preparing for the retreat signified a re-examination of our leadership model and meeting practices to reflect the collective’s values. Moved from tri-person leadership to rotating meeting facilitation to include all.
Kim & Maritza invited to Equity Team meeting at Arthur S. May Elementary to possibly set up dialogues on race, migration and schooling amongst elementary students while facilitated by trained Vassar students
Carlos Alamo (DOC) reached out to Collective for a meeting. The result of that meeting was that the Dean of the College area is interested in our work and potential partnership in the future. We agreed to meet with him again later in the semester; Kim & Maritza meet with Franky Perez to discuss collaborative dialogue opportunities with Poughkeepsie Middle School.
IGD Collective Retreat – We decided that we needed to work on our mission statement, vision, and goals. We decided committees were going to form to work on an IGD correlate, external projects, and professional development.
Met weekly through Spring Break. We create a Manifesto, Mission Statement, Vision and Goals.
6-week Intensive Intergroup Dialogue Course co-facilitated by Kimberly Williams Brown and Maritza Del Razo, this course integrated the ideas/goals discussed on Jan 6.
Follow Up meeting with Carlos Alamo, Dean of the College.
Meet up four times to report on Committee Work:
Build Connections to Community such as schools and community groups
Begin Professional Development – offering for employees
Development of IGD Correlate at Vassar
