September - National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 - Oct. 15)

Thurs. Sept. 2 - Diversity Film Discussion, 4:00 pm via WebEx (Led by Erin Clair)
Watch the documentary Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado (2020) on your own. Then join us for a discussion of what can be learned about LatinX culture from this documentary. The movie is available on Netflix with a subscription.
From Wikipedia: Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado is a 2020 documentary film about the life and career of Walter Mercado, one of the most influential and important astrologists in Latin America and the world. The documentary, directed by Cristina Costantini and Kareem Tabsch, features interviews with Mercado himself, his assistant Willy Acosta, the Mercado Salinas family, among many other public figures of Latino entertainment and television. The film premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and was released on Netflix on July 8, 2020.
WebEx Link: https://atu.webex.com/atu/j.php?MTID=m639780b5d42f55f931a6adc41bd31323

Thurs. Sept. 9 - LatinX and Hispanic Student Panel, 4:00 pm via WebEx
WebEx Link: https://atu.webex.com/atu/j.php?MTID=m7837a733c3e756737ced103e12017bcc

Thurs. Sept. 16 - Spanish Faculty Panel: Profs. Nelson Ramirez, Karina Carballo, Dana Ward, and Patty Joselin, 4:00 pm via WebEx
Discussion of initiatives at ATU for LatinX and Hispanic students and ideas for expanding/improving upon these initiatives.
WebEx Link: https://atu.webex.com/atu/j.php?MTID=m9a7e85deae0851317a08937cfc94547e

Thurs. Sept. 23 - TESOL Faculty Panel: Profs. Chih-Hsin Hsu, Ursula Chandler, Paola Gemme, Stan Lombardo, Lynda Franco, and Regina St. John, 4:00 pm via WebEx
Discussion of how best to help ESL students and teach our native English speakers to be inclusive of a multilingual world.
WebEx Link: https://atu.webex.com/atu/j.php?MTID=m54e63a01243cc1428657da941420e858 

Thurs. Sept. 30 - RHS Hispanic Heritage Club Student Panel, 4:00 pm via WebEx
RHS Hispanic Heritage Club student leaders will discuss establishing and building their student organization and working with ATU and the community to celebrate Hispanic Heritage month September 15 to October 15, culminating with La Feria.
WebEx Link: https://atu.webex.com/atu/j.php?MTID=mfd577d79bc6390b34abb66742d8c53e1

 

October - Accessibility for All - Additional Resources

Thurs. Oct. 7 - Tyler Rollins - Guest Speaker, 4:00 pm via WebEx
Tyler Rollins is a 2017 ATU alumn who was injured during a military training event in 2015, the summer after his junior year. He suffered a C-6 spinal cord injury and has been paralyzed from the chest down and in his hands ever since. He completed three months of rehabilitation in Denver CO at a world class facility and then returned to ATU for his Senior Year. “Tech and the people there were critical in my recovery and getting back to life. I will say that any time I had a concern for access or inclusion the faculty were quick to make accommodations. These accommodations over the last year and a half there assisted me greatly in graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Recreation Administration.” His internship was in Reno NV where  he played wheelchair sports including rugby, handcycling, and skiing. Upon graduation, he quickly landed in his chosen career field. “ATU is a special place for me and I am always willing to step in and help wherever I can.” Tyler will be speaking to faculty about what the campus did well and how faculty can continue to strive to help students with physical limitations.
WebEx Link: https://atu.webex.com/atu/j.php?MTID=m45ed992a3c0ea049828aed7694a26a5d

Thurs. Oct. 21 - Documentary Discussion, 4:00 pm via WebEx, The Hiden Pandemic - PBS Documentary on Mental Health in Kansas and Missouri https://www.kansascitypbs.org/local-shows/the-hidden-pandemic/
Kansas City PBS created and aired a documentary that shines a light on The Hidden Pandemic, focusing on the lives of Kansas and Missouri citizens navigating mental illness. Through personal interviews with patients and the health care professionals who treat them, this documentary uncovers challenges faced on the journey to improving and maintaining mental health. This video was produced by acclaimed documentary filmmaker Michael Price with assistance by Mallory Meek, of K-State Research and Extension - Douglas County. In the video you will hear from both rural and urban citizens who refuse to let their mental illness define who they are and dictate their futures. Trailer: https://www.kansascitypbs.org/blogs/station-news/new-documentary-uncovers-local-stories-of-mental-health-during-lockdown/.
WebEx Link: https://atu.webex.com/atu/j.php?MTID=me63bd28430d32566ef72de549e70e223

Thurs. Oct. 28 - Teaching with Accommodations Faculty Panel, 4:00 pm via WebEx
Dr. Alexis Johnson, Associate Professor of Journalism, Ms. Ashlee Leavell, Assistant Dean for Student Wellness/Deputy Title IX Coordinator, Dr. Robert Stevens, Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation Science, Dr. Erica Wondolowski, Associate Professor and Director of Rehabilitation Science
WebEx Link: https://atu.webex.com/atu/j.php?MTID=mf928472366d50ec006abe232aad4faee

 

November - World Cultures (Home and Abroad)

Thurs. Nov. 4 – Movie Discussion, 4:00 pm
Watch the documentary Gather (84 min) (2020), https://atu.kanopy.com/video/gather on your own, and then join us for a discussion led by Charity Park. The film follows the stories of members of three different tribes as they reclaim their culture and foodways of the past.
Webex Link: https://atu.webex.com/atu/j.php?MTID=m576afd22c52d049dee2982a38c07bf99

Thurs. Nov. 11 - Educational Systems Around the World, 4:00 pm via WebEx

Thurs. Nov. 18 - Student Panel, 4:00 pm via WebEx

 

Additional Resources:

Accessibility for All

Blackboard Ally: Going From Red to Green videos

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University Resources

• Counseling Services offers free and confidential individual, group, and couples counseling to all enrolled students.  The services focus on goals that can be met within 4-5 sessions/semester and if a student needs long-term counseling, we will assist with locating an off-campus counselor.  More can be found about our services here: https://www.atu.edu/hwc/counseling/services.php.
• Counseling Services offers resources specifically for faculty here: https://www.atu.edu/hwc/counseling/facultyresources.php.  This includes a virtual presentation about supporting students in distress, information about how to make a referral, and a list of campus resources for easy access.
• Health Services offers medication management services as appropriate for mental health concerns such as depression and anxiety.  The nurse practitioners can diagnose and treat some mental health conditions and will refer students who need additional services beyond the scope of the Health and Wellness Center.  More can be found about the HWC here: https://www.atu.edu/hwc
• Faculty members are encouraged to report student concerns to the CARE team.  The CARE Team website, https://www.atu.edu/careteam, includes examples of the types of observed behaviors sometimes exhibited by distressed persons that should be referred to the CARE Team as well as the referral form where the information can be reported.  This is one of the best ways to make sure that students receive help and are notified of available resources on campus.
• Disability Services provides accommodations for students who self-identify with a disability, including mental health-related disabilities.  Faculty members are encouraged to include a syllabus statement about Disability Services (also consider including Counseling Services info) and to refer any students who self-identify as having any type of disability including learning disabilities, mental health conditions, other health conditions/disabilities, and pregnancy.  This can also serve as a way to demonstrate that you are sensitive and concerned about meeting the needs of all students you teach. It also affords students the opportunity to make their accommodation needs known to you early in the semester. The Disability Services website, www.atu.edu/disabilities, has a section for faculty resources which provide examples of syllabus statements, instructions for setting timers in Blackboard for testing accommodations, and more.   Faculty play a key role in making sure that students are aware of the accommodation process and for engaging in the interactive process with the Office of Disability Services.  
• ATU strives to create a community of access and inclusion on campus. It is recommended that all classroom accommodations be determined through the Office of Disability Services, but there are other ways to create inclusive and supportive classrooms for all students.  Some examples include ensuring online course content is accessible, respecting a student’s choice whether to disclose the nature of his/her disability to faculty, creating opportunities for engagement with the professor and peers, personally engaging in mental health gatekeeper trainings when available (i.e. suicide prevention workshops offered by Counseling Services: https://video.atu.edu/media/Kaltura+Capture+recording+-+June+16th+2020%2C+3A45A09+pm/0_3aqono4m ), allowing flexibility where possible, and being familiar with campus resources.  The Offices of Disability Services and Counseling Services are happy to help provide additional information or resources to faculty who are interested.
• A helpful resource on “The Role of Faculty in Student Mental Health” can be found here: https://marychristieinstitute.org/events/the-role-of-faculty-in-student-mental-health/. This 90-minute webinar presents the findings of a recent national pilot study examining the perceptions and behaviors of college and university faculty as they relate to supporting student mental health and substance use.  There are other useful resources available on this website as well. 

Podcasts

• Student Disability Concerns (2019): https://www.benderconsult.com/disability-matters/joyce-welcomes-elijah-armstrong/932
• University Centers for Research and Accommodations (2019): https://www.benderconsult.com/disability-matters/joyce-welcomes-andy-imparato/892
• Wichita State University’s Veteran Student Affairs Program (2017): https://www.benderconsult.com/disability-matters/joyce-welcomes-sarah-sell/752
• Disarming Disability (A current podcast series on issues surrounding this topic): https://www.disarmingdisability.com/