This week my Institution held a campus community event to provide a space for knowledge around the election, the future of US politics and more in light of the dramatic 2016 Campaign and election of Donald J. Trump as the 45th President of the United States.
As a co-leader for an elected body that represents staff interests on my campus and as one of the co-sponsors of the event I was asked to speak during the event's introductions on the topic that is the title for this post.
Sadly, because of nerves I didn't actually write a speech (I typically don't stick to them anyway), I jotted down some bullet points and just spoke to what made sense to me. The theme that continued to be the heart of what became the thread of my conversation was Universities are meant to be a space where education in all opportunities can and should happen.
As I continued to think about this statement and also reflect on the words that I did share I figured I should probably pen my statement (ha, better late than never). But I thought this was the forum considering that the audience I speak to through these posts.
So here it goes:
My name is Keesha Ceran, I am a proud double alumna of this institution. I graduated from the School of Public Affairs in 2010 with my Bachelors in Political Science and a short 2 years later I completed my Masters from SPA in Applied Politics. I have spent 8 years on this campus, as a student and now as a staff member. As the co-chair for Staff Council, an elected body who represent staff interests on campus, I was excited and eager to participate in an event such as this.
I would be remiss to say that the excitement came out of the opportunity to reclaim something that was lost for me last semester (our campus like many others, have been ripe with issues of racial tension and the results of the election caused additional tension, that we have not completely addressed) -----that thing that was lost was CIVILITY.
I was equally excited to be faced with a statement such as this, as part of today's introductions--- What Universities Must Continue to Represent.
That statement is complex, but let me make an attempt to do this justice:
Universities must continue to represent a space where people can learn and be challenged in what they think they know.
For my colleagues in the room, those who already hold degrees, remember that you also have much to learn and that your title doesn't limit your ability to learn. Take time today to learn from our students, to challenge yourself TO NOT BE RIGHT.
Universities must continue to be a space where we embrace difference. Not for the sake of tolerance, but from an aspect of vulnerability. We only fear what and who we don't understand. Universities are a space in which we have the freedom to learn about a wide range of people, but it means that we have to let our own walls down. One of the themes I have taught my students that I work with are, that relationships matter.
Universities must continue to be a space where we challenge ourselves, when tested, to not try to WIN. But instead to take the opportunities to understand people and their hearts, again relationships matter.
When I think about the current climate, I see that Universities are micro experiences of the world outside of them. Ghandi said it best, Be the Change you want to see in the world. If we want to see change out there, we have to start with the change here. What impact do you want to have reflected in the world around us, if we can't fix or begin to address the issues or experiences of the community within?
Throughout the day, I encourage us all not to just look at what's happening nationally, but also what we can do to build and transform the community here. To restore and make AU a place that is better 5, 10, 20 and forever years from now, that this Institution stands.
Thursday, January 19, 2017
Saturday, July 9, 2016
Your silence is STRANGLING... Acknowledge my existence
In our work we are called to support the needs of our students in
times of tragedy, pain and struggle. There are times in our careers where we
might navigate this space with confusion.
As a woman of color who works at and is a product of a PWI
(predominately white institution), this tension and space of confusion is all
too real. For the few individuals of color on our campuses our experiences are
challenging.
Speaking from my own lens, when national events like the ones that
have become headlines this week (4th of July 2016), we operate on a teeter
totter of action and emotion. As educators and administrators we are called to
action to provide a space for safety and support for our students. We
subconsciously perform to that “super hero” mentality, pushing aside our own
pain and suffering, the same pain and suffering that our students are facing.
Not only are we called to action, but it is this expectation that
we will. The fallacy in this is the assumption that we will have the strength to act.
On my campus, the recent events woke me up to understanding that
as a woman of color, I am not given the space to have my moment to grieve in the same manner that we
might afford our students. As an administrator, I am asked to just be alert, be
on attention and to make myself numb to the feelings that I have.
This became ever more real in the silence that became STRANGLING,
when on my campus not many outside of my Black or allied marginalized community, and especially not many of
those in a position of power, made any acknowledgement of the pain and
suffering that WE were feeling.
Where was our
statement of concern? || Where was our statement of condolence? || Where
was our statement of care? || Where was our moment of silence?||
That silence became even more strangling when as a leader of an
organization within my field, there was no statement or reflection posted within
those spheres either.
It's in the silence that a part of me died. I am a part of this
community, this institution of education that is supposed to teach our next
generation how to be compassionate, how to be genuine, how to be authentic
and lead well and in this moment the insular bubble that I have been feeling
was safe, became unsafe. My title as administrator,
doesn’t protect me from the isolation.
The only means of comfort I could find were from the
heartbroken just like me. Heartbroken people, cannot be called upon to be each
other’s only source of comfort in this time. To those of you in these spaces, your privilege allowed you to
ignore the hurt your colleagues and your peers were suffering from.
We can’t be silent anymore or our institutions will not survive.
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Learn from those around you, Get Involved- My advice as a Psuedo-Professional
Hey Everyone,
In my quest to find my fit within my profession, I am learning more and more that my validity and my confidence is born out of the connections and network that I have been able to surround myself in. What set me on this path was getting involved in the associations that support professional development within my field.
Whether there are one or two, or many organizations, connect with organizations and associations that are going to provide you with a vast amount of outreach and a vast amount of experiences to learn from.
I say this coming off of a three -day regional conference. I am reminded of how energized I feel post conferences, having been able to sit in workshops and meet with colleagues near and far to share our experiences with. Learn from challenges and successes that others have experienced in the hopes to transforming your work environment and the outcomes you perceive to occur.
I am fascinated by my ability, having doubted my abilities in this field, to keep up with the pace and flow of others speaking about big themes that we are seeing on our campuses. In these experiences you can meet others on how they got into the roles they currently have. It's a community of people who are looking to give a little bit more. We all come for a common purpose to build ourselves, the places we work and the people we work with up, and to that we all have our role to play.
So whether it is the conferences themselves, the small communities that you can get involved with, the point is get involved. Take time to learn from those around you and be open to new experiences.
In my quest to find my fit within my profession, I am learning more and more that my validity and my confidence is born out of the connections and network that I have been able to surround myself in. What set me on this path was getting involved in the associations that support professional development within my field.
Whether there are one or two, or many organizations, connect with organizations and associations that are going to provide you with a vast amount of outreach and a vast amount of experiences to learn from.
I say this coming off of a three -day regional conference. I am reminded of how energized I feel post conferences, having been able to sit in workshops and meet with colleagues near and far to share our experiences with. Learn from challenges and successes that others have experienced in the hopes to transforming your work environment and the outcomes you perceive to occur.
I am fascinated by my ability, having doubted my abilities in this field, to keep up with the pace and flow of others speaking about big themes that we are seeing on our campuses. In these experiences you can meet others on how they got into the roles they currently have. It's a community of people who are looking to give a little bit more. We all come for a common purpose to build ourselves, the places we work and the people we work with up, and to that we all have our role to play.
So whether it is the conferences themselves, the small communities that you can get involved with, the point is get involved. Take time to learn from those around you and be open to new experiences.
“(Insert Institution name here)” Bubble: Not just a student dilemma
Hi everyone:
I don’t know about you, but here at my Institution there is this running joke that undergraduate students never get out of the “Bubble”. Basically, that within the confines of our campus community and public transportation services, the student experience is limited to the network at our institution.
I used to admit that I was a victim of this, my relationships at a point were restricted to the people I interacted with here at school. I was an RA, my one off-campus position, I left when a better offer came up INSIDE the University. Everyday was a campus experience. I rarely ventured out past the familiar streets of our small neighborhood and if I did, it was often with members of my RA staff or classmates.
I thought the perspectives of the “Bubble” were only an undergraduate experience. But I am seeing that the same things is true for professionals here at the Institution as well. For one, there are many alum, like myself who now work for the University. The turn around was pretty quick as well. Graduate and then transition into a professional Job, or while still in school, transitioning into a part-time position until you have accumulated enough hours to become a full-time member of the Administration. In that sense, we are sucking on the life blood that is this Institution’s “Bubble.” An experience that can be taxing, stressful and all together overwhelming.
But more important than that is the Administration, the Faculty and staff who get sucked into the comfort of this experience. Being a part of a “Bubble” is safety. We are told by our supervisors to challenge ourselves, to open up our experiences. To network with other Institutions, attend these conferences and webinars. Email this member across the country etc. But sometimes these same figureheads are not taking their own advice, or seeking to move to the next level. As Higher Ed Professionals, I do not think it is bad for us to spread our experiences to different outlets. But I have seen that much like corporations, people in Higher Ed tend to stay in the same field, or department or position for 10+ years before they move into something else. I gather that experience is crucial to be an Administrator, but shouldn’t we become more flexible in our own professional development, especially in a field that is constantly changing?
I also think that at a certain point in our lives, people start to believe that the experiences that college students have, traveling, picking up this subject matter on a whim, changing their major or discipline, are not the same that we can have as we get older. I know that I am a life-long learner. I know that I have skills in many different areas outside my major, but I also know that I don’t want to be a Political Practitioner all the days of my life. That is an end goal and along the way I am providing a self-taught education through my experiences at a Higher Ed Institution.
As Higher Ed professionals, I think it is wise for us to take the same advice that we give to our proteges, take risks. Continue to stay relevant, “get out and see the world” and not from the perspective of the “Bubble.”
I don’t know about you, but here at my Institution there is this running joke that undergraduate students never get out of the “Bubble”. Basically, that within the confines of our campus community and public transportation services, the student experience is limited to the network at our institution.
I used to admit that I was a victim of this, my relationships at a point were restricted to the people I interacted with here at school. I was an RA, my one off-campus position, I left when a better offer came up INSIDE the University. Everyday was a campus experience. I rarely ventured out past the familiar streets of our small neighborhood and if I did, it was often with members of my RA staff or classmates.
I thought the perspectives of the “Bubble” were only an undergraduate experience. But I am seeing that the same things is true for professionals here at the Institution as well. For one, there are many alum, like myself who now work for the University. The turn around was pretty quick as well. Graduate and then transition into a professional Job, or while still in school, transitioning into a part-time position until you have accumulated enough hours to become a full-time member of the Administration. In that sense, we are sucking on the life blood that is this Institution’s “Bubble.” An experience that can be taxing, stressful and all together overwhelming.
But more important than that is the Administration, the Faculty and staff who get sucked into the comfort of this experience. Being a part of a “Bubble” is safety. We are told by our supervisors to challenge ourselves, to open up our experiences. To network with other Institutions, attend these conferences and webinars. Email this member across the country etc. But sometimes these same figureheads are not taking their own advice, or seeking to move to the next level. As Higher Ed Professionals, I do not think it is bad for us to spread our experiences to different outlets. But I have seen that much like corporations, people in Higher Ed tend to stay in the same field, or department or position for 10+ years before they move into something else. I gather that experience is crucial to be an Administrator, but shouldn’t we become more flexible in our own professional development, especially in a field that is constantly changing?
I also think that at a certain point in our lives, people start to believe that the experiences that college students have, traveling, picking up this subject matter on a whim, changing their major or discipline, are not the same that we can have as we get older. I know that I am a life-long learner. I know that I have skills in many different areas outside my major, but I also know that I don’t want to be a Political Practitioner all the days of my life. That is an end goal and along the way I am providing a self-taught education through my experiences at a Higher Ed Institution.
As Higher Ed professionals, I think it is wise for us to take the same advice that we give to our proteges, take risks. Continue to stay relevant, “get out and see the world” and not from the perspective of the “Bubble.”
Friday, March 27, 2015
What does it mean being a Pseudo- Professional?
(Originally posted in July of 2011)
I am a Graduate student who goes to
school at my top choice institution. I graduated in 2010 with my
Bachelor’s Degree and began a graduate program the following Fall at
the same institution. Not only do I go to school here, but I also work here
part-time. Navigating these roles is a little unique. There are areas where it
is on me to be a little more proactive and learn to network and balance the
personal relationships I have acquired in a new light. There are pieces of it
where I am the young adult, wishing my parents would stop treating me like a
kid, and there are moments when I want someone to just hold my hand and walk me
through the process.
To say I am familiar with the
culture here is an understatement. I know this institution like
the back of my hand. I have been in several student leadership
positions, working with our Office of Campus Life, Housing and Dining Programs and
a series of other offices continue to develop my leadership. I have sat on
boards with the Dean of Students and the Vice Provost of Undergraduate
Studies. I have created a great network of mentors and role models, people
who have guided me through my transition as a transfer student here, through my
graduation and then through my application, admittance and acceptance into the graduate
program here.
Being a Pseudo-Professional doesn't mean that I am not at all acclimated to the culture, the community or the mission and vision of the Institution; it means more that on a personal
level I am faced with confidence challenges in my ability to perform among individuals who I have looked up to and are now my colleagues.
On another personal level, I have to
also learn to balance my relationships, people who were once my friends are
people that I supervise. They are people I advise and people that now because
of the role I have, can’t interact with them on the same level that I used
to.
As it relates to my colleagues, it
means treating me as someone who they can learn from and continue to mentor and
teach in my new professional role, without thinking of me as the young student
they once guided through undergrad.
There are a lot of areas of this new
experience and there are pieces of it that drive me crazy, so welcome to the
world I live in. Hopefully you can gather some insight and learn something new
about yourself or another person in an experience similar to mine.
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Introductions
Hello:
My name is Keesha Ceran. If you follow any of my other blogs--Thank you!
I started this blog a few years ago (in 2011) in the midst of my transition professionally.
It's taken me a while to be comfortable with putting the content of these posts out there for the world to see. The reason being is I am in a field that I did not actually study. I am a political scientist, I have 3 degrees in the field, but here I am in the world of Higher Education, making this work. I think I have spent a larger part of my career at this point going back and forth in my brain about whether or not I "fit" in the field.
After some soul searching and finally digging in, joining associations and asking questions of my peers and colleagues, I think the reality is I don't know if I will ever really feel comfortable walking through this career. But that's okay, because at the core, I don't want to ever walk in something feeling like I completely got it.
I hope that the following posts at least inspire some thinking about where you are in your own professional experiences and cause pause to remind us that we have never really made it- Keep striving for more and dream big dreams for yourself.
Hope you enjoy!
My name is Keesha Ceran. If you follow any of my other blogs--Thank you!
I started this blog a few years ago (in 2011) in the midst of my transition professionally.
It's taken me a while to be comfortable with putting the content of these posts out there for the world to see. The reason being is I am in a field that I did not actually study. I am a political scientist, I have 3 degrees in the field, but here I am in the world of Higher Education, making this work. I think I have spent a larger part of my career at this point going back and forth in my brain about whether or not I "fit" in the field.
After some soul searching and finally digging in, joining associations and asking questions of my peers and colleagues, I think the reality is I don't know if I will ever really feel comfortable walking through this career. But that's okay, because at the core, I don't want to ever walk in something feeling like I completely got it.
I hope that the following posts at least inspire some thinking about where you are in your own professional experiences and cause pause to remind us that we have never really made it- Keep striving for more and dream big dreams for yourself.
Hope you enjoy!
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