Join a Respectful Conversation: "Co-Creating Community at Hamline: What would it take for you to feel like we are all in this together?" Participant applications are due November 9. Apply at this link.
Last year, Hamline University experienced a crisis around a classroom incident that has put international attention on Hamline University and brought to light tensions within our community around issues of religious sensitivity, academic freedom, and who belongs. This has made it hard for us to feel that we are all part of one community together.
In response to this, University Chaplain Kelly Figueroa-Ray has partnered with the Respectful Conversations Project, an initiative of the Minnesota Council of Churches, directed by Rev. Jerad Morey. Two lead facilitators, Joan Haan and Johanna Osman, have been meeting with stakeholders all across Hamline's community for over eight months. Through that work a Respectful Conversations Design Team made up of staff, students, faculty, administration, and alumni has met twice in-person to develop a topic and timeframe of the event.
The topic that emerged is "Co-Creating Community at Hamline: What would it take for you to feel like we are all in this together?"
- The Design Team members include:
- Alexis Borgesen ('22), alumni, former AmeriCorps VISTA director of Food Resource Center in the Wesley Center (2022-2023) and the Wesley Center Alumni Annual Fund Board member
- Ryan LeCount, faculty, Associate Professor and Department Chair of Social Justice and Social Change
- Irina Makarevitch, administrator, Associate Provost for Accreditation and Compliance and Biology faculty
- Fatuma Mohamed ('24), student, leader in Multi-Faith Alliance/Muslim Student Association (MSA) and the Wesley Center
- Hussein Rajput, staff, Director of Counseling Services
- Zach Reinsma ('26), student, Multi-Faith Alliance Scholar/leader in Christian Campus Ministry (CCM) and a student athlete
- Jason Sole, faculty, Community Fellow Criminology and Criminal Justice Host:
- University Chaplain Kelly Figueroa-Ray
- Lead Facilitators: Joan Haan and Johanna Osman
Who is Invited to participate in Hamline's Respectful Conversation event?
- Undergraduate Students
- Graduate Students
- Faculty
- Staff
- Administrators
- Alumni
This first conversation will be limited to 100 participants on Monday, November 13, 2023, from 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. in the Kay Fredericks Room. Dinner will be provided. Apply here to be a participant in this conversation by November 1, 2023.
If we find this to be beneficial for our community, we hope for this to be the first of future conversations. To stay up to date, please sign up for the Wesley Center newsletter at this link and to read more about the Respectful Conversations Project at Hamline at this link. Please feel free to reach out to chaplain@hamline.edu with any questions or concerns.
