ā€œThe students here are a lot of fun once you get past certain barriers they put up,ā€ says Briesacher. ā€œOne of my favorite classes to teach is capstone. All these students have built capstone up in their heads, and my syllabus is essentially ā€˜so what do you want to do?ā€™ These students have all these ideas and Iā€™m like ā€˜sweet, go do it.ā€™ And then they go do it, and you get this amazing research and amazing projects.ā€

And itā€™s not just in the classroom that Alex is helping to make a difference within studentā€™s lives. His passion for creating inclusion and belonging on campus extends past the Tiffany Gates to the greater Worcester community as well.Ģż

The Intersection of Identity & Debate

Alex grew up in Belleville, Illinois, a predominantly whilte working class community located a short way from St. Louis, Missouri. In the early 90s, Belleville was voted the most racist town in all of America on 60 Minutes.Ģż

ā€œLiving in it, I couldnā€™t see it. I ended up going to a functionally segregated high school…they segregated based on level, so I was in honors classes, which just happened to have one student of color. And then as you go from honors classes down, you go from having one student of color to the remedial classes that are all students of color. Itā€™s de facto segregation, and I recognized that I have this privilege, because Iā€™m white.ā€

As Alex continued to learn about who he was, he was thrown a curveball.

ā€œCollege is a weird moment in everybodyā€™s life,ā€ Alex says. ā€œAt least in terms of my identity, my shitā€™s weird. I was 21 at the time, and my grandmother on my momā€™s side [who was adopted] didnā€™t know her ethnic heritage. She did one of those genetic tests, and learned when she was 72 that she was black and didnā€™t know it. She sent for the genetic test and they sent her a refund saying ā€˜we canā€™t do it because your background is from Africa and we canā€™t map Africa genetically.ā€™ So I have this weird identify stuff bouncing around.ā€Ģż

While in high school and throughout college at Illinois State University, Alex participated in academic debate. It was through debate that he began to question some of what he had been seeing all his life. Debate topics included Iran, Africa, Native Americans, and Title VII (employment descrimination).

ā€œI had this period of time where people were yelling at me, because of debate, because thatā€™s how itā€™s structured. You grow a thick skin to it, but you start deconstructing what all of this [topic information and research] means.ā€

The activity of debate on college campuses was diverse, and becoming more so while Alex was active in the national college debate community.Ģż

ā€œIt was transitioning from a white, heteronormative space into a queer space. My junior/senior year, we started doing work with urban debate communities, so we could start diversifying in terms of race. We were judging at urban debate communities at inner city schools that were trying to do this activity that was sort of white, and then after that we went back and started coaching teams. There was an opportunity to create space, to use that privilege to create space and help it diversity.ā€

His work with underrepresented communities continued in his life past the debate scene. Previously, Alex worked with Black and Latino math students while working on his dissertation, which focused on how the experiences and perceptions of discrimination in the classroom affects studentā€™s performance and mental health. And the work continued here on campus, where he was an active member of the Campus Climate Committee.

Overcoming the Second Body Problem

When asked how heā€™s changed as a leader while at Worcester State, Alex is quick to identify patience as the skill that he has refined the most over the past few years.Ģż

“I think part of the reason for that was because I came as an adjunct. People sort of looked at me…thereā€™s this perception amongst some faculty members that the only reason I had a job was because of Erika [Briesacher, Associate Professor of History & Political Science]. Itā€™s described as the second body problem, and thereā€™s this implied threat for new adjuncts in particular, that if you step out of line youā€™re going to lose your job. So it was sort of this forced patience that has sort of evolved, and itā€™s given me a better understanding of how here works, from the bottom up. Most faculty donā€™t come here as adjuncts and see how the process works.ā€

Even more important than patience? An understanding of when something is no longer right for him. As a member of multiple campus and greater-Worcester area committees, Alex has had to recognize when itā€™s time for him to bow out.

ā€œIā€™ve been on committees whereā€¦[committee organizers] didnā€™t like the direction it was going. Iā€™ll ride out that committee for as long as I can, and then when it hits the point where we are not going in a direction that I think is good, Iā€™m going to step back. Iā€™m going to step out.ā€

The best part of working as a faculty at Worcester State, besides forming connections with his students, is the freedom to complete research heā€™s interested in and participate with initiatives that he is passionate about.

ā€œI was hired to teach stats, among other things, [but I also] have the freedom to do that campus climate work, and then when Iā€™m done with the campus climate work, go to the Worcester Public [Schools] work.ā€

Making Space

Alex defines a great leader as someone who can make space for others and is able to learn from those around them. As mentioned above, he is a former member of the Campus Climate Committee, which was started a few years ago to assess the current status of the campus climate for underrepresented students and make suggestions for improvements to create a more inclusive campus. Alex also works with a team of teachers in the Worcester Public schools researching student discipline policies.

When asked about his biggest accomplishment since beginning at WSU, Alex is quick to answer with his campus climate work.

ā€œThe results of the work from the Campus Climate Committee, thatā€™s what my research is. Finding out what other people think and telling people ā€˜hey, they said this.ā€™ Thereā€™s all this stuff that we got done. The LGBTQ Center, they used our work to support [that].ā€

Itā€™s also important for a leader to learn from others; one of the biggest misconceptions of leadership is that a leader has to know what they are doing all of the time.

ā€œI think itā€™s important if youā€™re dealing with a [group], making it clear to the team of the class or whoever youā€™re working with that everybodyā€™s winging it. Weā€™re all just guessing. Some of us guess with style. Thereā€™s plenty of times where Iā€™m doing work in the Worcester CityLab and weā€™re covering the boards with ideas and asking each other ā€˜what do you want to do?ā€™ And we just see what happens. Itā€™s the advantage of doing statistics – I can run hundreds of models in a day, and Iā€™m guessing every time.ā€

Alexā€™s final words for students who are just beginning to explore the type of leader they hope to become? They are inspired by Vaclav Havel, a leader of the Velvet Revolution.

ā€œOne of the things that he writes about is fear of death. Those things that weā€™re supposed to be afraid of, once we stop being afraid of them things open up. When youā€™re facing something you start questioning. Once you overcome what youā€™re supposed to be afraid of, thereā€™s nothing left to stop you.ā€

Alex Briesacher is a recipient of the Alden Award and Campus Collaboration Award.

The post Professor Alex Briesacher is Making Space for Everyone appeared first on Campus Life.

Written by Jess Evora, Assistant Director, OSILD
Photos provided by H. Sidhu

The 91æģ²„ (WSU) student population is so beautifully diverse in countless ways.Ģż Our students form an impressive population whose resilience cannot be underestimated.Ģż Assistant Professor of English, Hardeep Sidhu – who also serves as Director of the – recognizes this, and feels it is important for us to understand that acknowledgement is simply not enough.Ģż

Professor Sidhu is intentional in his attempts to ensure that his own teaching strategies take into consideration the unique experiences and perspectives that our students bring to the table.Ģż

“Some people may think of teaching as the means to the ends for research,” Professor Sidhu said. “For me, itā€™s the other way around. So, I was so excited to get this job [at WSU], and I came in ready to hit the ground running.”

Teaching and Living Diversity

Professor Sidhu arrived at WSU two years ago, and teaches English classes that range in topics from plays to comics to films, and much more. Much of his research focuses on race and ethnicity.Ģż “I think one of the reasons why I like teaching literature is because it helps you get outside your own perspective and learn about peopleā€™s stories.Ģż It helps you empathize,” Professor Sidhu said.Ģż

“Celebrating difference is something that we need to do more of, and knowing that people are willing to do that can be encouraging,” Professor Sidhu said. “…especially if a student feels that they completely stick out from the crowd, or if they feel their identity is a liability.”

In Fall 2017, Professor Sidhu piloted a course called Narratives of U.S. Immigration. “Itā€™s a literature class about immigrant stories,” Professor Sidhu said. “And I wanted to do it because itā€™s a complex and heated social issue that students want to learn more about. It was also important to me because my parents are immigrants.”

Growth as a Leader Since Arriving at WSU

“Having come to WSU so recently, I think the thing that I learned was to appreciate how much our students are doing,” Professor Sidhu said.Ģż “They have a lot on their plate and there’s a wide range of responsibilities and experiences that students have here.”

“Before coming here [to WSU], I was focused solely on prepping my classes.Ģż
I was focused on my teaching goals,” Professor Sidhu said. “Then I got a sense of how much our students are doing, and how much that experience adds to what they can do in the classroom.Ģż So I think learning to be flexible to the students’ needs has been a big part of how Iā€™ve grown over the years.”

“I build into my classes now, in a way that I didnā€™t a few years ago, a lot of student-led activities, student-led assignments, readings, where students can help build the class that they are taking,” said Professor Sidhu.Ģż “I donā€™t know my blind spots, and students can fill that in sometimes.”

With such a beautiful perspective on teaching and such an intentional research focus on issues of race and ethnicity, Professor Sidhu was recently appointed Director of the Ethnic Studies program, a role that will allow him to continue his growth as a leader on campus.

The Influence of His Own Identity

Professor Sidhu with his son, Theo.

ā€œIā€™m brown.Ģż My parents are immigrants.Ģż Iā€™m South Asian American,” Professor Sidhu said.Ģż “I think that that has shaped what I choose to study.Ģż Thereā€™s that direct connection.Ģż I have my experience as someone from a minority racial and ethnic and religious group in the U.S., and so understanding how race works was really important to me as a student, as well as helping other people understand.”

“I try to understand that students are going to come at the material from a different place, and that this place is valid and influential in how they read and how they analyze the coursework,” Professor Sidhu said. “So making sure students know that they are heard and validated in their perspective is a big part of my teaching style.”Ģż

“Having been a brown kid in the U.S… my dad is a bearded and turbaned Sikh man,ĢżĢżthereā€™s a way of feeling socially vulnerable and culturally underrepresented that has an impact on how you see things,” Professor Sidhu said. “And it impacts the way that I read books and view film, and take in material.”

“However, there areĢżalso the other parts of my identity that I realize I didnā€™t mention, because I donā€™t feel vulnerable in these identities,” Professor Sidhu said. “Iā€™m a man.Ģż Iā€™m an American citizen.Ģż Iā€™m straight.Ģż I’m cisgender.Ģż I think that those things are important to acknowledge in the same way that acknowledging my racial and ethnic identity is important.Ģż Iā€™m in a culturally dominant group in some ways and in a vulnerable position in other ways.”Ģż

Contributions Outside the Classroom

In November of 2017,Ģż Professor Sidhu and fellow faculty members hosted an open event regarding immigration issues, including DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and the January 2017 travel ban.Ģż

“We [the faculty involved] wanted students to feel acknowledged and voice our support,” Professor Sidhu said. “We also wanted to inform the WSU community on immigration issues, and to make sure our DACA students didnā€™t feel excluded.”

Professor Sidhu is also actively involved with the Office of Multicultural Affairs.Ģż In addition, he was involved in creating (along with fellow faculty in the English department) the Student Outreach Committee to foster a sense of community among English majors and minors.

Professor Sidhu will continue his involvement outside the classroom, but will always remain focused on celebrating both our similarities and our differences inside the classroom, as well as adapting to the ever-evolving needs of our diverse student population here at Worcester State.Ģż

Thank you Professor Sidhu for your leadership both inside and outside in the classroom, as well as for your commitment to the celebration of diversity on campus.Ģż

Sincerely,

The Office of Student Involvement & Leadership Development

The post Professor Hardeep Sidhu | Teaching Our Diverse Student Population appeared first on Campus Life.

Written by Jess Evora, Assistant Director, OSILD
Photos provided by E. Soltano

When I walked into the Psychology Department here at 91æģ²„ (WSU) on a beautiful Thursday afternoon, I was greeted by the vibrant, upbeat Dr. Emily Soltano, a WSU professor who is warmly regarded by both students and colleagues alike.

Dr. Soltano has been teaching at Worcester State since 1999.Ģż As she approaches 20 years of service on our campus, she happily took some time out of her day to share with us a few life lessons she has learned (and continues to learn) during her time here at WSU.

LESSON #1: Be the leader that you were meant to be, not the leader someone else wants you to be.

Dr. Soltano describes her leadership style as the more low-key leader. She emphasizes that she is a confident leader, but it took years of experience and of accepting who she is in order to gain that confidence.

ā€œIā€™m not the aggressive, in-your-face type of leader. Iā€™m not the leader who needs to be the face of the project. Iā€™d rather be behind the scenes getting my things done,ā€ Dr. Soltano said. ā€œAnd I think whatā€™s changed since I first started here years ago is that Iā€™m now comfortable with being this type of leader.ā€ Dr. Soltano explained that only through experience was she able to learn to be comfortable with not trying to be a specific type of leader, and to just to be true to herself.

Dr. Soltano shared that she grew up as the youngest of 3 siblings who all are very different in how they approach matters. She said that with this experience, she has come to realize that it is okay to be her own person.

ā€œDonā€™t be somebody else,ā€ Dr. Soltano said. ā€œMake sure that it is your thoughts, and not what somebody else told you to say or do, because there is no ā€˜right wayā€™ā€.

LESSON #2: Surround yourself with a diverse group of people.Ģż

Dr. Soltano grew up in a Jewish household.Ģż Her neighborhood in Brooklyn was majority Catholic, but was ethnically diverse.

ā€œGrowing up as a Jewish girl in a Catholic neighborhood, it was hard at times because I felt that no one else was like me,ā€ Dr. Soltano said. ā€œMy family celebrated Jewish holidays. During Passover, when I was at school with my matza and egg salad, people would look at me, asking me, ā€˜Why are you eatingĢżthat?ā€™ā¶Ä

Despite those few incidents of feeling isolated, Dr. Soltano feels she benefited tremendously from growing up in a diverse neighborhood.Ģż She thought back to one of her childhood neighbors who she affectionately called ā€œTiti Irisā€ (ā€œTitiā€ is a word for ā€œAuntieā€ in Spanish).Ģż Titi Iris was Puerto Rican, and exposed Dr. Soltano to a culture outside her own. Dr. Soltano believes this exposure had a lasting impact on her.

ā€œIā€™ve learned to be kind to people,ā€ Dr. Soltano said. ā€œI donā€™t know if I always succeed, but I always try. I donā€™t always assume the worst.Ģż Be empathetic.ā€

LESSON #3: Learn to be comfortable with knowing that you wonā€™t always have the answers.

ā€œI donā€™t react to matters immediately. I try to be thoughtful,ā€ Dr. Soltano said. ā€œI support the person who Iā€™m interacting with by saying, ā€˜I acknowledge it. I hear you. Let me think about,’ā€ Dr. Soltano said.Ģż ā€œAnd IĢżwillĢżthink about it. Iā€™ll process it and then Iā€™ll get back to the person as soon as possible.ā€

ā€œI know I donā€™t always know the answer, and Iā€™m okay with that,ā€ Dr. Soltano said.Ģż ā€œIf Iā€™m not sure what the right response should be, I might talk to my colleagues both within the institution and outside of Worcester State.Ģż I might talk to my friends and family to get their perspective on things.ā€

LESSON #4: Try to keep an open mind. Ģż

It takes time, experience and intention to learn this particular lesson. However, over the years, Dr. Soltano has learned not to assume the motivations of others. ā€œWe may see someoneā€™s behavior, but weā€™re not mind-readers,ā€ Dr. Soltano said.Ģż ā€œEven here in the Psychology Department, we are not mind-readers.ā€

ā€œOften when someone does something, I think of several reasons why they may have done it, but in reality itā€™s sometimes something that I would never have realized. I take the time to ask more questions, and actually talk to the person about what they are going through,ā€ Dr. Soltano said.

LESSON #5: Remember the bigger picture.Ģż

Among her many contributions to WSU, Dr. Soltano served for 4 years as Chair of the Psychology Department.Ģż She learned during her four years as Department Chair the importance of taking a step back to understand how your individual work fits into the goals of the larger community.

ā€œAs a faculty member, I think academics are ā€˜Itā€™, but realistically I know that itā€™s not,ā€ Dr. Soltano said. ā€œI now have a family, and I have my own kids.Ģż Iā€™ve come to realize that itā€™s not just my view of the world, sitting in my office, teaching my classes, and doing my committee work.Ģż Being a department chair for 4 years gave me the perspective of the bigger picture.ā€ This is a lesson for which Dr. Soltano is extremely grateful.

Professor Soltano has dedicated much of her time to engaging with students as an advisor on many student trips throughout the years.Ģż This has helped her to better understand the importance of the learning that goes on outside the class.

ā€œIā€™m so glad that I have a relationship with Kristie [Director of the Office of Student Involvement],ā€ Dr. Soltano said. ā€œGetting involved as an advisor on these trips allowed me to understand that we are all here for the students. ĢżBoth staff and faculty play an important role in the bigger picture.ā€

Thank you Dr. Soltano for your years of work within the 91æģ²„ community. ThankĢżyou for reminding us that, although we should always continue to challenge ourselves and grow as leaders, we should not do so at the expense of staying true to who we really are.

And with that, to our Worcester State Lancers: Keep reaching for the stars. Remember that you have a support system in the faculty and staff. And lastly, remember that although advice from others is extremely valuable, only you know how to become the best version of yourself.

We here in the Office of Student Involvement look forward to watching and supporting you as you take that journey. Go Lancers!

The post Professor Emily Soltano | On Learning to Be Comfortable with Who You Are appeared first on Campus Life.