October 22, 2024

Dear Faculty Colleagues:

My deepest thanks to all of you for everything you do daily to advance our mission and educate our students. As we draw closer to the national election on November 5, I write to share some thoughts and resources to help you navigate the next few weeks.

I am both awed by the responsibility and grateful for the opportunity we have to help our students participate in this election: to vote perhaps for the first time, to learn from peers who may believe and vote differently, and to respond to the outcome of the election and move forward as a community. Still, I am keenly aware that for some of our students, their excitement might be tempered by anxiety. And of course, you may share some of those feelings as well. In the hope that we can best serve our students and foster our own well-being, I would like to share guidance and resources in three primary areas:  legal, pedagogical, and psychological.

Legal

Please refer to Chancellor Frank’s message on fair campaign practices | CSU System. The details are worth reading carefully, but the bottom line for faculty as teacher and mentors is, in Chancellor Frank’s words,

• Faculty and staff are free to support candidates and campaigns on their own time but not during working hours or using University resources (computers, letterhead, etc.), as these belong to the taxpayers of Colorado, and any such donation of work time or University resources in support of a candidate or campaign is prohibited by the Fair Campaign Practices Act.
• Free speech is the heart of higher education, and universities have a unique and important role to play in leading contentious conversations around critical societal issues. That’s the nature of what we do – we argue about ideas, we debate theories, we recognize that truth can be elusive, sometimes hiding and often evolving along with the research and knowledge we exist to conduct. As we engage as citizens, let’s strive to do so with a willingness to listen as much as we talk, and to learn from those who may believe differently than we do.

Consider carefully whether you wish to express your personal elation or disappointment at specific election outcomes to students. You are teaching students across the political spectrum who may be coping with their own strong feelings.

Pedagogical

I am deeply grateful to the Institute for Teaching and Learning for developing an excellent Election Year Teaching Toolkit.  I encourage you to review this.  One essential point is that we must acknowledge the moment, even briefly. This is emphasized in a recent article in The Chronicle of Higher Education titled: Teaching: ‘Students resent professors who ignore public events.’ How much class time you wish to spend discussing the election and outcomes will depend on the goals of your course, your discipline, and your pedagogical preferences. However, some acknowledgement of the election seems wise, especially given that the results may not be clear for days or weeks.

If you wish to devote class time to the election, the TILT toolkit has excellent resources for your consideration. Please be mindful that students are sensitive to our emotional tone and to any hints of our own political preferences. If you choose to teach about the election, please strive to create an environment in which all students feel comfortable sharing their perspectives.

Psychological

Given the intensity that has accompanied this election year, this is an important time for us to practice self-care so we can best teach and support our students through the coming weeks. Faculty and staff should be aware of CSU’s fully confidential Employee Assistance Program | Human Resources | Colorado State University (colostate.edu) .  I encourage you to view the need to use these services as an act of strength and courage.

Faculty also need to be sensitive to some students who might experience increasing anxiety or other challenges as we move through this election season. Students can access counseling at our  Mental Health Services – CSU Health Network. Faculty can report students of concern to our outstanding Student Affairs team at How to Report – Support and Safety Assessment (colostate.edu) .  Please err on the side of making sure students know that help is available and reporting students of concern.

Please also be mindful that for some students, engaging with our faculty and staff could be the first or one of the only times they have a chance to talk to anyone about the election. Consider offering some opportunities for connection in the days leading up to and following the election: hold open office hours, schedule a lab meeting, and provide other opportunities for informal conversations.

Connection and Community

This election season provides us with incredible opportunities even as it might require a lot from us as teachers, mentors, and leaders. I hope you will take advantage of opportunities to learn from and connect with each other in the coming weeks.

Please join me at the Provost’s Ethics Colloquium on Mental Health in Higher Education on Tuesday, October 29, 9 – 11 a.m. in the Lory Student Center Theatre, for a keynote presentation by Dr. Katie Rose Guest Pryal on “A Light in the Tower: A New Reckoning for Mental Health in Higher Education.” Her talk will be followed by a panel discussion including Mendy Smith, Chair of Faculty Council, Sue Doe, Executive Director of TILT, Adam Sargent, Director of the CSU Counseling Center, and Justin Dove, Director of the Student Disability Center, with a reception afterwards.

Please also consider attending the Faculty Council Meet and Greet on Thursday, November 7, from 3:30 – 5 p.m. at LSC 312. You also are invited to attend the session offered by the College of Liberal Arts Open Pedagogy Network, on Teaching After the Election, Teaching in Tense Times: The classroom after the election (google.com) on Tuesday, November 12, from 12:30 – 2 p.m. in LSC 376-378 (prior registration required).

Whatever the election brings, CSU has done a great deal to help position our students well to navigate this time to find their voice and cast their vote. We all will do better if we stay connected to each other, and provide students with the support they might need.

There is no community I would rather experience this election season with than all of you at Colorado State University. It is an honor and a daily joy to work with you and to serve this excellent, caring University where Rams take care of Rams.

Sincerely,
Marion