An absurd amount of parmesan on your spaghetti, and other toxic self-care tools student - PowerPoint Presentation

An absurd amount of parmesan on your spaghetti, and other toxic self-care tools student affairs professionals use to survive Kathryn Kay Coquemont , Ph.D., Salt Lake Community College, panelist Heather C. Lou, M.Ed , Metropolitan State University, panelist Tiffany J. Davis, Ph.D., University of Houston, panelist Bilal Badruddin , M. Ed., Howard University, panelist Dian Squire, Ph.D., Northern Arizona University, Facilitator Z Nicolazzo, Ph.D., University of Arizona, Facilitator

Land acknowledgement Related to supporting and fostering learning through the generation and dissemination of knowledge, we would like to acknowledge that the land we are meeting on today is the original homelands of the Tongva tribal nation.  We acknowledge the painful history of genocide and forced removal from this territory, and we honor and respect the many diverse Indigenous peoples still connected to this land on which we gather.

Learning Outcomes Differentiate between self care and what purpose it is playing in our field with intergenerational healing and work-life boundaries. Articulate the slippage between revolutionary self care with roots in Black feminist thought to the trite accommodations rooted in marketplace ideology. Identify ways supervisors, faculty, and upper-level administrators can better support healing work for those with whom they work. Be able to identify the root-cause of tension, as a means to better care and heal for one’s self.   Identify tangible ways to change the way the field thinks about work.

In short… Let’s talk about how we move from capitalistic individual notions of self-care to communal and collective, organizational level transformations that center healing.

Session Overview Introduction of moderators and conceptual overview of the problem (5 minutes)Panelist self-introduction and answering of first question prompt (15 minutes) Question and Answer session with panelists (15 minutes) Break out sessions based on professional level or interest (15 minutes)

What is self-care rhetoric? A catchphrase in the broad public imagination and in student affairs practice.Rhetoric has done little to grapple with longstanding fundamental problematics with the way the field functions. Attempts to soften the harsh realities of capitalism (an extension of settler colonialism) that works to turn people’s livelihoods, mental health, and social well-being into quantifiable outputs and institutional profit.

Common Sense Exploitation Hegemony (Gramsci) is a theory for understanding the ruling power over those with lesser power and the struggle of the working class against the domination of those in power. Domination- Ideology of work in the field and implicitly understood and used to organize the masses. Power is maintained through both consent and coercion via formal positioning (e.g., VPSA) and “norms” of work. People implicitly consent (e.g., ”that’s the way it is”) or are coerced into these norms (e.g., do this so that I can write you a good letter of recommendation and you be competitive on the market”). The common sense of subordinate group members leads them to conclude that—at least in part—their interests are best served by allying with the interest of the leading bloc”

Common Sense Exploitation Production, power, domination, coercion, consent, capitalism, and competition are the new currency of student affairs. Graduate students and minoritized professionals ensure proper levels of production, sometimes unwillingly, through widely accepted notions of work, and are coerced to complete exploited work. Fueling this are administrators who are fueled by a competitive, individualistic ethos created by fiscal austerity and an over-reliance on quantifiable outcomes .

Self-care rhetoric without fundamental shifts in the way we work doesn’t make our field better; and, in fact, might even make it worse.

Panelist Questions In a short overview of your perspective, what ways does self-care fall short of its potential to radically support our professionals in the field?What fundamental shifts in student affairs work have to happen in order to create a culture where self-care is no longer simply empty rhetoric?

Breakouts Potential QuestionsIn what ways does self-care rhetoric play a role in the socialization of professionals in student affairs and if so, how?What fundamental shifts in student affairs work have to happen in order to create a culture where self-care is no longer simply empty rhetoric?

A Decolonizing Student Affairs Settler colonialism turns land and people into property to be used as capital to reproduce and maintain dominance. It does this in ever-change ways. Need to return to our understanding of the purpose of our jobs- humanizing pedagogy. Reframe work and leisure and what work is needed. Production, capital, and consumption need to be removed from our vocabulary. Must collectively gather to resist common sense notions of work and judicial/societal penalty for not working as coerced. Indigenous lifeways teach us to develop skill sets for progressive communal work. Humanhood is linked to group prosperity. Be forward thinking about your leadership and what values underlie your philosophy.

Some Additional Ideas Ensure that the time we expect students to work is the time they are working. Build transparency networks within graduate student cohorts that allow for the sharing of knowledge and information. Recognize when power, domination, coercion, consent, capitalism, and competition are underlying logics in our or others’ decision-making and stop it immediately. Build and formalize networks across departments that reduce competition. Demand that your faculty teach in a way that supports unlearning individuality, and build a culture of collaborative, co-generative learning. Decouple notions of productivity from self-worth, especially as a means to increasing one’s individual capital in relation to others.

Continued Conversation We invite you to continue to engage with the panelists who are willing and able after this session.Thank you for attending!Resist!

Thank you! See you next year in Austin, Texas!