Western seeks recognition as leader of change
In recognition of the university's longtime status as one that seeks to improve the lives of others, officials at Western Washington University, as they explain in the above video, hope to get Western certified as a Changemaker Campus through AshokaU.
Through the certification itself, Western will gain international notice and become better recognized as a magnet community for people who want to learn how to make the world a better place, further enhancing the university's opportunities to collaborate with other organizations and individuals who are making social change.
More important, this process encourages the WWU community to openly reflect on Western’s strengths and growth opportunities campus-wide.
To meet its goal of completing the certification process by June, the Changemaker leadership team would like to hear from as many members of the campus community as possible by the end of March. A survey is available online for input from faculty, staff, students and community members. Five students who complete the survey will win cash cards worth $50.
In addition to the survey, officials will hold small group discussion, interviews and open dialogue to hear the Western community's dreams, visions and wisdom about how the university can foster a campus-wide culture of social innovation.
After certification, the team will revisit these discussions as often as necessary to maintain and continually develop Western's potential as a Changemaker community.
First steps include open dialogues across campus: Share your perspectives about what Western is doing to foster the heart and mind-space of people who want to make the world a better place. What is happening within your department, classes and college? What would help you cultivate an environment of well-being? What paths will help us move forward from a foundation of humility, deep listening, and reflective curiosity? What approaches can we use to identify and create opportunities, and manifest them in productive ways? As you share, the Changemaker team will create a collective snapshot of the campus community and begin to draw a roadmap for future institutional growth.
Look for more information in the coming days on dialogue times and locations. Get started now by filling out this online survey. For more information, contact Danica Kilander in the WWU Provost's Office at 360-650-3230.