Consultations

Community Engagement and Belonging provides consultations related to cultivating an accessible educational environment where every faculty, staff, and student is supported to thrive. These services are available to anyone who works at Boise State University, including both tenured and contingent faculty, classified staff, professional staff, and graduate assistants. Because each individual’s needs are unique, some consultations are a single meeting while others involve work over a period of time.

What Is A Consultation?

Consulting appointments are a bit like meeting with a personal trainer at a gym. We aren’t here to tell you what to do, but rather to support your work towards your goals. Conversations are at the heart of this process.

We usually begin with a discussion about where you are, where you want to be, and what challenges or opportunities you might encounter. We’ll set goals, review your familiarity with the tools available to you, and come up with a plan together. Along the way, we offer whatever feels most useful. Sometimes we provide guidance on research-based practices. Other times we are thought partners. We can even help connect you with relevant campus and community partners. Regardless, we’re always there to provide encouragement and community as you move forward.

What Can We Talk About?

Our conversations may take many forms, and address a wide variety of topics. This list includes descriptions of some of the more common topics of discussion:

• Course Design: Consultants can help instructors think through how to improve belonging and accessibility throughout the course design process. Some examples are initial identification of learning outcomes, creation of accessible documents/videos/assignments, or exploration of possible assessment and grading practices. We’ve also helped instructors plan for facilitating conversations on particularly divisive topics.
  
• Course Content: We also offer consultations about course content. From incorporating specific concepts into a larger course structure, to diversifying readings and other course materials, to identifying specific resources on complex topics (e.g., social identity, patterns of marginalization, etc.).
• Departmental Processes and Policies: University policies and processes play a significant role in creating the Boise State experience. This is true for both employees and students. We are excited to help departments design and implement policies and processes that increase belonging and help all members thrive.
• Departmental Culture: Sometimes, a goal might be less concrete than an updated policy. Departmental culture describes the broad range of ways that members of a unit act and interact. This includes social norms, tacit assumptions, ways of communicating with each other, and the variety of formal and informal practices that constitute everyday work-life. Consultants can help employees explore challenges and opportunities to strengthen their departmental culture.
• Exploration of Emerging Trends: Been hearing a lot lately about trauma-informed practices? Interested in incorporating pronouns into introductions in your workplace, but unsure how to do so in a way that is both supportive and compliant with current legislation? Want to learn more about Universal Design and how it could make your job easier while helping your students/employees succeed? Consultants can help you to stay abreast of emerging trends in higher education. And we can assist you in incorporating them into your work.

To request a consultation, please complete the CEB Consultation Request Form. Someone will be in touch with you within 72 hours to set up an appointment.