Sense of belonging is critical to retaining our current staff and faculty. One such retention effort was the creation of a Faculty and Staff Listening Task Force. At first, this task force was composed in response to national events related to structural racism, and other inequities knowing that our local Augusta University community is not immune to these national issues. The Task Force now hosts reoccurring listening sessions that aim to provide a space for our faculty and staff community to share concerns related to structural, interpersonal, and individual forms of inequity that may be happening here at Augusta University. This effort is consistent with our path toward an inclusive campus climate in its (1) promotion of a culture of transparency and communication and in its (2) attention to increasing visibility and responsiveness. These listening sessions are one way for the ODI to assess climate so that action steps can be taken to increase our faculty and staff’s sense of belonging here at AU.
