UVA Acts - Programs
Building Team Culture Series
Improv(ing) Team Communication (60-90 minutes)
Participatory activities that get a team working together, communicating more effectively, and collaborating creatively towards a common goal. Learn to embrace failure, to contribute towards team goals, and to acknowledge everyone's efforts to engage truthfully. Above and beyond the traditional "ice breaker".
“Surprisingly delightful. I got a lot out of the improv exercises. It's been so long since I've done anything like that. I think it's the perfect antidote to working so much via email and zoom! Non verbal physical improv!”
Saying (and receiving) No to Service Requests (75-90 minutes)
Interactive workshop that empowers faculty to protect their "yes", navigate "no", and strive towards about faculty workload balance.
“We get asked to do a lot not just by our department chairs/deans, but also by students. It was good that these different sources of requests were addressed.”
It's About Time: Balanced Representation in STEM (90 minutes)
Witness how seniority, experience, personality, and more impact a colleague's sense of belonging within a STEM environment.
"[I was most surprised by] how viscerally people engaged with it - a very useful tool for engagement and reflection."
It’s Not a Trend: Using Pronouns (60-75 minutes)
Watch two faculty discuss how and why pronouns should be used after a student feels disrespected.
“[I liked] the time to digest and discuss with others in the room, followed by group processing and discussion.”
With Respect to That: Ally Intervention Strategies (75-90 minutes)
Consider how small changes and intentional practices can counteract belonging uncertainty. Strategize and practice ways to interrupt moments of mistreatment, affirm impact, and build a more welcoming community.
“This program actually teaches people how to intervene and allows them to practice intervention. It was a safe environment. It really felt like a learning experience… Excellent training!”
Leadership Development Series
Flying Colors: Addressing Accountability (60-75 minutes)
Colleagues meet with their supervisor and watch as accountability, boundaries, and collaboration are handled.
“Provided with ideas and strategies for how to speak up.”
Feedback Needed (60-75 minutes)
Managers engage in two-way feedback, building a culture of communication and care.
“I appreciated the example of a subordinate doubling down to make sure their feedback upward was heard. It's helpful to have mental examples!”
Stick to the Goals: Addressing Conflict Management (60-75 minutes)
Addressing communication, prioritization, and needs, both personally and professionally. Practice how to listen more carefully and speak to matters more directly.
“This program displayed a relatable scenario to start a dialogue about potential conflict within teams. It was a tool to help us reflect on how we would like to be heard and how we can better hear others.”
Inclusive Teaching Toolkit
Building Belonging (90 minutes)
Consider how small changes can allow students to feel they belong in your classroom, at UVA, and in your field of research.
“During that whole workshop, I was thinking about my students and how I might make the space I share with them more welcoming and affirming… made me feel so much what those students were feeling that I teared up realizing how much my child must have been feeling last year and just didn’t have the words to express that.”
First Impressions (75-90 minutes)
Step into a student’s shoes to observe Dr. Timmons and Dr. Erickson's course introductions and reflect upon your own teaching practices for the first day of class.
“This was a great experience and very helpful! I appreciate the real-world scenarios and examples. I left with many tangible items/elements to implement on day 1 of class.”
Leading Small Teams (60-75 minutes)
Learn how transparent assignments and groupwork facilitation can provide a more welcoming, working environment for all students.
“A short, lively, and enjoyable blast of helpful insights.”
Search Committee Signals
Implicit Bias in Academic Hiring (90-120 minutes)
Follow along with this quirky search panel as they learn to align, intervene, and plan throughout their recruitment and hiring process.
“Performative representation of the hiring process; better than listening to a traditional seminar.”
Implicit Bias in Staff Hiring (90-120 minutes)
Follow along with this staff search panel as they learn to align, intervene, and problem-solve throughout their hiring process.
“Entertaining! A fun way to learn more that isn’t listening to a lecture or training.”
UVA Acts Appetizer Series
You Can Call Me: Name Pronunciation (25-45 minutes)
Watch as the discomfort around pronouncing "difficult" names mounts in a first meeting. Engage with characters as you learn about intent vs. impact.
“I loved the snippet format. Just enough to be thought provoking and not overwhelming. A great add to a meeting!”
3x3 Video Series
Multifaceted Narratives of the UVA Experience
The 3x3 Series is curated with the intent to capture authentic and multifaceted narratives of the UVA experience. This series aims to make visible the experiences of folks who are often forgotten, overlooked, or silenced in larger conversations about systems and culture at UVA. Any UVA employee can access the filmed monologues for personal reflection here, and you can email UVA Acts for additional facilitation support when using these resources for dialogue in a group.