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Faculty and Staff Toolkit

Table of Contents

Introduction

As part of LMU’s Strategic Plan, the university is entrusted with the mission of fostering a new generation of ethical leaders capable of confronting the complex challenges of our global society. In light of the forthcoming 2024 elections, we recognize the need to prepare our students not only to participate but also to engage thoughtfully and responsibly in the electoral process. A cross-divisional workgroup was formed to address this need and gather the various resources, programs, and events related to the election. This toolkit is one result of the workgroup’s efforts. It provides LMU faculty and staff with guidance, practical tools, and resources to help engage you and your students this election season and beyond. Feel free to read through the toolkit and click the embedded hyperlinks to access additional resources.

Voter Engagement: Empowering Students to be Life-Long Voters

  • Direct students to TurboVote to register to vote, check their voter status and receive information about what’s on their ballot
  • Encourage students to make a plan to vote:
    • When?
    • How?
    • Where?
  • Encourage students to be informed about what’s on their ballot. Find out what’s on your specific ballot by using Ballotpedia’s Sample Ballot Lookup tool.  
  • For further information, the Pam Rector Center for Service and Action in St. Robert’s Annex is serving as a physical hub on campus for voter engagement. Students can walk in and receive support or have questions answered. 

Keep in mind from the American Council on Education Student Voting and College Political Campaign-Related Activities in 2024 Brief: Colleges and universities should take care to ensure that voting encouragement and resources offered to their students are nonpartisan and that their communications with students are likely to be received that way. Factors that tend to show that voter registration or get-out-the-vote communications are nonpartisan include: (1) limiting communications to urging individuals to vote or registering to vote and to describing the hours and places of registration or voting; (2) not naming or depicting any candidates, or alternatively naming all candidates without favoring any; and (3) not naming any political parties, with the exception of identifying the political parties of all candidates named or depicted. 

Other Resources: 

Engaging Students Who are Not Eligible to Vote

There are many reasons why individuals may not be eligible to vote —age, legal history, residence in a U.S. territory, immigration status, being an international student. Even if individuals cannot vote themselves, they can still be involved in the civic process by supporting and encouraging others to vote as well as getting involved with advocacy campaigns. All students can contribute to political discussions and highlight how many issues affect them as individuals and in communities they belong. 

Here are some practical strategies to encourage your students to engage in the American political process beyond voting:

  • Learn: Perhaps some of your students do not know how elections in the United States are run. View primer for how U.S. elections operate from us.gov.
  • Volunteer: There are many issues students can volunteer for. Encourage them to volunteer with a local candidate, campaign, political party, or issue organization.
  • Donate or fundraise: Students can invest in the electoral process other than voting. They can donate or fundraise for a candidate, party, or cause they believe in.
  • Collaborate with Civic Organizations: Partner with civic organizations to provide students with opportunities for internships, volunteering, or research projects that contribute to the democratic process.
  • Incorporate Civic Issues into Curriculum: Faculty members can integrate discussions on current political and social issues into their courses, encouraging students to think critically and engage with these topics. Have your students lead conversations about policy or issues. You can show undocumented students your support by addressing issues on immigration without singling anyone out. For international students, you can initiate discussions on particular political issues and systems in their home country and how it compares to the U.S.
  • Attend Bellarmine Forum and other LMU events: The Bellarmine Forum and others have organized many events and programs on political and civic issues, that will bring together experts, students, and the wider community for informed discussions. One such event is a discussion on International Perspectives on the 2024 Election on Sept. 24.
  • Please encourage students to visit lmu.edu/vote for more information.

Other Resources:

How to Support Students in Engaging with Different/Opposing Political and Social Values

Encourage students to apply the Four Pillars from the Civility Project:

  1. Don’t Make Assumptions: Let curiosity lead you through your conversations, especially when something is brought up that differs from your own values or belief system.
  2. Set Reasonable Expectations: The goal is not to show someone with whom you disagree how wrong they are and get them onto your side. Instead, extract value and understanding from where they’re coming from and endeavor to find another way to look at the issue, or topic of conversation.
  3. Listen [Deeply]: It’s important to listen to others so that you can understand their position, not respond to it.
  4. Invest in Relationships: Commit to not walking away from a relationship because of a disagreement. Pour into yourself and let yourself navigate the uncomfortable with an open mind, and continue to pour into the relationships you’ve created in the process.
  • Consider hosting a workshop offered by LMU in your classroom or for your staff.
  • Encourage students to attend the following events to support them in engaging in dialogue and skill building:
    • On the first Tuesday of every month, the Intercultural Facilitators invite students to be in community with LMU neighbors in a space honoring and engaging our diverse backgrounds, personalities, and perspectives. First Tuesdays hosted by the Intercultural Facilitators
    • Bellarmine Forum Events
    • Post-Election Dinner, Nov. 20, 6-8 p.m., The Hill
  • Consult LMU’s Center for Faculty Development for additional tips on how to support students in the classroom and beyond.

Other Resources:

Considerations for Classroom/Office Space Discussions that May Become Tense

 How have you built the container for the discussion?

Monitor yourself

  • Do some thinking ahead of time about what issues may hit a nerve with you personally, and how you might deal with that.  If a difficult dialogue is already taking place, try to stay in touch with your own emotions.  Are you feeling embarrassed, threatened, or uncomfortable?  Being aware of your feelings can help you keep them in check and prevent them from driving your response.
  • Be mindful of the many varied backgrounds/cultures/identities students bring with them and not making assumptions about students and their opinions or positions.
  • Do not personalize remarks, and do not respond angrily or punitively to students whose positions you find offensive.  This could increase the intensity of the conflict, and preempt the students’ learning.
  • Do not avoid difficult topics simply because you feel uncomfortable dealing with them; at the same time, do not introduce controversy into the classroom for its own sake. Again, think carefully about how engaging in difficult dialogues contributes to your own learning goals for the class session and for the course as a whole.

From Indiana University Bloomington Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning:

Lead with your goals 

  • Contextualize the discussion within your class and disciplinary contexts.
  • How does a conversation about the election relate to class content? 

During class/meetings/events

  • Provide a framework and starting point. Prepare some questions to get the conversation started, balancing the needs for both focus and openness in responses. Avoid questions that seem like there is one right answer. In some cases, it works well to ask not for their own opinions, per se, but a sharing of what opinions they have heard about that topic; such an approach allows you to get the “lay of the land” without anyone feeling too exposed from the start. Structured discussion activities can also be useful for guiding conversations in productive and supportive ways (including these examples from Vanderbilt University). Ask students to ground their arguments in evidence and research-based discussions. Encourage students to come to class prepared in order to deepen the discussion after sharing what they have researched.
  • Actively manage the discussion. Be ready to prompt students as needed for follow-up, additional explanation, or evidence. Be ready to remind students of the discussion guidelines, and let them practice re-stating comments as needed. And be ready to steer the conversation back to the stated goals of the discussion.
  • Address the difficulty. If there is some hesitancy in the conversation, consider asking why it is difficult to discuss, and be ready to reassert any course or disciplinary framework that will help people respond. Admitting your own discomfort in addressing such issues can make students more comfortable with their own discomfort, especially if you explain or model how you can work past it.
  • Provide structured opportunities for reflection and input. Consider how you can structure opportunities for everyone to stop, think, and reflect, particularly when the conversation lags or becomes contentious. Ask students to write for a few moments, share answers with a neighbor, and come back to the broader discussion with that new focus. Sometimes a short writing break is useful in diffusing tension and refocusing the conversation.
  • Be ready to defer the conversation. If the conversation gets too heated or off-topic, you may want to reach some sort of closure to the immediate discussion and defer the conversation to another class period, for which everyone can prepare. Be certain to explain the purpose of this deferral, and give students some resource or assignment that will help them prepare to discuss the topic in a more meaningful way within the context of the course and discipline. This is particularly useful in situations where the conversation was spontaneous, not planned.
    • It is ok to name taking a pause and returning later.
  • Be aware of the implications of sharing your own views. Weigh the impact of you sharing your own opinions on an issue, knowing that could silence students who hold other views. If you do share your own ideas, be sure to elaborate on your thinking process enough to model the disciplinary thinking you want them to do, not necessarily the outcome.
  • Confront inappropriate language. If a student makes an inappropriate comment—racist, sexist, or otherwise offensive—letting it go without intervention can seem like a tacit endorsement of those views. And whether the slight is intentional or not, the impact is the same. Letting such comments pass unchallenged can seriously harm students' trust in you and their sense of belonging in the class and the university. Have some responses ready for how you are going to address such comments, including language that interrupts bias by calling out the behavior while calling in the person. Responding directly to microagressions and other inappropriate language may feel uncomfortable, but our discomfort as instructors has less impact than discomfort experienced by marginalized students.
  • Review the following facilitator behaviors regarding "How Strongly Do I Respond to an Offensive or Upsetting Comment?"

Follow-Up

  • Synthesize the discussion. Leave some time at the end of class for people to synthesize what they heard, particularly in terms of how it relates back to course concepts and the activity’s stated goals. Or consider giving students a follow-up assignment outside of class that asks them to do this synthesis and reflection, both for their own benefit and for you to assess how useful the activity was. Part of the purpose here can be to give students a way to process any cognitive (or emotional) dissonance they may have encountered during the discussion.
  • Reflect on the conversation dynamics. Ask student what they would have liked to have done differently in the conversation—either a reflection on the whole group’s behavior or (perhaps more importantly) on how they participated. You might remind them of any frameworks or guidelines as a structure for their reflections. In some cases, it might be worth giving the group a second chance at a discussion.
  • Share relevant resources as needed. If you think some students may need assistance processing a difficult discussion, and who may need emotional or psychological support, make sure they know about campus resources available to them.

Other Strategies for Responding in the Moment

  • Stop the discussion or class and name that you are taking a pause before you start speaking. This will help us calm our emotion and come with a better intervention strategy.
  • “Calling in” instead of “calling out”--it is important to keep the dialogue open and to call in to invite to hear students’ perspectives.
  • Explore their intent behind making a comment. “Can you please help me understand what you meant by that?”
  • Share your perspective on the probable impact of comments of this nature. “When I hear you comment, I think/feel..” and then “We are working toward being open-minded and inclusive in this learning environment.”
  • Decide if there is a teachable moment on the spot or if you need time to think about how to deal with the issue. Be clear with students you want to address the incident but need to consider the best course of action.  

Other Resources

References:

Navigating post-election

Managing Uncertainty

As election results trickle in during the days and weeks after election day, it is important to manage your mental health due to the uncertainty of the outcome. Here are tips and resource to help you and your students cope with the agony of waiting.

Unplug:
Stay informed, but know your limits: 

Limit your consumption of social media and the 24-hour non-stop images. It’s important to stay informed, but creating boundaries is important.

  • Monitor how you feel after news consumption. Feeling preoccupied or extremely drained by national events may be a sign to cut back on your news intake a bit and limit social media discussions.
  • Consider scheduling a short block of time in the morning and one in the evening to catch up on news without checking for every new update during the day.
  • During “digital breaks,” take time to focus on something enjoyable, such as a hobby, exercising, being in nature or spending time with family and friends.

Check out this video on "How to cope with election season stress" for some more tips for “unplugging” during a stressful election time.

Connect:
Making plans or scheduling activities (besides election activities) can help you pass the time and potentially mitigate your election worries and fears. Engage with supportive friends and allies. Don't hesitate to reach out to your community and re-book that group FaceTime or virtual one-on-one coffee date while we wait for this election uncertainty to pass. Talk about current issues, if needed, but be aware of when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Additionally, reach out to supportive services on-campus, including Student Psychological Services if needed.

Plan Ahead:
Thanksgiving is just a few weeks after the election. If you’re dreading the potential political conversations during the holiday weekend with family or others, plan accordingly. Read this article to prepare for uncomfortable or even volatile discussions. 

Channel Worry into Action:
Channel what you’re feeling into positive, meaningful activity. The elections might be over but political involvement continues. Be informed and proactive around issues that matter to you. Find ways to engage in your community through advocacy in ways that fit for you.

It can be challenging to stay motivated when everything around us seems chaotic and scary. But doing something – some action, no matter how small – can lessen some of the uncertainty. What you do doesn’t need to be traditionally “political” – taking a step to stand up for or stand in for a person or a cause or the environment means we’re not powerless. 

  • Activism, service, and generosity are a few ways to promote a sense of empowerment and contribution when we may be feeling helpless. The Pam Rector Center for Service and Action offers students and graduates a range of opportunities to volunteer their time serving those disadvantaged or oppressed. Service opportunities are available on campus, locally in the Los Angeles area, and abroad through dedicated service groups or special events.
  • Want to have a voice in local or national politics? For ideas, visit 25 ways to be politically active (whether you lean left or right). For those living in the City of Los Angeles, you can join your local Neighborhood Council. Other cities and municipalities have their own version of volunteer advocacy groups.
  • Simply want to support a specific cause that you care about? You can volunteer locally or for a chapter of a national organization. Nonprofit Organizations (opens in new window)
  • Finally, join one or more of the hundreds of registered student organizations at LMU.

Remember, igniting a brighter world goes beyond electoral politics. You may or may not like what comes of this election, but know that there are countless ways to use your strengths and skills for good.

Other events post-election

LMU has many events planned post-election, including a Bellarmine Forum discussion entitled “Election Post-Mortem,” a post-election dialogue dinner, and an Inauguration Day Teach-In. Please check out our up-to-date calendar of events for more details on lmu.edu/vote. 

References:

Mental Health and Wellness Resources 

Tips to share with students:

  • Maintain and/or build daily wellness habits. Practice good nutrition, exercise, social connection. Stick to a normal sleep routine. Maintaining your existing healthy habits will help sustain you through stressful times.
  • Get outside, enjoy nature, or just take a deep breath of fresh air.
  • Take care of your body in the present moment. Turn your attention towards your physical well-being. What does your body need? Rest? Movement? A hot shower? A warm meal? A good stretch? A few deep breaths? Avoid using drugs or alcohol as a coping strategy.
  • Practice positive psychology:  Despite all of the negativity in the election, try to find some balance. Seek out positive stories and news. For example, check out The Uplift or Uplifting Stories. It’s an important reminder of the positive things in life and the strength of the human spirit. Practice gratitude for the things and the people in your life you feel thankful for.
  • Utilize Relaxation techniques: Muscle relaxation, breathing exercises, and meditation can help increase your ability to cope in stressful situations. - Practicing progressive muscle relaxation can be an essential tool to relieve stress by improving cognitive function, energy levels, and alertness. - It may help to use an audio recording until you learn all the muscle groups and get better at focusing on specific groups.
  • Utilize Grounding Techniques: When experiencing distressing thoughts, grounding techniques help you to focus on reorienting your mind toward being in the present moment.
    • One common grounding technique is called the 5-4-3-2-1 method: use your senses to notice five things you see, four things you hear, three things you can touch or feel, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste.
    • Other examples of grounding might include putting your hands in water and focusing on how the temperature and texture feel or going for a walk and focusing only on your steps.
    • Check out other ideas here.

Support Resources:

  • Lion Wellness provides a roundup of resources and services at LMU all to support students on their LMU journey.
  • LMU CARES Online offers short articles and videos with tips and tools for everything from your mental and physical health, to friendships and finding balance.
  • Residential students can contact their Resident Director for support.
  • Connect with Campus Ministry.
  • Community of Care provides prevention, assessment and intervention for and with LMU students as they navigate the challenges that stand in their way of academic and personal success.
  • TimelyCare offers chat and other telehealth therapy services.
  • Student Psychological Services provides confidential individual and group therapy, walk-in consultations, emergency psychological services and more to enhance students' lives and encourage personal growth. SPS also offers psychological consultation to students, faculty, staff or parents who are concerned about a student.
  • The FitWell Center is committed to providing health and wellness programming and education for the entire campus.
  • The Recovery Center can assist with healthy coping mechanisms. 

References: