#NCLUDE offers individuals who desire to grow their knowledge, skills, and awareness in a particular area an environment of care, commitment, and accountability. Learning groups co-create a space for students, staff, faculty, alumni, and community members to engage in dynamic dialogue, reflection, and offer support to one another.
Spring priority registration now closed. Certain groups still have openings and are still accepting registrants.
Joining an #NCLUDE group
Look
#NCLUDE is designed so that groups can address a wide variety of topics that fit into one or more of the following categories:
- Elevate knowledge and awareness about diverse perspectives and shared experiences that shape our community
- Enhance skills for pursuing building community and environments that promote a sense of belonging and mutual respect; and
- Develop support networks or skills for navigating institutional structures that may impose barriers to building community and belonging
Look at small group descriptions carefully as some groups have an intended audience (I.e., instructors, supervisors, etc.).
Add to Calendar
Check meeting dates and times as group members are expected to attend all scheduled meetings. Add these dates to your calendar.
Register
Complete registration form indicating your intentions for participating, group preferences, and accommodations.
Spring 2025 NCLUDE Groups
In-Person NCLUDE Groups
Group 1: The Person You Mean to Be.
This #NCLUDE learning group will read and discuss The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias by Dolly Chugh. The author shares practical tools to confront bias and difficult issues including sexism, racism, inequality, and injustice so that you can make the world (and yourself) better. Adam Grant described the book as "an engaging, evidence-based book about how to battle biases, champion diversity and inclusion, and advocate for those who lack power and privilege."
Anchor(s): Jannah Vanie and Lindsay Daniels
Location: Love Library South, 217 Joan R. Giesecke Board Room
Dates: Thursdays- 2/6/2025, 2/20/2025, 3/6/2025, 3/20/2025, 4/3/2025, 4/17/2025
Time: 9:00-10:00AM
Open to: Undergraduate Student, Graduate Student, Post-Doctorate, Faculty, Staff, Alumni, Community Member, anyone interested in participating
Track: Enhance skills for pursuing building community and environments that promote a sense of belonging and mutual respect
Group 2: Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People.
This #NCLUDE learning group will read the book "Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People" and discuss hidden biases that we carry from a lifelong exposure to cultural attitudes about age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, social class, sexuality, disability status, and nationality. The book will help us question the extent to which our perceptions of social groups—without our awareness or conscious control—shape our likes and dislikes and our judgments about people’s character, abilities, and potential.
Anchor(s): Fabio Mattos
Location: Filley Hall Room 206
Dates: Tuesday - 1/28/2025, 2/11/2025, 2/25/2025, 3/11/2025, 3/25/2025, 4/8/2025
Time: 4:00-5:00PM
Open to: Undergraduate Student, Graduate Student, Post-Doctorate, Faculty, Staff, Alumni, Community Member, anyone interested in participating
Track: Enhance skills for pursuing building community and environments that promote a sense of belonging and mutual respect
Group 3: Building a Resilient Mental Health: Navigating uncertainties and anxieties through transformational, culturally-inclusive mindfulness practices.
The purpose of this group is to introduce various mindfulness practices as a strategy for building mental health resilience as individuals and as a community. Each of our NCLUDE group sessions will start with a unique mindfulness exercise, followed with group discussions and processing. Based on a framework that integrates feminist multicultural, liberation, and relational-cultural psychology approaches, this NCLUDE group is open to all identities and also begins by acknowledging the unique mental health struggles that diverse RENO (racial ethnic national origin), BIPOC, and marginalized identities face in the current sociopolitical climate. Mindfulness and grounding skills will be introduced and practiced as tools for managing stress, anxiety, and biases as individuals navigate stress-inducing situations and waves of uncertainties.
Anchor(s): Hannah Ahmad Ridzuan and Letty Garcia
Location: Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center, First Floor - Room 155 OASIS Conference Room
Dates: Thursday - 2/13/2025, 2/20/2025, 2/27/2025, 3/6/2025, 3/13/2025, 3/27/205 (not meeting during Spring break)
Time: 12:00-1:00PM
Open to: Undergraduate Student, Graduate Student, Post-Doctorate, Faculty, Staff, Alumni, Community Member, anyone interested in participating
Track: Enhance skills for pursuing building community and environments that promote a sense of belonging and mutual respect
CLOSED | FULL - Group 4: Strengths Synergy: Exploring Your Personal Approach to Leadership, Collaboration and Well-Being.
This interactive workshop series empowers participants to leverage their CliftonStrengths to maximize personal and professional impact. Through targeted sessions on strengths-based leadership, well-being, and effective communication, attendees will gain strategies to enhance collaboration, deepen partnerships, and set meaningful goals. Each session is designed to build skills, encourage reflection, promote learning, and foster a supportive environment for long-term development. To fully engage, participants must complete the CliftonStrengths assessment before the first workshop.
Anchor(s): Kaitlin Ferris
Location: Clifton Strengths Institute Classroom HLH 115
Dates: Tuesday- 1/14/2025, 2/4/2025, 2/18/2025, 3/4/2025, 4/1/2025, 4/15/2025
Time: 3:30 -4:30PM
Open to: Undergraduate Student, Graduate Student, Post-Doctorate, Faculty, Staff, Alumni, Community Member, anyone interested in participating
Track: Enhance skills for pursuing building community and environments that promote a sense of belonging and mutual respect
Group 5: Welcoming All Generations in the Workplace
We have more generations in the workplace than ever before: Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials, and Gen Z (not to mention the “micro-generations” that bridge the end of one generation and the start of the next, not fully identifying with either one). As the workplace landscape transforms, so do the expectations, motivations, and communication styles of different generations. Lindsey Pollak challenges us to see this moment as a creative opportunity for a workplace “remix,” blending and adapting the best of each group’s ideas to build an inclusive, collaborative, and effective workplace for all. As we read and reflect upon her book, Remix: How to Lead and Succeed in the Multi-generational Workplace, we’ll focus upon daily actionable strategies for a more collaborative, engaging, and productive workplace.
Anchor(s): Jaci Gustafson and Beverly Russell
Location: Love Library South Room 217
Dates: Tuesday- 2/04/2025, 2/18/2025, 3/4/2025, 3/18/2025, 4/1/2025, 4/15/2025
Time: 12PM - 1PM
Open to: Faculty, Staff, Community Members
Track: Enhance skills for pursuing building community and environments that promote a sense of belonging and mutual respect
Group 6: Insights from Our Colleagues in Ethnic Studies.
The Institute for Ethnic Studies brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our campus. Their work often elevates perspectives that are under- or misrepresented and offers informed guidance on how we might shift our perspectives and behaviors in pursuit of more informed, inclusive, and authentically connected worlds. In this #NCLUDE group, we'll read work by our Ethnic Studies colleagues here on campus, including poetry, fiction, book chapters, and academic articles. If you're looking for ways to build stronger networks and solidarity with colleagues here at the university, or just curious what Ethnic Studies is about, this group is for you.
Anchor(s): Jennifer PeeksMease
Location: Nebraska Union Seven Generation/212
Dates: 2/4/2025, 2/18/2025 (Louise Pound Hall 234), 3/4/2025 3/25/2025, 4/8/2025, 4/22/2025
Time: 4:00 - 5:00PM
Open to: Undergraduate Student, Graduate Student, Post-Doctorate, Faculty, Staff, Alumni, Community Member
Track: Elevate knowledge and awareness about diverse perspectives and shared experiences that shape our community
CLOSED | FULL - Group 7: Effective Introverted Leaders.
This group will cultivate leaders and aspirational leaders who consider themselves to be introverts. Discussions will center around the book “The Introverted Leader” by Jennifer Kahnweiler which focuses on the strengths brought to leadership roles by introverts. Topics include: key challenges for introverts, leading people and projects, networking your way, managing up, and building on your strengths.
Anchor(s): Mark Riley
Location: Kiewit Hall A233
Dates: Thursday - 1/16/2025, 1/30/2025, 2/13/2025, 2/27/2025, 3/13/2025, 3/27/2025
Time: 11:00AM -12:00PM
Open to: Faculty and Staff
Track: Enhance skills for pursuing building community and environments that promote a sense of belonging and mutual respect
CLOSED | FULL - Group 8: Mutual Flourishing: What the Natural World Can Teach Us about Community.
Our economy is rooted in scarcity, competition and the hoarding of resources, but Indigenous teachings and the natural world model a different way: a value system based on abundance, reciprocity and interconnectedness. For this #NCLUDE group, we'll read and discuss Robin Wall Kimmerer's latest book "The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World," and together discover what our planet's oldest and wisest teachers -- plants -- can teach us about how to live generously in community with one another.
Anchor(s): Michelle DeRusha and Hanna Pinneo
Location: Nebraska East Union, 3rd Floor Sitting Area
Dates: Tuesday - 1/21/2025, 1/28/2025, 2/4/2025, 2/11/2025, 2/18/2025, 2/25/2025
Time: 10:00 - 11:00 AM
Open to: Faculty, Staff, Community Member
Track: Enhance skills for pursuing building community and environments that promote a sense of belonging and mutual respect
Group 9: Sharing Our Stories for Meaningful Connection.
Using Brene' Brown's Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience, we will read, discuss, and refine how to more accurately share out stories. Brown maps out the skills and framework to use to explore emotions and experiences to further our understanding, and choices to help build connection.
Anchor(s): Pat Tetreault and Kathrine Schwartman
Location: Nebraska Union Big 10 Room
Dates: Friday- 2/21/2025, 2/28/2025, 3/7/2025, 3/14/2025, 3/21/2025, 3/28/2025
Time: 11:30AM -12:30PM
Open to: Post-Doctorate, Faculty, Staff, Alumni
Track: Enhance skills for pursuing building community and environments that promote a sense of belonging and mutual respect
Group 10: Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, meaning "The world is one family," in a Global Society.
Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, meaning "The world is one family," in a Global Society. The ancient Sanskrit phrase Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, meaning "The world is one family," is a profound principle for fostering harmony and unity in today’s global society. This timeless philosophy offers a framework for addressing modern challenges while promoting inclusive development and mutual respect among nations and communities.
Anchor(s): Jitendra Kumar Verma
Location: Nebraska Union - Four Winds/213
Dates: Friday - 2/7/2025, 02/21/2025, 3/7/2025, 3/21/2025, 4/4/2025, 4/18/2025
Time: 12:00 -1:00 PM
Open to: Undergraduate Student, Graduate Student, Post-Doctorate, Faculty, Staff
Track: Elevate knowledge and awareness about diverse perspectives and shared experiences that shape our community
Group 11: I've Got Your Back: Bystander Intervention.
When harassment occurs and people notice it, most are nervous about what to do. However, the person being harassed often appreciates someone checking in on them or intervening. In this group, we will discuss situations of harassment, our intentions for our community and our roles in it, and 5 ways to interrupt harassment developed and tested by Right to Be. Reflection and discussion will help participants identify ways that they feel comfortable acting when they notice harassment.
Anchor(s): Stephanie Bondi
Location: TEAC 138
Dates: Wednesday - 1/22/2025, 1/29/2025, 2/05/2025, 2/12/2025, 2/26/2025, 3/05/2025
Time: 1:00 - 2:00 PM
Open to: Undergraduate Student, Graduate Student, Post-Doctorate, Faculty, Staff, Alumni, Community Member
Track: Enhance skills for pursuing building community and environments that promote a sense of belonging and mutual respect
Virtual NCLUDE Groups
Group 12: Invisible Illnesses & Disabilities Awareness.
This small group is dedicated to raising awareness, understanding, and support for individuals with invisible illnesses and disabilities. Through collaborative discussion, we’ll explore what these conditions are, their impact on daily life, and the unique challenges they bring to work, education, and personal well-being. Topics will include navigating life as a college student with an invisible illness or disability, handling interactions with well-meaning but uninformed people, and practical ways to combat stigma. Join us in creating a supportive space for learning, sharing, and advocating for inclusivity.
Anchor(s): Kayla Person and Mikayla Cruickshank
Location: Via Zoom
Dates: Tuesday - 2/11/2025, 2/25/2025, 3/11/2025, 3/25/2025, 4/8/2025, 4/22/2025
Time: 10:00 - 11:00 AM
Open to: Undergraduate Student, Graduate Student, Post-Doctorate, Faculty, Staff
Track: Elevate knowledge and awareness about diverse perspectives and shared experiences that shape our community
CLOSED | FULL - Group 13: Choosing Leadership: Building Courage and Capacity for Women Faculty.
This #NCLUDE group will explore Choosing Leadership, a book that emphasizes leadership as a choice—knowing when to manage and when to lead. Together, we’ll reflect on experiences, tackle big questions, and create a vision for our best future selves. This experience goes beyond reading, focusing on shared stories, collective insights, and practical ways to grow as leaders. Through group activities, discussions, and self-coaching, we’ll work on making thoughtful, impactful choices in our careers and lives, growing wiser, bolder, and more resilient.
Anchor(s): Yusong Li
Location: Via Zoom
Dates: Tuesday - 2/4/2025, 2/18/2025, 3/4/2025, 3/25/2025, 4/8/2025, 4/22/2025
Time: Noon -1:00PM
Open to: Faculty, Staff
Track: Enhance skills for pursuing building community and environments that promote a sense of belonging and mutual respect
CANCELLED - Group 14 (HYBRID): Fostering Self worthiness: The Key to Embracing Diversity.
True inclusiveness and acceptance of diversity require us to address the inner beliefs about ourselves and others. Without respecting and accepting ourselves, we often struggle to respect and accept others. Are you struggling with self-doubt, underestimating your talents, battling imposter syndrome, or letting fear hold you back? Are you prioritizing pleasing others over being true to yourself, or feeling tired of what self-doubt has cost you? This study group is for you..!
We'll read Jamie’s book, “Worthy: How to Believe You Are Enough and Transform Your Life,” It guides us in exploring our beliefs, which is crucial for identifying and overcoming biases and prejudices. By fostering feelings of worthiness and building self-esteem we can create environments that support diversity.
Anchor(s): Marissa Kemp
Location: Nebraska East Union Bluestem and Via Zoom
Dates: Thursday - 2/6/2025, 2/13/2025, 2/20/2025, 2/27/2025, 3/6/2025, 3/13/2025
Time: 12:30 - 1:30PM
Open to: Undergraduate Student, Graduate Student, Post-Doctorate, Faculty, Staff
Track: Enhance skills for pursuing building community and environments that promote a sense of belonging and mutual respect
CLOSED | FULL - Group 15: Empowered Beginnings for First-Time Supervisors.
Being a first-time supervisor can be an exciting but also overwhelming and challenging experience. Without guidance or support, it can lead to increased stress and isolation, decreased confidence, and management missteps. Join us as we explore "The Making of a Manager" by Julie Zhuo, a practical guide to leading for the first time. We’ll examine topics like giving feedback, building a healthy culture, fostering high-performing teams, and managing yourself (imposter syndrome, anyone?). This group offers both tangible tools for navigating a supervisory role and a supportive network of fellow new supervisors, just like you. (Note: While the group’s target audience is new supervisors, anyone is welcome to join including aspiring, new, and seasoned supervisors.)
Anchor(s): Celeste Spier and Edith Reza Martinez
Location: Via Zoom
Dates: Tuesday - 2/4/2025, 02/18/2025, 3/4/2025, 3/18/2025, 4/1/2025, 4/15/2025
Time: 3:00-4:00 PM
Open to: Faculty, Staff, Alumni, Community Member
Track: Enhance skills for pursuing building community and environments that promote a sense of belonging and mutual respect
Group 16: Becoming a Mindful Mentor.
This NCLUDE group offers graduate students and postdocs who mentor undergraduates the opportunity to engage in discussion and conversation around mentoring practices and how they can best serve students they work with. Undergraduates comes for a variety of backgrounds and experiences and this group aims to help graduate students and postdocs who serve as mentors to examine what they do and how they can be more mindful of their mentees and their own lived experiences in their mentoring activities.
Anchor(s): Lisa Rohde and Hamza Rfissa
Location: Via Zoom
Dates: Friday- 2/7/2025, 02/21/2025, 3/7/2025, 3/28/2025, 4/11/2025, 4/25/2025
Time: 3:00 - 4:00 PM
Open to: Graduate Student, Post-Doctorate
Track: Enhance skills for pursuing building community and environments that promote a sense of belonging and mutual respect
Group 17 (HYBRID): Disconnect to Reconnect: Cultivating Focus and Strengthening Relationships
Imagine sitting across from a loved one, longing for a heartfelt conversation, only to find their attention fixed on their phone. In that moment, the connection you yearn for feels overshadowed by a screen. Although phones are designed to bring us closer, they quietly erode the quality of our real-life relationships, distracting us from meaningful interactions and replacing deep bonds with shallow virtual exchanges. Constant notifications, endless scrolling, and virtual distractions pull us away from deep, meaningful work, fragmenting our attention and preventing us from achieving a state of flow. This lack of focus leaves us dissatisfied, as we realize how much time we waste on our phones without any real sense of accomplishment. Beyond harming our productivity, excessive phone use weakens our bonds with others, displacing shared experiences and meaningful connections with shallow interactions. By reclaiming our focus and attention, we can rediscover purpose, achieve deeper work, and nurture the relationships and experiences that truly enrich our lives.
Anchor(s): Dania Javaid
Location: CPEH 222 and Via Zoom
Dates: Friday- 2/7/2025, 2/14/2025, 2/21/2025, 2/28/2025, 3/7/2025, 3/14/2025
Time: 9:00-10:00 AM
Open to: Undergraduate Student, Graduate Student, Post-Doctorate, Faculty, Staff, Alumni, Community Member
Track: Enhance skills for pursuing building community and environments that promote a sense of belonging and mutual respect