UConn Hartford Dean's Series on the University and Society
During community conversations held in spring 2024, we heard from students, staff, and faculty that there is a need to continue to gather and learn together. In response, we have developed this new series that brings our collective experience and knowledge to bear on issues concerning the histories and roles of the university and society.
Centering students and the residents of Hartford, the UConn Hartford Dean’s Series on the University and Society is a series of workshops and presentations where the community meets to examine the present and imagine possible futures of the university.
Administered and funded by the UConn Hartford Dean’s Office, the Series is also connected to ongoing community conversations (every 2 weeks) to allow sustained, critical reflection, refinement, and deeper inclusion.
Fall 2025 Events
Navigating The Waters: A Mental Health Awareness Workshop
JOIN US for the Dean’s Series Mental Health Awareness event. The goal of this event is to promote mental health awareness to the UConn Hartford community, discuss the impacts on our community, and provide participants with coping strategies and resources to support their well-being. All are welcome.
Past Events
Hispanic Serving Institution
April 9, 2025 11:45am-2pm
Hartford Public Library, Center for Contemporary Culture
- What does it mean to be an HSI?
- As an Emerging-HSI, how can UConn Hartford best serve its Hispanic students and community?
Interfaith Communities
Feb 26, 2025, 11:45am-2pm
Hartford Public Library, Center for Contemporary Culture
- Tell a story from your life experience that has shaped your current faith beliefs, values, or sense of identity.
- Think about three faith positions you take on important issues. What is the idea or value that is at the heart of your faith beliefs that you want others to understand?
- What does it look like living out your faith on campus? How different and difficult is your expression of faith to others?
- Many people experience some dilemmas, mixed feelings, or uncertainties with regard to their faith beliefs. When you think about your faith beliefs that are most meaningful to you, are there any dilemmas, value conflicts, or gray areas that you’d be willing to share? In what ways have you felt out of step with your faith community, or, in what ways does the community not fully reflect what’s important to you? What do you do to navigate these tensions?
- What do you feel are the greatest barriers to moving beyond religious polarization?
- What concrete steps might we take as a community, as an institution, and as individuals to combat polarization and build a more robust and responsive community?
- Together explore strategies for strengthening interfaith dialogue: Barriers? Action Steps?
Nov. 7, 2024 Post-Election Actions
How has the election impacted you, your family, and community? What can we do to heal our divided communities and country? How can you make a change for the better at UConn and in your communities?
Community partners for this event include:
CT Students for a Dream
Make the Road CT
Hartford Deportation Defense
UConn SHaW
Urban League of Greater Hartford
Hartford Foundation for Public Giving
CT Public
Oct. 8, 2024 The Student Vote
Is the student vote important? How do you vote? What’s at stake for our communities? How do race, gender, and class figure in the election?
A panel of student, academic, and community experts will engage in these and other questions in preparation for the November presidential election.
Community partners for this event include:
League of Women Voters Greater Hartford
Hartford Votes/Vota Coalition
Institute for Political Social Work
Sept. 19, 2024 Know Your Rights: Activism at the University | UConn Hartford Dean’s Series
What is student activism? What rights do students have to protest? How can the university support student political engagement? What is the relationship between UConn Hartford and the University system, between UConn and Hartford and society?
In this introduction to the Series, a group of students, staff, faculty, and administrators will participate in an interactive session discussing these and other questions.
