The Annual Summit is a full-day conference addressing pressing topics related to the sense of belonging at Boston College and in the higher education field.

May 28, 2025, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm听
Gasson Hall
Join us at the 2025 Summit, where we will explore Boston College鈥檚 ongoing commitment to creating a welcoming and respectful environment that encourages engaging dialogue across many perspectives. This year鈥檚 theme, 鈥淩eflect, Renew & Recommit,鈥 invites participants to consider the institution鈥檚 significant progress in fostering a welcoming campus community while infusing new energy into our ongoing initiatives that reaffirm our dedication to institutional mission, vision, and core values of cura personalis - care of the whole person - and cura apostolica, care of the work.
2025 Annual Summit
SCHEDULE
8:30 a.m. | Light Breakfast |
9:00 a.m.听 | Call to Order Patricia Lowe, Associate Vice President, Office for Institutional Diversity Invocation Fr. Anthony Penna, Associate Vice President for Mission & Ministry and Director of Campus Ministry 奥别濒肠辞尘别听 David Trainor, Vice President for Human Resources Opening Remarks William P. Leahy, S.J., President |
9:20 a.m. | Introduction of Video: 鈥淩eflect, Renew & Recommit鈥 Patricia Lowe, Associate Vice President, Office for Institutional Diversity |
9:30 a.m. | Morning Fireside Chat Moderator: Leah M. Spencer, Associate Vice President for Alumni Relations &听听University Commencement Director Dialogue Contributors: Joy Moore, Vice President, Executive Director, Pine Manor Institute for Student Success听 Michael J. Lochhead, Executive Vice President |
10:30 a.m. | Break |
10:45 a.m. | Morning Educational Concurrent Sessions Session 1: Journeying Together: Synodal Listening as a Path to Belonging and Renewal (Gasson Hall 306) Presenter: Nick Fagnant, Part-Time Faculty / Doctoral Student, Theology Department / Clough School of Theology and Ministry Session 2: Building a Culture of Care: Enhancing Well-Being for our Students听(Gasson Hall 305) Presenters: Kathleen Flinton, Assistant Professor of Clinical Practice, Assistant Dean of Field Education, School of Social Work Susan Coleman, Assistant Dean of Field Education, School of Social Work听 Session 3: Where Are We Now? Executive Orders and Impact on Higher听Education (Gasson Hall 100) 笔谤别蝉别苍迟别谤蝉:听 Aziz Rana, Professor, Boston College Law School Jeffrey Cohen, Professor, Boston College Law School Kent Greenfield, Professor, Boston College Law School |
11:45 a.m. | Lunch Break - Lyons Hall |
12:45 p.m. | Afternoon Educational Concurrent Sessions Session 1:听Narrative Therapy: Towards Values and Liberatory Practices听(Gasson Hall 305) Presenter: M. Mookie Manalili, Part-Time Faculty / Psychotherapist / Doctoral Student; School of Social Work Session 2:听听Between Awe & Action: Fostering a Trauma-Informed University听(Gasson Hall 100) Presenter: Heather DuBois, Assistant Professor of Peace Studies, Trauma, and Spirituality, Clough School of Theology and Ministry Session 3:听Practicing Hard Conversations; An Interactive Introduction to the Difficult Conversations Prep Coach (Gasson 306) Presenters: Caitlin Aubuchon, Associate Director, Organizational Effectiveness, Employee Development, Human Resources St茅fane Cahill Farella, Senior Associate Director, Organizational Effectiveness, Employee Development, Human Resources |
1:50 p.m. | Community of Practice/ Reflection and Discussion Faciliatated by: Patricia Lowe, Associate Vice President, Office for Institutional Diversity Scott Britton, Associate University Librarian, Access, Admin. & D., Office of the University Librarian |
2:50 p.m. | Closing Remarks Patricia Lowe, Associate Vice President, Office for Institutional Diversity |
3:00 p.m. | 10th Annual Summit Concludes Save the date for the 11th Annual Summit, May 20, 2026 |
听 | Please join us for a light reception in the Gasson Rotunda. |
笔谤别蝉别苍迟别谤蝉:听Nick Fagnant, Part-Time Faculty / Doctoral Student, Theology Department / Clough School of Theology and Ministry.
This workshop introduces synodal listening as a transformative practice for fostering ethical relationships and authentic belonging in diverse communities. Rooted in the Jesuit, Catholic mission to 鈥渃are for the whole person鈥 and to 鈥渆ngage wholeheartedly in the pursuit of a just society,鈥 synodal listening invites us into a deeper way of being with one another鈥攖hrough accompaniment, shared discernment, and the co-creation of meaning. Participants will learn to facilitate listening sessions that honor the voices of all, especially those who have been marginalized.
Though synodal listening has emerged from within the Catholic Church鈥檚 renewed commitment to communion and participation, it is a practice open to all people鈥攔egardless of background or belief鈥攁nd grounded in the conviction that truth is discovered in community. In the words of Gaudium et spes, 鈥渢he desire for such dialogue, which can lead to truth through love alone, excludes no one鈥 (搂92). Through reflective exercises and practical tools, participants will leave equipped to foster spaces of renewal and recommitment, aligned with Boston College鈥檚 mission to 鈥渟erve the common good鈥 and the AJCU vision of educating for solidarity and justice.
Presenters: Kathleen Flinton, Assistant Professor of Clinical Practice Assistant Dean of Field Education; Susan Coleman, Assistant Dean of Field Education. School of Social Work.
The Trauma Integration Initiative at the School of Social Work has a strategic focus within their efforts on supporting students in field placement, where students can have trauma-related experiences, both as echoes of those students鈥 own trauma histories and as vicarious trauma experienced through their close work with clients. In response to the experiences, Kathleen Flinton and Sue Coleman鈥揹rawing on their expertise in trauma-informed care鈥揹eveloped an Trauma Responsive advising model to help advisors build relationships, maintain boundaries and trust while creating a supportive learning environment for students.
As a result of the session, participants will be able to:
- Identify trauma related symptoms as they may present in students鈥 behavior and performance both within and outside the classroom.
- Apply a trauma informed lens around support, structure and perspective as they provide advising to their students around learning.
- Create an advising system that is trauma responsive as it acknowledges students鈥 lived experiences, historically and currently.
Presenters: Aziz Rana, Professor, Law School; Jeffrey Cohen, Professor, Law School; Kent Greenfield, Professor, Law School听
This interactive panel discussion will engage participants in exploring the ongoing impact of the current administration's Executive Orders and laws on higher education. We will examine how institutions such as Boston College, along with community members, can reaffirm their commitment, in alignment with their institutional mission, particularly in light of our current legal climate.听
Presenter: M. Mookie Manalili, Part-Time Faculty / Psychotherapist / Doctoral Student; SSW / MCAS / WCAS
This presentation presents and expands upon "Narrative Therapy", an emerging evidence-based approach rooted in family systems therapy practices and poststructural philosophy practice. As seen in the discourse (and discontent) in American culture and psychology, social justice movements have sought to critique the assumption of homogenizing every human person. Indeed, each human person is contextualized by heritages, cultures, and stories, which cannot be fully redacted in our therapeutic treatment. As our students (and patients) grapple with 'problems', 'diagnoses', and symptomatology - their unique values, goals, and motivations can (and ethically should) be brought to the foreground of accompaniment and therapy - to empower the folks we serve and allow for more humane treatment of students (and patients).
The presentation explores the theoretical foundations of narrative therapy, particularly social construction, and developmental, philosophical, ethical, and post-structural traditions. NT addresses the therapeutic position referred to as 鈥渄e-centered and influential,鈥 which respects 鈥渃lient鈥檚, patient鈥檚, person鈥檚鈥 local knowledge that is often obscured or subjugated when placed alongside normative discourse often reproduced in cultural and professional knowledge claims.
As a result of this session, participants will be able to:
- We will explore and critique the context of epistemologies and knowledge that give rise to what is "normative" for our students. We will do so through think-pair-shares and group discussions using Narrative Therapy practices.
- Narrative Therapy explores the power-dynamics that are implicit in each discourse and interaction, as well as the roles which we play in larger systems.
- The aforementioned frameworks and ways of approaching questions.
Presenter: Heather DuBois, Assistant Professor of Peace Studies, Trauma, and Spirituality; Clough School of Theology and Ministry
Mitigating trauma is a communal responsibility. This session introduces trauma and a socio-ecological approach to its prevention and healing. Activities include reflection on spiritual and ethical resources in attendees' lives and organizational contexts.
As a result of this session, participants will be able to: Define trauma; list trauma-informed principles; and imagine their university roles as part of a trauma-informed ecology. Attendees will also be able to reflect on the importance of spirituality and ethics in fostering trauma-informed cultures.
Presenters: Caitlin Aubuchon, Associate Director, Organizational Effectiveness, Employee Development, Human Resources. St茅fane Cahill Farella, Senior Associate Director, Organizational Effectiveness, Employee Development, Human Resources
As part of our commitment to fostering meaningful dialogue across perspectives, this session introduces the Difficult Conversations Prep Coach鈥攁n interactive AI tool designed to help individuals reflect on and prepare for high-stakes conversations.
Grounded in the Crucial Conversations model and originally piloted through the Ignatian Leadership Development Program (ILDP), this tool blends a research-backed framework with personalized coaching. Participants will explore how to use the tool based on their role鈥攊nitiator, receiver, or observer鈥攁nd receive structured guidance to enhance clarity, emotional awareness, and confidence when engaging across differences.
As a result of the session, participants will be able to:
- Reflect on their communication habits
- Renew their approach to difficult conversations
- Recommit to inclusive, values-aligned dialogue across our campus community
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