Butler Center announces start of Support Circle initiative, fall programs

The Susan Bulkeley Butler Center for Leadership Excellence is announcing the launch of a new "Support Circle" initiative aimed at building connections between faculty as well as its fall 2020 programs.

Support Circle

Starting in September, the informal and flexible Support Circle will work with faculty in scheduled appointments to help connect, build ties and share experiences and ideas about coping in the midst of the two current (2020) crises – the COVID-19 pandemic and the racial injustices that have led to ongoing protests. This is not intended to replace formal counseling services, other mental health services, or other formal resources at Purdue. The Support Circle will complement the Coaching and Resource Network (CRN) started in 2019 by the Butler Center.

The Support Circle:

• Creates an informal space on campus for individuals to raise and discuss what is on their mind.
• Offers a peer support circle of faculty colleagues who will listen to and talk with faculty about their concerns.
• Provides resources and information on ways to address concerns.
• Advocates for change and support on campus for identified areas of concern related to harm, accountability and healing.

The Support Circle comprises two co-chairs and five tenured faculty members:

• Mangala Subramaniam (co-chair), professor of sociology and Butler Chair and director of the Susan Bulkeley Butler Center for Leadership Excellence.
• Laura Zanotti (co-chair), professor of anthropology and associate director of the Center for the Environment.
• Patricia Davies, professor of mechanical engineering.
• Karen Foli, associate professor of nursing.
• Maria Marshall, professor of agricultural economics.
• Aparajita Sagar, associate professor of English.
• Dawn Stinchcomb, associate professor of Latin American literature and culture.

Any faculty member at Purdue can access the SBBCLE-Support Circle by requesting a conversation/meeting with one or more of the Support Circle co-chairs and faculty (individually or as a group) by emailing them directly or by emailing butlercenter@purdue.edu, an email address that is monitored 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. No regular meetings of the SBBCLE-Support Circle will be scheduled. It is up to a faculty member to request for a meeting.

Additional information on Support Circle is available on the Butler Center website.

Butler Center fall programs

The Butler Center's fall programs will include a town hall series co-sponsored by the ACE Women’s Network of Indiana and the Butler Center, two events focused on inclusionary practices and addressing structural racism and higher education, and a conference for assistant professors. The complete list of fall 2020 programs is available online.