Now Brewing @ CAFE & Across Campus April 1, 2025

COMING SOON!

Faculty Appreciation and Well-Being Days, April 14-18
A CAFE and Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Collaboration
Win prizes! 
Grab some healthy snacks
Guided Meditations
Origami, Unplugged!
Faculty Hobby Showcase
Blackwell Talks After Hours – Wine Tasting Social with Dr. Chuck Ross
Yoga Class
Panel discussion: On Retirement: In Their Own Words
Stroll Longwood's Native Plantings
Stroll Hampden-Sydney College
And, more…

BLACKWELL TALKS AFTER HOURS – WINE TASTING SOCIAL WITH DR. CHUCK ROSS
Wednesday, April 16 from 5:00-6:30
Join us for an exclusive event dedicated to faculty well-being, connection, and relaxation. Unwind with colleagues as we explore a curated selection of wines in a welcoming and conversational setting. Seats are limited to 25 faculty members, registration opens this week! 

On Retirement: In Their Own Words
Date: April 17^th
When: 3:30 pm-5:00 pm
Where: Allen 308; reception follows in Allen 310
If you’re within 5-10 years of retirement, please join five of Longwood’s recently and long-ago retired faculty for an informational panel on their experiences. Please click here to RSVP at https://forms.gle/yZEGfPnfsSxxsJvT6 

CONNECTING WITH THE LAND WORKSHOP SERIES
Facilitated by Adam M. Davis, Multidisciplinary Naturalist and Visiting Assistant Professor of Environmental Science
Hosted by Longwood University

Nature Connection Possibilities and Techniques
Friday, 4/25/2025, 4:30 pm to 7 pm
You are invited to join us at the Longwood University Environmental Education Center for an exploration of nature’s beauty and power as well as to discover ways to enhance interactions with nature. After some comments about many pathways of nature connection work and benefits that can come through relationships with nature (e.g., wisdom, vision, creativity, health, wellness, resilience, inspiration, awareness, and more), we will have a chance to share techniques with each other as well as explore possibilities for enriching our personal relationships with nature. We can come together in respect and reverence for nature and each other. All backgrounds and walks of life are welcome. Bringing water to drink and dressing for the weather are recommended.

Exploring Relationships with Nature in Multiple Dimensions
Saturday, 4/26/2025, 3 pm to 6 pm, at the Longwood Environmental Education Center at the northern edge of Lancer Park
You are invited to join us in exploring diverse ways of engaging with nature. The workshop will start by providing folks with time to get acclimated to the place, techniques to work with, and opportunities to otherwise prepare for the work. Once we are ready, we will move through the landscape and engage with diverse aspects of nature through many avenues of experience. We will have chances to try new techniques and/or be guided by nature’s richness. We can connect through observations, conversations, meditative techniques, movement, energy work, song, inspiration, transformation, and otherwise. Bringing water to drink and dressing for the weather are recommended.
Have questions?  Contact Adam Davis @ adamdavis379@gmail.com

CAFE’S 12^TH ANNUAL TEACHING AND LEARNING INSTITUTE
PRACTICING FOR POST-GRADUATE SUCCESS
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Longwood University

The Center for Faculty Enrichment (CAFE) and the Post-Graduate Success Initiative leadership team invite ALL faculty and staff to the 2025 Teaching and Learning Institute. This year's Institute will feature workshop-style sessions, practitioner panels, and a lunch with topical roundtables, all facilitating exploration of the roles (e.g. advisor, mentor, course instructor, employer) and expertise we bring to forming campus communities dedicated to post-graduate success. By the end of the Institute, all participants should be ready to work with students as they develop and revise their curricular and co-curricular experiences plan and facilitate student practice by articulating experiences to outside audiences.
 The Institute is free for all Longwood University, Hampden-Sydney College, and Southside Community College faculty and staff.

7-HABITS FOR INSTRUCTIONAL FACULTY
Summer 2025
May 20-21^st, 8:30a-5:00p
Faculty lives are filled with what seem to be competing needs.  How can we:

• navigate the many tugs on our time and energy AND prioritize our well-being? 
• build trust in our relationships AND set boundaries?
• honor our own experiences AND the diverse perspectives that spark innovation?
• shift to a both/and framework of thought?

Join CAFE’s Covey-certified facilitators as we offer the 7 Habits @ Longwood. You’ll learn to answer these questions and more using effective habits, principles, and strategies for a more effective and meaningful life.  If you are interested in 7 Habits but are unable to attend this session, send an email to gutierrezar@longwood.edu.  If we have enough interest, we can explore other options.
Co-sponsored with Longwood’s SNVC Institute for Leadership and Innovation
Register here: https://forms.gle/s4AjgXBNUYe3DptK9

FOCUSED PRODUCTIVITY SESSIONS
Join CAFE for Pomodoro sessions again this semester. All faculty and staff are welcome. The sessions use a focused cycle: set a goal, work towards it for 25 minutes, and then take a five-minute break. You will repeat the cycle three times. Choose the session that fits your needs:

MEDITATION
Dates: Tuesday ONLY this week
Time: 11:30 am-12:00 pm
Location: Zoom https://shorturl.at/uwul4
Mindfulness meditation can significantly improve your mental well-being by helping you manage stress, enhance focus and concentration, and better understand your emotions, all potentially leading to a calmer and more centered life. Current research also indicates potential benefits for physical health like lowered blood pressure and improved sleep quality.  Join Renee Gutiérrez to create a pause in your day. All are welcome for a brief, guided meditation; no previous experience is required.

AI RESOURCES
As we all try to make sense of the emerging technology of generative artificial intelligence, Greenwood Library has subscribed to a collection of videos about AI. If you are curious about how AI works, how to write appropriate prompts, or how to use AI in lesson planning, this collection has videos for you. With videos for both faculty and students, you may find these useful in sharing with students. Each video has a direct link and can be split into segments for sharing during classes or department meetings.
The collection can be found here: https://login.proxy.longwood.edu/login?url=https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=104770&sid=2836&level=Subject