Creating a Sense of Belonging through Listening Circles

Creating a Sense of Belonging through Listening Circles

• Students
• 11/17/2025

"Cultural Excellence and Belonging remain invaluable. We must find ways to reimagine how we can create a healthy, inclusive, and accessible campus environment while adjusting to the current political landscape," said Dr. Keith Barnes, Vice President of Cultural Excellence.

One of the many ways RVC demonstrates its commitment to creating an inclusive campus environment is through its Culture, Excellence, and Belonging (CEB) Fall Symposium. This event was held on Friday, October 31 in the Stenstrom Student Center Atrium. The gathering brought together students, faculty, staff, and community members for a day of reflection, learning, and connection centered on RVC's mission of empowering students and community through lifelong learning.

The symposium closely aligns with RVC's Strategic Plan Pillar IV: Cultural Excellence and often connects with all four pillars in some capacity, emphasizing the importance of fostering healthy, inclusive, and accessible learning and working environments.

What started as a single annual event has grown into a series held twice a year, featuring a Spring and Fall Symposium. The Spring Symposium serves as the culminating event for the Social Justice Community-based Learning Academy, giving students the unique opportunity to provide attendees with a PechaKucha-style presentation. The future goal is to expand the 2026 symposium into a half-day conference featuring more RVC student presentations and collaborative discussions.

This year's fall symposium focused on 'Beyond Hearing: The Power of Listening Circles.' The keynote speaker, Dr. Randi Congleton, Executive Director of Student Success and Campus Impact for the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), highlighted the importance of deep listening and human connection.

This theme resonates deeply with the challenges and achievements students are experiencing today. RVC's commitment to student success and equity sets the stage for impactful initiatives like TRHT. In January 2025, RVC was selected as a Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Center by AAC&U, receiving a $20,000 grant to advance this initiative.

The Office of Cultural Excellence and Belonging hope to provide campus stakeholders with an understanding of the TRHT framework, emphasizing the use of listening circles to foster trust and relationship building with community partners.

Participants had the opportunity to sign up for future listening circles and suggest discussion topics to advance TRHT's goals of truth-telling, relationship-building, and community transformation.

As Rock Valley College continues its journey toward cultural excellence, the CEB Symposium stands as a powerful reminder that belonging is built through understanding, and true change begins when we listen.

"Throughout my time as a Cultural Excellence and Belonging practitioner, I have hosted community forums for community college stakeholders to participate in advanced discussions and examinations on how to create a more equitable, inclusive, and accessible campus environment."

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