This session includes multiple presentations. Timestamps are indicated in parentheses so you can forward to the presentation you want to view.
PSU Next: building community on campus and beyond (00:00)
Presented by Cynthia Gómez and Kelly Gonzales, Portland State University
During the pandemic, we have discovered deep differences in how the members of our university community think, how we experience our work, the questions we ask and whose perspectives we value. In this session we will share our experiences with “PSU Next.” PSU Next engaged a dozen faculty members, administrators and students engaged in several institution-shaping projects that have been launched since May 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We met regularly for conversation during the academic year to (1) explore new ideas through our different perspectives, (2) reflect on what we have learned from our experiences this year in the context of the pandemic and (3) practice behaviors intended to prepare us to be responsive and resilient as we pursue our urban-serving mission in a changing world. We initiated and supported these growth efforts by creating a new space on campus where we shared experiences, reset and reoriented ourselves and listen to each other. We began in relationship. The members of PSU Next practiced behaviors to interact that can help us create an institution shaped by all of our voices and responsive to the needs and expectations of both the members of our campus community and of society as a whole. We wanted to understand how our campus culture shapes who we interact with on campus and in the broader community, the roles we usually play, and the assumptions we make that may no longer be true or perhaps have never been true. By not having a set agenda or a particular problem we had to solve, we could use our time together to explore ideas and make sense of our experiences. We did not rely on our usual ways of thinking or traditional roles that affect how we usually interact with others. We practiced ways of working together that we will need when dealing with complexity.
Supporting employee homeownership through shared equity down payment assistance (30:15)
Presented by Ian Magruder and Sekou Mapp, Landed
As housing prices continue to increase in most urban areas, universities are looking to new solutions and partnerships to provide housing support for employees. One option aimed squarely at improving recruitment and retention is a shared equity down payment program, providing faculty, staff, and administrators with co-investment capital to access challenging housing markets.Through an impact-investor financed program, Landed has partnered with several CUMU member institutions to provide this support to their employees. This session will provide an overview of the model alongside outcome metrics from universities that have participated.