{"id":9878,"date":"2021-08-17T13:14:15","date_gmt":"2021-08-17T17:14:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.virginiawestern.edu\/grants\/?p=9878"},"modified":"2024-11-05T11:06:48","modified_gmt":"2024-11-05T16:06:48","slug":"lets-rock-our-priorities-this-semester","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.virginiawestern.edu\/grants\/2021\/08\/lets-rock-our-priorities-this-semester\/","title":{"rendered":"Let’s ROCK our priorities this semester"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Image from The Mindful Manager<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I’ve written before about the book “Traction,” and how it has changed my life<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Traction” is where I encountered Stephen Covey’s “Rocks” analogy <\/strong>for the first time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The visual is powerful, so I promise reading this entire passage is worth it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Picture a glass cylinder set on a table. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next to the cylinder are rocks, gravel, sand, and a glass of water. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imagine the glass cylinder as all of the time you have in a day. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rocks are your main priorities, the gravel represents your day-to-day responsibilities, the sand represents interruptions, and the water is everything else that you get hit with during your workday. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you, as most people do, pour the water in first, the sand in second, the gravel in third, and the rocks last, what happens? Those big priorities won’t fit inside the glass cylinder. That’s your typical day.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What happens if you do the reverse? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Work on the big stuff first: Put the rocks in. Next come the day-to-day responsibilities: Add the gravel. Now dump in the sand, all those interruptions. Finally, pour the water in. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everything fits in the glass cylinder perfectly; everything fits into your day perfectly. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bottom line is that you need to work on the biggest priorities — your Rocks — first. <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everything else will fall into place.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I build my days, weeks, and months around my Rocks — in my job and at home. I even designed a weekly ritual<\/a> to help focus on what matters most. I re-evaluate my Rocks every season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But let’s focus on our work here at Virginia Western. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are your top three priorities this semester?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Try to get them out of your head … write them out, or talk them through with a colleague. This would be an excellent conversation to have with your whole team, because you would know what everyone else is prioritizing as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s what I came up with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, I’ve committed to an overarching theme for 2021 — relationships<\/a><\/strong> — and we’re all learning how to navigate our new pandemic normal, with flexibility and self-care pretty high up there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But will all that said, for the grants office, I would say my top 3 projects for Fall 2021 are the following: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Continue to navigate Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF)<\/strong> compliance with our Finance team, as the funds — about $21 million in total<\/a> — are managed similar to grants through the federal Department of Education. This requires wonky webinars, close reading of the evolving guidance, and constant documentation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Support our Get REAL \/ Title III grant project<\/strong><\/a> as we start Year 2 (of 5). This means collaborating closely with our Get REAL team and amplifying our focus on adult learners through this blog and other communications.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Launch an online Innovation Grant training series<\/a><\/strong> that will help faculty and staff develop proposals in manageable baby steps — from Fall 2021 to the application deadline in March 2022. (Stay tuned … I’m so excited about this creative project!<\/em>)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Of course, my list may change by the end of the semester. But this is where I stand today. The list helps me prioritize my time on a daily basis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    To use a sports cliche: This is how I keep my eyes on the ball. I make sure these Rocks get my attention first. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here’s a good example. I compile so many *free professional learning* opportunities every week, but with limited time, especially during in-service week, how do I choose which ones to attend?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A webinar this week combines my top two Rocks — as well as a focus on equity<\/strong>, the top priority for the VCCS<\/a> — so it’s a definite YES:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Maximizing Federal Relief for Adult Students<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Thursday, Aug. 19, 2 p.m. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress allocated three rounds of financial relief through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) to support students and institutions of higher education during the public health and economic crises. This relief has been essential for adult students, underserved students, and those experiencing basic needs insecurity, and institutions have considerable flexibility in how they use HEERF funds to support students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Join the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice at Temple University and the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) as we look at innovative, student-centered, and equitable strategies institutions can use to deploy federal relief funds in support of #RealCollege students in the months to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Topics included: <\/strong>Emergency funding, augmenting student relief funds, communication around funding availability, proactive outreach to enable student success, supporting reengagement and retention, and focusing on racial equity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Panelists<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n