UT has just concluded its fifth semiannual Listen. Learn. Lead. Week on March 19. With collaboration from several departments and divisions, the university planned and hosted a multitude of events that served to enhance the ability of students, faculty, and staff to hear differing perspectives, learn from others, and lead courageously.
Offering a variety of event formats that engage students in different ways creates a well-rounded approach to introducing concepts and helps students apply them in their daily lives. Each day featured 2-3 events designed to support a distinct focus area. Students were able to choose among many different options like lectures and presentations, service and outreach, and even social events to get involved during the week.
The week kicked off with Civil Discourse: Leaders Who Listen, a facilitated discussion hosted by Katharine Schaffzin, the Douglas A. Blaze Professor of Law at the UT Winston College of Law, regarding the value of listening to opposing views and the leadership skills that can be derived from it. Other events included Pack to Give Back in which students, faculty, and staff collaborated and created hygiene kits and spice packets for the Big Orange Pantry; Secret Recipe for Success: Student Leadership Workshop where Anton Reece spoke to students during an interactive session about topics such as developing healthy habits, stepping outside of one’s comfort zone, and engaging with the on-campus community; and Interactive Cultural Programming in which students were invited to participate in global engagement activities ranging from cooking classes to art and dance lessons.
Students had the opportunity to visit Hodges Library to view a display of historic protest movements as a form of civic participation channeled to bring about social change, including how institutions and individuals respond to opposing viewpoints–a real world example of what Listen. Learn. Lead. Week is all about.
“Throughout this week, I’ve seen our students, faculty, staff, and administrators lean into challenging conversations with openness and courage, and those moments matter,” says Crystal Hardeman-Ikem, associate dean of students. “This spirit is deeply connected to what it means to be a Volunteer at University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Through the ‘Vol is a Verb’ initiative, we affirm that leadership is not just a title–it is action. It is choosing to listen, to engage, to serve, and to create spaces where everyone feels a sense of belonging. Listen. Learn. Lead. Week brings that idea to life, empowering our community to move beyond intention and into impact, and reminding us that being a Vol is something we actively do each and every day.”
Listen. Learn. Lead. Week was designed to honor and follow in the footsteps of Howard H. Baker Jr., “the great conciliator,” who served as a U.S. senator from Tennessee from 1967 to 1985. We hope that by students partaking in this week of collaboration and learning, the university is able to continue his legacy and provide our students with the resources and guidance necessary to become stronger leaders.
Hardeman-Ikem notes that by honoring the legacy of Howard H. Baker Jr. through this week of programs and events, the campus community is reminded that the most impactful leaders begin by truly listening.