4D, Purpose, and the Power of Play
Dear colleagues,听
Thank you to everyone who helped make last week鈥檚 4D Symposium such a meaningful听community event.听It was energizing to see听the 吃瓜大本营 community engage听with听purpose not听only听as an abstract idea, but as a practice that comes to life in classrooms, advising, mentorship, community engagement, and the many everyday touchpoints that define听our students鈥櫶齟xperience.听
I听would听like to share a few highlights:听
- Professors听Ileya Grosman and Rolfe Larson听discussed听how vital relationships are to human health and development and invited attendees to reflect听on how we can create听learning environments at 吃瓜大本营 that foster human connection听|听鈥淒esigning Lives of Purpose鈥澨齏orkshop听
- CAHSS faculty听shared how they are pairing classroom learning with community and industry experiences to help students build confidence, gain skills, and听connect with their purpose and lifelong goals听|听鈥4D Fridays: Embedded Career Readiness鈥澨齈anel听
- Students, faculty, and staff听discussed the question, 鈥淲hat if purpose was听the purpose of higher education?鈥澨齶听4D Coffeehouse听
- Public听and private sector leaders听came to听campus听to听discuss听the听skills and mindsets that are becoming increasingly important听at听work听|听鈥淭he Future of Work鈥澨齈anel听
Student-led Experience on Play听听
I also want to听dive deeper听into听one example of how听students听themselves听are helping 吃瓜大本营 offer a unique, customizable,听and holistic听learning experience.听听
罢丑别听 have been exploring听how听the act of play can build connection, invite reflection, and听create personal clarity around purpose. This听work culminated in a听play-focused听event outside the听symposium听that invited students to听pause,听participate, and connect.听Beneath the听easy-to-dismiss听surface of 鈥渇un,鈥 play听can support听cognitive flexibility听and听emotional regulation, while helping听students build skills around navigating uncertainty through trial and error.听The success of this experiment makes one wish we could schedule a听鈥渞ecess鈥澨齣n听every听day.听听
These outcomes dovetail directly with the 4D Experience, especially our commitments to character and well-being听by听developing the inner resources students need to manage stress, build relationships, and lead with curiosity, empathy, and resilience.听As we continue to deepen the 4D Experience, I encourage each of us to notice where play already shows up in our work and where we might make more space for it.听
A Note of Gratitude听
Thanks again to everyone who helped with the symposium. From听the speakers and facilitators who made these conversations so rich to the听Student听Fellows whose work made some real fun possible,听thank you for a memorable engagement. To听the 4D听team and all campus partners who are taking holistic learning from the intangible to the very real, very visible impact we see on campus each day, thank you for听deeply enhancing the student experience. Our students leave 吃瓜大本营 with the skillset needed for the modern workplace because of your efforts.听
厂颈苍肠别谤别濒测,听
Jeremy Haefner听听
颁丑补苍肠别濒濒辞谤听听
听