Still Point’s membership has grown to include diverse types of employment at the university, with faculty representing a number of academic disciplines and staff representing a variety of positions from student affairs to academic support to communications or special grant projects. The organization has gradually increased its presence and activity on campus through signature events and collaborations with other campus units, and by hosting book groups and social events for campus.
Signature Events
In academic years 2013-14 and 2014-15, Still Point’s signature events were monthly one-hour contemplative practice sessions and conversations as its primary presence on campus. These sessions included sitting meditations, movement-based meditations, and discussions around the meaning and definitions of contemplative inquiry and contemplative pedagogy. Beginning in Spring 2015, the leadership team chose to shorten these events and make them more frequent, which better suited leaders’ time schedules. This change boosted attendance and created a more consistent presence of stillness. These shorter, weekly meditations became known as “15 Mindful Minutes,” which continue today. In fall 2016, Still Point introduced a second signature event called “Mindful Methods,” a periodic return to the one-hour workshop for greater depth. Three such presentations have been made so far in 2016-17: Mis-Communicating Mindfulness, by a communication professor; Ki Development, by an adjunct professor with a longtime aikido practice; and Mindful Clinical Practice, by a communication disorders professor.
Collaborations with Other Units
In its collaborations with other units, Still Point has worked with Appalachian’s Division of Student Development, Belk Library and Information Commons, several academic units and Human Resources.
Within Student Development, Still Point members have led sessions on mindful leadership and authentic leaders at the annual event called Appalachian Leadership Forum, designed to equip club and organization presidents with stronger leadership skills. Appalachian’s two student meditation clubs, Yesplus and APPSits, together with Still Point and the university’s Wellness Center, hosted meditations of 75 people or more in spring 2014 and spring 2015. More recently, members of Still Point presented a walking labyrinth at the INTERSECT Social Justice Conference for students, held February 2017. The group also worked with Plemmons Student Union to refurbish the building’s meditation room. What previously had been a poorly furnished room with fluorescent light and ragged carpeting is now a hardwood floor space with comfortable, movable chairs; soft, inviting lights; fresh paint; and attractive color scheme.
With Belk Library and Information Commons, Still Point helped put on a series of stress reduction meditations during exam week, known as Library Cares week, in December 2016. Still Point and the library also co-sponsored a visit in October 2015 by Dr. David Levy, author of Mindful Tech: How to Bring Balance to Our Digital Lives. Through a professional development workshop series hosted by Appalachian’s Human Resources, Still Point members twice led one-hour workshops called “Mindfulness and Meditation” workshops, in November 2015 and May 2016, with about 25 faculty and staff present—making the events among HR’s more well-attended workshops. With the Beaver College of Health Sciences, University Documentary Services, Staff Senate, and Wellness and Prevention Services, Still Point co-sponsored a screening of the 90-minute documentary The Physics of the Soul and discussion with the filmmaker.
In 2016-17 academic year, Still Point has joined with Appalachian’s College STAR program, a University of North Carolina system project supporting students with learning differences, to initiate a learning community called The Mindful Classroom. Its purpose is two-fold: to align mindfulness practices with the Universal Design for Learning model (UDL), which College STAR advocates, and also connect faculty across the disciplines using contemplative practices in their teaching.
Book Groups and Social Events
Still Point has hosted two book groups, one with a grant from CMind to bring co-author Daniel Barbezat to campus. About 18-20 people signed up to participate in the book groups for Contemplative Practices in Higher Education: Powerful Methods to Transform Teaching and Learning (Barbezat & Bush, 2014) in fall 2014 and Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love and Wisdom (Hanson, 2009) in spring 2015. Both book groups were sponsored in conjunction with Appalachian’s Hubbard Center for Faculty Excellence, which purchased copies of the books for all participants and hosted meeting space. A contemplative “Tea and Be” event welcoming faculty/staff back to campus was held as a social event in early spring and fall semesters of 2015, with moderate attendance.