Bear Experience Glossary

Community Engagement and Service

Civic Engagement: working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes. In addition, civic engagement encompasses actions wherein individuals participate in activities of personal and public concern that are both individually life enriching and socially beneficial to the community

Community Collaboration: Works cooperatively with others, including people different from self and/or with different points of view; seeks and values the involvement of others; listens to and considers others’ points of view.

Problem Solving: The process of designing, evaluating and implementing a strategy to answer an open-ended question or achieve a desired goal.

Social Responsibility: Recognizes social systems and their influence on people; appropriately challenges the unfair, unjust, or uncivil behavior of other individuals or groups; participates in service/volunteer activities that are characterized by reciprocity; articulates the values and principles involved in personal decision making; affirms and values the worth of individuals and communities

Diversity

Appreciation of Cultural and Human Differences: Understands one’s own identity and culture; seeks involvement with people different from oneself; articulates the advantages and impact of a diverse society; identifies systemic barriers to equality and inclusiveness, then advocates and justifies means for dismantling them; in interactions with others, exhibits respect and preserves the dignity of others.

Civil Discourse: Our ability to have conversation about topics about which we disagree, and our ability to listen to each other’s perspectives

Cultural Agility/Intercultural Knowledge and Competence: a set of cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills and characteristics that support effective and appropriate interaction in a variety of cultural contexts.

Inclusive Collaboration/ Teamwork and Cross- Cultural Collaboration:  Build collaborative relationships with colleagues and customers that unite diverse cultures, races, ages, genders, religions, lifestyles, and viewpoints to achieve a common purpose. The individual is able to integrate and work within a team structure, and can successfully manage and resolve conflict.

Intellectual and Professional Development

Career Management: Identify and articulate one’s skills, strengths, knowledge, and experiences relevant to the position desired and career goals, and identify areas necessary for professional growth. The individual is able to navigate and explore job options, understands and can take the steps necessary to pursue opportunities, and understands how to self-advocate for opportunities in the workplace.

Communication: Articulate thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively in nonverbal, implicit and explicit written, oral and digital forms to diverse audiences. The individual is able to express ideas to others; has public speaking skills; and can clearly and effectively write/edit communications such as letters, complex technical reports, and executive summary.

Learning Agility is the ability and willingness to learn from experience, and then apply that learning to perform successfully under new situations.

Professionalism & Work Ethic demonstrate personal accountability and effective work habits, e.g., punctuality, working productively with others, time workload management, and understand the impact of non-verbal communication on professional work image. The individual demonstrates integrity and ethical behavior, acts responsibly with the interests of the larger community in mind, and is able to learn from his/her mistakes.

Wellness

Conflict Resolution: Effective conflict resolution involves a collaborative approach that involves assertiveness, empathy, and a willingness to listen.

Self-Assessment: Describing, interpreting, and judging your performance based on stated or implied expectations followed by planning for further learning.

Self–Discipline: The ability to regulate emotions and behaviors, delay gratification, and maintain focus to achieve a long-term goal.  Long-term goal of self-discipline include involve maximize your health, safety, relationships, financial and emotional status.

Resilience: the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress.