Relationships at the Core of Educational Development
Relationships matter (Felten & Lambert, 2020). At the close of the 48th Annual POD Network Conference, Isis Artze-Vega shared the compelling research and practice work she and colleague Peter Felten have been doing on relationships and connections in the undergraduate experience. As we consider the core mission, vision, and values of POD Network, we look to the four primary tenets she shared in our pursuit to develop an inclusive, constructive, and productive conference for 2024:
- All students must experience genuine welcome and deep care.
- Relationships are a powerful means to inspire all students to learn.
- All students must develop webs of significant relationships.
- All students need meaningful relationships to help them––and to challenge them––to explore the big questions of their lives.
The 49th annual POD Network conference celebrates the pivotal role of relationships within educational development. The success of our students and progress within our institutions are built on the foundations of meaningful connections in our world. As educational leaders, we experience the complex challenges of higher education daily. Addressing those challenges and advancing meaningful change requires the proactive engagement of educational developers who pursue strong partnerships, at various levels within and beyond our institutions, that promote deep learning (Smith et al., 2022).