March 24, 2025 at 3 p.m. in Powers Auditorium
Presentation by Dr. Katrina Sweet

Topic: Breaking Barriers: Fostering Psychological Safety for Women in Higher Education.

This presentation explores the intersection of socially responsible leadership and psychological safety for women in higher education. Psychological safety is defined as the ability to express oneself without fear of negative consequences (Khan, 1990) and is essential for creating inclusive academic environments (Kyambade, et al., 2024). Drawing on Amy Edmondson’s framework, this presentation will explore psychological safety across individual, organizational, and group levels within academic settings. The goal is to contribute to ongoing discussions and collaborate with faculty to advance future research on fostering safer, more inclusive spaces for women in higher education and across the business sector.

The School of Humanities is proud to host Dr. Suzanna Geiser (Campbell Law), will present on “Unspoken Agonies: Navigating the Inexpressibility of Pain in Legal Narratives and Legal Judgment” in Powers Auditorium on Wednesday, March 26, at 3:00 P.M. We hope to see everyone there! Please join us for this campus event.

At 3:00pm on Monday, March 31st, we will be hosting local authors Betsy Hester and Robin Couto for a presentation with Q&A on their recent book: Twenty-One Boxes: Robin’s Story and the Tragedy of the Edenton Seven. We would like to invite and encourage you to attend. The case is fascinating on many levels and continues to serve as a cautionary tale of misinformation, social contagion, and faulty law enforcement procedures. Robin Couto’s first-hand experience as one of the defendants is deeply moving.

About the book:

In 1989, the Little Rascals Day Care in Edenton, North Carolina, was suddenly thrust into the national spotlight. One day, the owner’s husband disciplined a boy at naptime, and soon an angry mother suggested that it was more than just a slap. Rumors quickly morphed into charges of unimaginable crimes against dozens of little children. Panic consumed the town, as the police, therapists, and parents relentlessly pressured the children who attended the day care to name their teachers responsible for multiple allegations of abuse. The Edenton Seven were caught up in the accusations, including nineteen-year-old teacher Robin Boles Byrum. She spent nearly a year in jail under an enormous bond meant to pressure her to “tell the truth” while she had a new baby at home. Eerily reminiscent of the hysteria that gripped Salem, Massachusetts, during the witch trials of the seventeenth century, the Little Rascals case ultimately became the longest and most expensive criminal trial in North Carolina history.

WESQUEST SIGN IN AVAILABLE

Join us for our Honors Convocation as we recognize students who have achieved excellence in academics, leadership and/or service to the University and the community.

Thursday, April 3, 2025

5:00 p.m.

Garner Lobby in the Dunn Center for the Performing Arts

Join us as Dr. Gail Marsal will be giving her Jefferson-Pilot Lecture on Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 7:00 pm in Powers Recital Hall of the Dunn Center. There will be a reception immediately following the lecture in Mims Gallery.

Please mark your calendars, and plan on attending this event!