• Sites
• Compassionate Action Board
• Building Connections & Bridging Differences Initiative
• BCBD Planning

Working Groups

In order for the BCBD initiative to be seen and felt throughout campus it will focus on three levels within W&M, institutional, departmental and individual. Working groups have been formed for each.

Institutional - Publicity and Awards 

Our publicity focus is towards raising awareness about the BCBD Initiative and how it is congruent with the mission, vision and values of W&M. This entails highlighting where these are already active on campus. A logo has been developed and approved and can be seen at the top of the BCBD page. Reaching out to the all areas of campus to make it known and visible is in the planning for the upcoming semester. Included is developing an appropriate assessment rubric to evaluate our efforts also must be done from the outset.

This team also developed awards to recognize individuals and groups on campus who embrace and promote the initiative's mission of building deep human connections and working to build bridges across disagreement. Each year the BCBD Award is given to a faculty member, staff member, a student and to a group who exemplify and advance W&M's core values.

The winners for 2023 are:

Faculty Award - Dr. Mark Mclaughlin

Staff Award - Ivana Marshall and David Milby

Student Award - Amy Wallace - Doctoral student at the School of Education

Team/Group Award - Athletics

Departmental and Individual - Training

In the first years of BCBD creating a training curriculum was the focus for both the departmental and individual working groups. Because of the overlap of training ideas for these areas, it was decided to combine them in the beginning.  As a good training curriculum is developed, we will then tailor that training toward individuals and groups, respectively.

In the spring of 2021 Training Team sucessfully developed a series 4 training modules. The core topics are flourishing, openness and courage. A four week discussion series using the modules was held in April and May.

Institutional Level - Assigned Working Group

Jackie Ferree
Rebecca Green
Rick Gressard
Peel Hawthorne (co-leader)
Linda Knight
Anna Mroch
Leslie Revilock (co-leader)
Shylan Scott
Rich Thompson
Erin Zagursky
Marc Kelly

Combined Departmental & Individual Levels - Assigned Working Group

Cenie Bellamy
Julia Brown
Catherine Forestell
April Palmer
Melody Porter 
Kathleen Powell
Julie Summs
Deidre Connelly
Kelly Crace (co-leader)
T Davis
Tatia Granger
Arielle Newby
Erin Schwartz
Jason Simms