Dr. Jessica Riddell Jarislowsky Chair of Undergraduate Teaching Excellence
Hope Circuits Institute Engagement
Ignite Hope, Build Systems
At a moment of profound transformation across the higher education and nonprofit sectors, the Hope Circuits Institute offers a new paradigm: one that treats hope not as sentiment, but as strategic infrastructure. Our work supports institutions in cultivating systems-level renewal by engaging the relational, cultural, and structural dimensions of organizational life. Through retreats, governance reviews, policy design, and community-led planning, HCI helps organizations move beyond compliance or crisis management toward flourishing-centered futures. Rooted in inquiry, grounded in practice, and oriented toward collective well-being, we convene spaces where people can reimagine the ecosystems they inhabit—together.
A New Way to Experience Hope Circuits
What We Do
● Strategic Retreats & Visioning Workshops
We convene cohorts—boards, senates, faculty, senior leaders, administrators, staff, and students—for deep facilitated retreats. These sessions cultivate hope circuits by building relational trust, exploring shared purpose, and co-designing institutional futures that feel generative and strategic.
● Governance & Policy Design Facilitation
We support boards, senates, and leadership teams to reimagine governance through a relational lens—centered on stewardship, shared accountability, and democratic imagination. Rather than prescribe answers, we create space for open exploration, vocabulary building, and normative alignment. In the process of co-creation, real and actionable interventions emerge that are tailored to the unique ecosystem – not a boilerplate set of suggestions that are so general they are
● Institutional Review & Quality Assurance Support
We offer consultations on governance structures, quality assurance frameworks, academic policy, and strategic planning—all grounded in relational inquiry and cultural renewal and extending beyond compliance into re-wiring for relational wellbeing and transformational change.
● Professional Development & Faculty Engagement
From faculty retreats to learning communities, we support educators in anchoring emotionally intelligent, inclusive pedagogies. We translate SoTL and hope-based research into practice through targeted workshops, mentorship, and reflection labs.
● University-Wide Keynotes & Public Engagement
We partner with institutions to bring provocative, hope-centered keynote talks and formats that activate campus-wide conversation—engaging broader academic and civic communities in deliberation and collective imagination.
Why It Looks Different
We honour the eco-systemic nature of systemic change, recognizing that real renewal happens at the intersections of culture (how people live together), structure (governance and systems), and relationships (how we show up for one another). We don’t parachute into institutions with boilerplate content or one-size fits all packages. Instead:
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We co-design engagements aligned with each institution’s rhythms, needs, and possibilities.
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We steward deep conversations, not deliver training. Our role is to help people learn together in ways that feel generative and grounded.
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We prioritize relational practice, language alignment, and emotional resonance—especially around trust, purpose, belonging, and shared mission.
Guiding Principles
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Stewardship over Siloes: all of us are stewards of the institution committed to collective flourishing. We need to empower all members of our campus communities as stewards within reciprocal, entangled ecosystems
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Representation ≠ Governance: Balance speaking for constituents with acting for the public good. More collective sense making, less caucusing moves us from scarcity and entrenchment into communal flourishing and abundance mindsets
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Inside-Advocacy with Integrity: Reflections, rumbles, and co-creation grounded in deep commitment to the academic enterprise
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Embrace Discomfort: Capacity grows through honest dialogues, not rubber stamping or assumed consent.
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Focus on Trust & Humanity First: Governance thrives when we see each other as people, not just positions.
What Participants Report:
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Leaving not just with ideas—but with new vocabulary, relationships, and possibilities.
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More engaged and generative governance cultures
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Clearer, trust-rooted strategic visioning
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Inclusive, courageous leadership habits
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Improved campus-wide collaboration, strategy, and shared purpose
Engagement Types (Capacity-Building Snapshot):
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Joint Board/Senate retreat to redefine governance roles
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Faculty–Leadership design atelier on transformational pedagogy
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Multi-day campus renewal summit
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University-wide hope-as-flourishing conversation with students and staff
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Conference keynotes attentive to the hopes, aspirations and pain points for professional associations
Want to Engage?
Whether you're seeking transformative reflection, strategic design, or cultural renewal—HCI is here to help. Our approach is not about telling you what to do. It’s about meeting you where you are, helping you rewire together, and building the Braintrust and bench strength within the institution to illuminate a collective pathway forward.
Explore our website for upcoming events, ideas about how to host a book club, browse some resources, listen to a podcast, workshops and retreats for your organization, or just to connect with the Hope Circuits team. If you and your institution wants to deeper belonging, public purpose, and flourishing in higher education—this is your circuit.
