Foundations of Diversity and Inclusion
Diversity and Inclusion seminars tackle tough questions involving culture, identity, and responsive teaching in a friendly, non-threatening environment. We offered this series from Fall 2016 to Spring 2023 as an open-enrollment series and more than 400 instructors and staff took advantage of the learning opportunities. We do not offer the series as open-enrollment workshops at this moment, but we can offer a workshop or a series by request by the departments or the group of instructors. Participants who complete all sessions receive a certificate of recognition.
Implicit Bias
Implicit bias is our unconscious tendency to judge people based on past experiences. Even when we’re mindful of diversity and inclusion, it is hard for us to notice our implicit bias until we encounter the situations where it is activated. In this workshop, explore the nature of implicit bias and discover strategies to minimize bias in the classroom and in the workplace.
Microaggressions
Microaggressions are small acts with potentially big effects—little behaviors that communicate hostile or derogatory slights towards a person or a group of people. These acts may be intentional or unintentional. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to identify microaggressions and explore the role they play on our campus. You’ll leave this seminar with a better understanding of the psychological impact these types of communications can have on others and how best to respond when a microaggression occurs.
Privilege and Power
How do privilege and power function through society, and how does it affect you, personally? By reflecting on this, you can identify strategies to become more inclusive in your teaching and the workplace. This seminar will help you better understand your own multiple identities and the presence and absence of privileges based on your identities. By the end of the workshop, you will be able to analyze how privilege and power exist and function in U.S. culture and how they impact your view of the world.
These workshops fall under the AAC&U High-Impact Educational Practice of Diversity/Global Learning.