What We Do and How We Do It
The overall goal of DEI learning is to help our environment become more diverse, equitable and inclusive, particularly for those from underrepresented or historically marginalized communities.
DEI education and training programs are meant to increase awareness of inequality and bias and influence how people behave towards each other. DEI practice is also meant to change institutional policies and practices that perpetuate discrimination or exclusion. DEI learning initiatives provide individuals with real, concrete actions to create a supportive and safe environment for all. At the same time, they provide people with a deep understanding of, and empathy for, what marginalized groups face in society.
Learning Engagements
We do not believe in a one-size-fits-all model. Therefore, our interactive workshops are tailored to meet the unique needs of diverse learners across the university. Each learning engagement contains four elements:
- Goal setting
- Customization
- Facilitation
- Assessment
Any DEI journey starts with you and your group’s needs. A pre-survey helps gain a deeper sense of relevant topics and key learnings participants hope to gain. Our goal is to develop the right program for your group’s needs.
Using a unique empathy-based model, participants are engaged through an interactive critical dialogue, personal reflection and strategic educational activities. Our expert facilitators guide the conversation, bringing insight and understanding to difficult topics.
All training concludes with a post-survey. Findings are shared in a comprehensive evaluation report, detailing data from the surveys, outcomes from the training and suggested next steps.
Types of Training
Some types of DEI training include:
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Unconscious bias education: The goal of unconscious bias education is to help individuals understand and recognize their own unconscious and implicit biases and suggest behaviors to mitigate those preconceptions.
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Nurturing allyship: Allyship is when someone from a group that has privilege, power, or access supports or amplifies someone from an underrepresented or historically marginalized group. Allyship training helps provide people with the knowledge and skills to be effective allies.
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Bystander intervention coaching: Bystander coaching teaches people how to speak up and intervene if they witness harassing or discriminatory behavior, even when they aren't the person being harassed or discriminated against.
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Hiring without bias: There are DEI learning opportunities specifically for hiring managers and employees in Human Resources. The goal of this type of DEI training is to ensure individuals understand how their biases may affect how they view and assess candidates, helping them make more inclusive hiring decisions.