ODI Efforts to Foster Safe, Supportive, Inclusive Environment

March 25, 2022

To: University of Connecticut Community
From: Office for Diversity and Inclusion
Regarding: Update on ODI Efforts at UConn
Date: March 25, 2022

Since the return to in-person learning, the University of Connecticut has received a number of bias referrals detailing incidents of harassment and violence based on disability, ethnicity, gender, nationality, race, religion, and sexual orientation. These harmful incidents are antithetical to UConn’s values as an institution and negatively impact community members’ overall sense of belonging, safety, and security. In light of this, the Office for Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) is providing an update on efforts that the central office and seven cultural centers and programs have been involved in for the 2021-2022 academic year.

ODI’s mission is to lead the University’s efforts at making UConn a more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and just institution. ODI leads these efforts by advocating for access and equity across all units and focusing on strategic planning and programming to frame and meet diversity and inclusion initiatives. In the collective pursuit of these goals, ODI collaborates with a variety of campus partners to foster a safe, inclusive, and affirming university environment. When a bias-related incident threatens that safe, inclusive, and affirming environment for our students, ODI collaborates on the institutional response by participating on the Incident Response Team, which meets regularly to address bias incidents and provide support to impacted individuals and groups within the UConn community.  ODI’s main role in bias incidents is to support students and employees impacted directly by harmful incidents, especially members of historically marginalized groups. In order for ODI to offer the most effective support – including advice about navigating the University’s protocols for investigation – ODI does not conduct the investigation of bias incidents. Instead, those investigations are handled by Community Standards if the incident involves a student Respondent or the Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) if the incident involves an employee Respondent.

ODI endeavors to facilitate a safe, affirming, supportive institutional environment by working with colleagues across the University on communication and transparency, institutional responses and outreach, and educational and training initiatives. Please see below a brief summary of those collaborative efforts:

  1. Communication and Transparency
    1. ODI supports development and promotion of the InForm website, which provides pertinent information about navigating the reporting process, as well as access to appropriate resources for support.
    2. The Dean of Students office makes bias reporting transparent by sharing information with ODI and the community through communications and annual bias incident summaries and reports.
    3. ODI collaborates with the Dean of Students on a Bias Action Group. This group of students and staff are committed to understanding, responding, and educating the UConn community on issues of bias and meet every semester to review bias data, identify trends and concerns, and create programming and messaging that addresses the bias-related issues in the community.
    4. At the beginning of each semester, Chief Diversity Officer Frank Tuitt, along with Dean of Students Eleanor Daugherty, emails to the student body assessments of incidents reported that semester.
    5. ODI creates and disseminates messaging about the need to improve campus climate through official statements.
    6. ODI supports the Higher Education Anti-Racism Teaching (HEART) podcast to provide faculty and staff with advice about anti-racist teaching and its challenges.
    7. ODI uses social media platforms to educate the UConn community about events and opportunities that support the University’s diversity mission, to point to helpful resources, and to celebrate the various cultures represented in the university community.
    8. ODI writes and disseminates a newsletter each semester to outlines the work done by the central office, the cultural centers and programs, and institutional partners.
    9. ODI maintains the university-wide Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice website, using it as a platform to post events, house DEIJ-related resources, provide access to resources for safety and wellness, promote DEIJ-related training, and disseminate official statements from UConn leadership.
  2. Institutional Response and Outreach
    1. ODI works with the Provost’s Office to provide consultations and support to academic units when incidents involving students occur but are not code violations. In 2021-2022, ODI have worked with the Provost’s Office, as well as with student groups, to disseminate a religious observations calendar.
    2. The Cultural Centers coordinate with SHaW and affinity groups to provide safe spaces for impacted communities to receive support and resources. This year, ODI opened an ODI Commons in the Student Union that will serve as an intersectional space to facilitate discussions between communities.
    3. ODI expanded resources for Middle Eastern, Native and Indigenous, and Undocumented students in an effort to provide their communities with more services and greater support.
    4. ODI participates in the Incident Response Forum along with the Incident Response Team (IRT), Cultural Center directors, student leaders, and representatives from the Provost’s Office and affinity groups. This group reviews incidents and interrogates the University’s programmatic and educational response.
    5. ODI has added new staff positions to bolster outreach efforts, including the UConn Health CDO/VP, a Program Coordinator for the Rainbow Center, and an Assistant Director for the Asian American Cultural Center. The office is searching to fill other positions and is proposing adding others.
    6. The University Access, Inclusion, and Success Network was formed to structurally enhance access, inclusion (sense of belonging), and success for historically marginalized student populations at UConn.
    7. ODI is partnering with Hillel International on a Campus Climate Initiative (CCI). While aimed specifically at improving the climate for Jewish students at UConn, ODI believes these efforts will improve the climate for all affinity-based groups.
    8. ODI is building its capacity to serve the Jewish community and address antisemitism by participating in the Academic Engagement Network’s (AEN) Signature Seminar Series, which brings together university and college administrators to discuss and develop strategies for bias incidents. Participating in this series will help ODI build its capacity to serve all students.
    9. ODI staff serve on several working groups to help direct University efforts in improving safety for our underrepresented students:
      1. The African American Cultural Center (AACC) and Native American Cultural Programs (NACP) serve on working groups to address the needs of Black and Indigenous Graduate Students.
      2. CDO Frank Tuitt, along with Vice President for Enrollment Planning & Management Nathan Fuerst and Associate Dean of Student Maureen Armstrong, participates in the Undocumented Student Advisory Board. Central office also collaborates with Associate Dean Armstrong and the Puerto Rican and Latin American Cultural Center (PRLACC) in advising undocumented students and their families.
      3. The Asian American Cultural Center and Salaam are working to combat islamophobia.
      4. Central Office is working with John Armstrong, Director of Off-Campus and Commuter Student Services, and Edina Oestreicher, Executive Director of UConn Hillel, to address antisemitism on campus and improve the cultural climate for Jewish members of the UConn community.
    10. ODI leads Faculty and Staff of Color Town Halls provide a safe space for Faculty and Staff of Color to express race-based concerns and collaboratively propose institutional solutions.
    11. ODI partnered with Alumni Relations and the Center for Career Development to launch the Students of Color (SoC) Mentorship Program – partnering 50 to 100 students of color with alumni of color who share the experience of navigating the challenges of being a student of color in a predominately white major at a Predominately White Institution (PWI).
        1. Education and Training
          1. ODI supported the development of three 1-credit pop-up courses that educate students on racism: an Anti-Black Racism course, an Anti-Asian Racism course, and a course on Antisemitism.
          2. ODI put on a 2-day event on creating a safe and supportive UConn community. This event educated faculty and staff on the mechanisms, procedures, and structures for reporting bias incidents. It also informed them of their rights and responsibilities and connected them with the work done by various units across the UConn system.
          3. ODI has provided antiracism training, as well as restorative practices for addressing the hurt and harm caused by bias and discrimination, to senior leadership and middle management. This year, ODI brought in Bryan Brayboy to train leadership on creating Indigenous spaces in higher education. The next training will be on improving institutional environments for Jewish students.
          4. ODI provides unconscious bias training to academic and administrative units.
          5. ODI has provided social identity awareness training to students in First-Year Experience classes and Greek organizations at UConn.
          6. ODI assists faculty and staff in attending university-sponsored DEIJ professional development opportunities.
          7. ODI has provided faculty and staff with training on serving and advising Undocumented students.
          8. ODI has assisted efforts to create inclusive learning environments, including by diversifying hiring efforts and recruiting, hiring, and retaining faculty and staff from underrepresented backgrounds.
          9. ODI is partnering with the Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) and the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) to revise the homegrown and UConn-focused Diversity Awareness Training (DAT) required for all new employees and graduate students within six months of hire.

        ODI recognizes that there is still much work to be done in order to improve safety and security at UConn, as well as to eliminate all incidents of bias. However, ODI believes that collaborative efforts thus far are strengthening the infrastructure UConn needs in order to achieve these goals. To see more information about ODI’s efforts and resources, please visit our events page at www.diversity.uconn.edu/events.

        Navigating Graduate School as a First-Gen Student

        March 24, 2022

        Navigating Grad School for First-Gen
        Please join our second collaborative Office of Diversity & Inclusion + UConn Graduate School event for First-Gen Graduate students on Wed. March 30, 4-5:30pm
        Some of you were with us for the first event back on Nov. 18, 2021.  We hope you + more can join us again for this one.
        See the attached flyer for registration, meeting link, and a look at the amazing panelists!  There's a link and a QR code on the flyer.
        Here's the registration link directly:  https://s.uconn.edu/firstgen

        Asian American Heritage Month Keynote: Jasmine Cho

        Jasmine Cho

        The Asian American Cultural Center would like to invite you all to our keynote, Jasmine Cho, to kick off the month celebrating the Asian American Heritage Observance (AAHO) at UConn. Nationally, AAHO gets celebrated in May, but we observe/celebrate in April because our students will be in their finals in May.

        When: Tuesday, April 5, 2022

        Time: 7:00pm – 8:30pm

        Where: SU Theatre

        AsACC will also be hosting a cookie workshop with Jasmine that will entail participants unraveling identity through cookie art. Seats are limited to 40. Students must register and receive confirmation. Please utilize the link below and encourage any of your students to attend.

        To Register: https://forms.gle/jioNUeUh6kTYPSRs7

        2-day NAIS Symposium

        March 23, 2022

        unnamed

        2-day NAIS Symposium
        The 2-day NAIS symposium will happen on April 13-14. This includes film screenings and panels, and Professor Sandy Grande will be offering a workshop titled "Red Praxis: Teaching Against Empire."
        For questions please email: bhakti.shringarpure@uconn.edu 

        Run for Refugees: 5k Run/Walk to support Immigrants and Refugees

        March 22, 2022

        Updated RFR Flyer

        In a year of multiple global refugee crises -- including in Afghanistan and Ukraine -- Middle Eastern Cultural Programs has teamed up with Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services (IRIS) to organize a UConn-specific version of their annual Run for Refugees.

        The run will be taking place on the Storrs campus on April 9th, 2022 at 3:30pm, and can be completed either as a run or as a walk depending on each person's comfort level.

        We hope to have as many students, faculty, and community members show up in solidarity, particularly in light of last fall's developments in Afghanistan and this year's ongoing events in Ukraine.

        ODI ListServ Submission

        March 16, 2022

        ODI ListServ Submission

        We would love to share your DEIJ-related events, courses, initiatives, or opportunities via our ODI listserv! Please use the form below to make your submission. This listServ will be shared with our ODI Partners every Monday at 5:30 PM. If you have any questions or concerns please email diversity@uconn.edu with the subject ODI Listserv.

        MM slash DD slash YYYY
        Time of event/course/initiative/opportunity:
        :
        Max. file size: 250 MB.
        This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

        Thriving in a Time of Turmoil – CADE Spring Convening

        March 15, 2022

        CADE

        Come join colleagues from the Commission on Access, Success, and Excellence (CADE) for a Virtual Spring Convening titled, Thriving in a Time of Turmoil on Wednesday, March 23, 2022, from 2-4 pm EST.  This session offers a keynote highlighting research on Shared Equity Leadership followed by a panel of senior leaders representing various institutional types who will offer lessons learned, promising practices and insights regarding the Pandemic’s Impact on Student Equity.  After the panel, there will be breakout room discussions and the session will end with highlights and learning-related sharing from participants.

        Title: Thriving in a Time of Turmoil

        Date: March 23

        Time: 2:00-4:00 pm (Eastern)

        Registration: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcpf-qurj4pGdBNCKlqaFYhJm4kQDd6DUqr  (After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.)

        Agenda Outline (more complete agenda to follow):

        • Keynote: Dr. Elizabeth Holcombe, Shared Equity Leadership: Building Institutional Capacity
        • Panel Discussion: Impacts of the Pandemic on Student Equity – Sharing Insights and Lessons Learned from different campus leaders
        • Breakout room discussions facilitated by CADE members to share and gather examples of learning from the Pandemic

        We look forward to seeing you!

        The Pandemic of Castes: A Talk by Dr. S. Anandhi

        Pandemic of Castes

        The Department of Sociology invites you to a talk on The Pandemic of Castes by Dr. S. Anandhi, Professor at Madras Institute of Development Studies, India and author of Dalit Women: Vanguard of an AlternativePolitics in India (Routledge, 2019).

        This virtual talk will be held on Friday, March 25th at 10:00 AM.

         Join the WebEx: https://uconn-cmr.webex.com/uconn-cmr/j.php?MTID=m707bc563bf7cb393b7d4ab2af151981f

        19th Annual New England Latinx Student Leadership Conference

        March 10, 2022

        LxSLC Conference Flyer

        The Puerto Rican / Latin American Cultural Center (PRLACC) invites Latinx faculty, staff, and students at UConn to participate in the 19th annual NASPA New England Latinx/a/o Student Leadership Conference.

        The goal of this conference is to help Latinx students network, strengthen their leadership skills, and prepare for post-graduation life.  The theme of this year’s conference is “Embracing the Vision,” and will focus on diversity, community, and self-empowerment.

        The goals of this year’s conference are to:

        1. Increase advocacy and action within participant’s own local communities
        2. Acknowledge the intersectionality between various identities and their impact on society
        3. Recognize cultural wealth as a source of strength for individuals to gain a deeper understanding of oneself and the world around them

        Due to unforeseen circumstances, this year's conference has unfortunately been cancelled. 

         

         

        Combatting Sexual Assault & Bias Action Group Update

        March 9, 2022

        Hi there, Huskies,

        Thank goodness for the upcoming break. This one is so well deserved, and I wish you all fun, good health, and REST!

        First (queue up Queen’s classic hit, “We Are the Champions”), WINNING seems to be a theme this week. ROCK ON basketball, UConn Equestrian, track, Biochem midterms, internships applications, O-Chem labs … all of you faced challenges over the course of the past week.

        Midterms are hard. The Big East is hard. COVID is hard.  Yet all of you are finding your way to success.  As a friend at the Graduate School often says, success is rarely a straight line. We zig, we zag, but we get there nonetheless.

        In the meantime, I’ve been in meetings. A few highlights:

        Task Force for Combating Sexual Violence and Supporting our Students: We had our first meeting last week. We reviewed all relevant policies as well as important past work on this subject. The Task Force website is live and will include information from past meetings.

        Bias Action Group: This incredible group of students, faculty, and staff met for the first time on Monday. This group is working towards its purpose of reviewing incidents and determining opportunities for increased dialogue on campus. Dr. Tuitt and I are grateful to the members of the group for their insight and guidance in identifying opportunities for our community to address hate and develop trust at UConn.  On a more immediate note, members were struck by the InForm site that was created and encouraged me to make it more broadly available to students.  Check it out.

        This works matter and it will be impactful.  I hope you all know that these groups are filled with members of the University community who care deeply for all of you and for UConn.  What is abundantly clear to all of us is the work that needs to be done to regain trust, address harm, and restore UConn as a community that cares for the well-being of all of our students.

        I wish you all a healthy and happy break. COVID tests are available to you at the Student Union on the Storrs campus and on each of the regional campuses before and after break. Please remember that it is important to test when ill and observe a period of isolation regardless of your vaccination status.  If you test positive using an at-home or outside lab test, please upload your positive test results to the SHaW patient portal.

        Be well, Huskies. I’m looking forward to seeing you back on campus.

        Eleanor JB Daugherty, EdD
        she/her/hers
        Associate Vice President and Dean of Students