DEI Learning Opportunities for SMTD Faculty & Staff (2023-24)

Understanding Privilege

Description: Privilege is often misunderstood when used in a DEI context. An individual can have privilege in one area and not another. Life may not have been easy, yet an individual could still have elements of privilege. In this interactive session, we will explore the nuances around privilege as it relates to diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace.

Behavioral Interviewing: How to Reduce Bias in Interviewing through Consistent Hiring Processes

Description: Training your interviewers is an important and often overlooked piece of a fair and effective hiring process. Well-trained interviewers protect your department from unintentional discrimination and ensure a process that results in better hires for your team.

All are welcome, whether you are new to interviewing, want a refresher, or just want insight into the interviewing process. 

This training will cover the following topics:

• Behavioral Based Interviewing vs Traditional Interviewing 
• Evaluating/Assessing Candidate Answers
• Proper Interview Note Taking Techniques 
• Utilizing Rubrics 
• Unconscious Bias
• Legal & Illegal Interview Questions

Unconscious Bias 

Description: Understanding and mitigating bias is a lifelong journey. This course provides a review of bias, explores what bias can look like and how it shows up in the workplace. We specifically look at the types of bias common in the workplace and platforms that allow bias to thrive; while discussing strategies you can use to interrupt and mitigate bias.

Anti-Racism Primer 

Description: In the midst of all of the violence, racism, hate crimes and so much more happening in our communities, many are asking, “What can I do?” With so much to be done, it can be difficult to know where to begin. As we move toward action, we can find ourselves afraid to make mistakes. We may also feel that we must figure it all out before we act. In the midst of this we are bombarded with links, lists and ideas of what to do.

Joining the fight for justice means pushing through discomfort and fear and starting somewhere! This Anti-Racism Primer is designed to help you do just that

Change it Up! 

Description: Change It Up! brings bystander intervention skills to the University of Michigan community for the purpose of building inclusive, respectful and safe communities. It is based on a nationally recognized four-stage bystander intervention model that helps individuals intervene in situations that negatively impact individuals, organizations, and the campus community. The content in this program has been used for student groups across campus, and is now being offered for University of Michigan faculty and staff. Change It Up! provides opportunities for participants to discuss and practice how to leverage bystander intervention skills within their campus communities.

Culture Change Foundations: Improving Workplace Climate

Description: This foundational course will guide learners through the first step in embarking on a culture change journey. First, the course establishes a shared language for understanding and talking about what culture is, what climate is, and how the two are interrelated. Next, the course explores methods to affect climate and wraps up with a model for culture change. The model will help learners to consider principles and steps to create culture change that sticks.

Leadership and Culture: Creating a Positive Work Environment

Description: Managers who understand organizational culture and climate can work to create an environment that is supportive, inclusive and values employees. This can lead to increased employee satisfaction, improved morale and higher levels of employee engagement. This foundational course provides managers with the tools and knowledge to lead a successful culture change journey within their team.

Leadership and Culture: Strategies to Prevent Workplace Issues and Retaliation

Description: Leaders play an important role in helping to prevent workplace issues and wrongdoing. This course gives leaders tools and strategies to create a more welcoming and respectful work environment. Interactive discussions, case studies and role-playing exercises will enhance learning. Leaders will be more prepared to:

• Mitigate the negative impact of retaliation
• Enhance employee engagement
• Promote a harmonious work environment

Culture Change Foundations: Improving Workplace Climate

Description: This foundational course will guide learners through the first step in embarking on a culture change journey. First, the course establishes a shared language for understanding and talking about what culture is, what climate is, and how the two are interrelated. Next, the course explores methods to affect climate and wraps up with a model for culture change. The model will help learners to consider principles and steps to create culture change that sticks.

Disability Awareness and Inclusion

Description: Disability is an integral part of the university’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. It is important to be part of a culture that supports and embraces disability inclusion. This session will cover: 

• Background about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 
• Ways to raise disability awareness and inclusion
• Best practices for creating and maintaining inclusive working and learning environments
• Content to dispel ableist myths and misconceptions about disability

We will engage in discussions about increasing accessibility and disability inclusion. Discussions will include how to do this at the university starting in our own units and departments. 

LGBTQIA+: An Introduction to Inclusive Language

Description: This course aims to shift our culture to be more LGBTQIA+ friendly. When it comes to attractionality and gender identity, language is so important. It helps us to acknowledge, respect and affirm the diversity of bodies, genders and relationships that exist at U-M. We’ll discuss roadblocks and challenges some people face when using inclusive language. After identifying those challenges, we will share strategies to make practicing easier. We’ll also learn how to use them in interactions with patients, students, staff and colleagues.

BUILDING A CULTURE THAT THRIVES: PREVENTING RETALIATION

Description: Sometimes actions in our community keep us from being at our best. We may witness or know things in our community that are not ethical, not safe, or go against a university policy. We then have to decide. Will we say something or do nothing? This training reinforces the university’s commitment to preventing retaliation and protecting those who report improper behavior. We want you to have the information and resources needed for support if you need to speak up.

Introduction to LGBTQIA2S+ Communities and Identities web course

Description:

Introduction to LGBTQIA2S+ Communities and Identities was developed and published by the University of Michigan Spectrum Center with two goals in mind: expand our current educational offerings and provide a way to teach fundamental LGBTQIA2S+ terms and topics outside of our workshops.

In this course we provide an overview of terms and topics related to gender, sexuality, and marginalization, with a focus on terms relevant to LGBTQIA2S+ communities. We also aim to disrupt misinformation you may have encountered, or even internalized, about LGBTQIA2S+ people. Our hope is that everyone will find value in this course.

This course is just a starting point. It is designed to complement classroom learning and additional professional development opportunities related to diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging. Participation in this course is voluntary, unless you are completing it prior to attending one of our more advanced educational workshops.

This course is focused on vocabulary and core concepts.  It is important to note that language related to identity  is complicated, culturally-bound, and ever-evolving. Language is often highly contested. Although the frames and definitions we provide were carefully researched, rigorously discussed, and thoughtfully crafted, they are not universal.  Again, this course is a starting point. We hope this is just a part of your learning journey about gender, sexuality, and LGBTQIA2S+ identities.

Culture Journey Values Toolkit

Description: Welcome! This toolkit is designed for individuals, leaders and teams to learn more about U-M’s core values, and provide resources to support putting these values into action. Our core values define our identity and purpose, and serve as a compass to guide decision-making, actions and interactions within the organization. Demonstrating these values is essential as we pursue excellence and carry out the university’s mission.

Organizations across sectors made anti-racist commitments. Where are we now?

April 4nd, 2024
2:00pm-3:00pm
60 minutes
Zoom

Description: Strategies and programs were developed. Task forces and committees were created. What are the outcomes of these efforts so far? Catalytic moments such as the COVID pandemic, the murder of George Floyd, and the racial justice movements highlight the need to address systems of oppression that continue to disadvantage and harm communities of color. Organizations across sectors made commitments to adopt anti-racist strategies and dismantle systems. Join a discussion with scholars and community partners on the challenges and opportunities of anti-racism commitments and efforts. This event is based on the special issue: Are Anti-Racism Efforts Having an Impact in Organizations and Communities? published by the Currents: Journal of Diversity Scholarship for Social Change. 

Anti-Racism Graduate Research Showcase 2024

April 2nd, 2024
1:00pm-3:00pm
90 minutes
Zoom

Description: Please join us for an opportunity to meet selected grantees of the 2023 Anti-Racism Graduate Research Grants. Sponsored by Rackham Graduate School, Center for Racial Justice (CRJ), and the Anti-Racism Collaborative at the National Center for Institutional Diversity (NCID), the grant program supports engagement in research projects focused on racism, racial equity, and racial justice while advancing graduate student progress toward degree.

In the third year of this program, over $100,000 was awarded to 21 students from across the for their research projects. In this virtual event, attendees will engage with graduate student grantees about their research. Click here to view all the 2023 grantees’ project abstracts.

Co-sponsored by the Rackham Graduate School and the Center for Racial Justice at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.

The 2023-2024 Ethel V. Curry Distinguished Lecture in Musicology: Dr. Daphne Brooks “Rhapsody & Ruin: Porgy & Bess and the Story of America”

April 5th, 2024
4:00pm-5:00pm
60 minutes
Moore Building – Watkins Lecture Hall

Description: This lecture mines the archive in order to trace the legacies of racial performance and racial and gender violence made manifest in 1935’s Porgy and Bess, one of the most famous and influential American operas of all time. By way of archival materials, it interrogates the entanglements of the opera’s architects—DuBose Heyward and George and Ira Gershwin—with the afterlives of slavery. It considers the lasting impact said entanglements have had on the music of Porgy and Bess as well as the aesthetic strategies of generations of Black women genius culture workers navigating the Gershwin and Heyward archive. Daphne A. Brooks is William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of African American Studies, American Studies, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and Music at Yale University. She is the author of Bodies in Dissent:  Spectacular Performances of Race and Freedom, 1850-1910 (Durham, NC: Duke UP, 2006); Jeff Buckley’s Grace (New York: Continuum, 2005) and Liner Notes for the Revolution: The Intellectual Life of Black Feminist Sound(Harvard University, February 2021). Brooks has authored numerous articles on race, gender, performance and popular music culture as well as the liner notes for The Complete Tammi Terrell (Universal A&R, 2010), for Take a Look: Aretha Franklin Complete on Columbia for Prince’s Sign O’ The Times deluxe box set and for Omnivore Records reissues of Nina Simone’s early releases on Bethlehem. Brooks’s writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Nation, The Guardian, Pitchfork.com and other outlets.

This program is organized by the Department of Musicology at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance.

Change it Up! To Stop Anti-Black Racism

April 9th, 2024
10:00am-11:30am
90 minutes
Zoom

Description: I am writing to announce an exciting professional development opportunity.  Change it Up! To Stop Anti-Black Racism is a 90-minute virtual bystander intervention workshop. The workshop is focused on bystander intervention in response to anti-Black racism; however, it does not negate nor minimize other types of racism, also covering unconscious bias, social identities, and social justice. Over 5700 College of Engineering community members have participated in a CiU!-ABR workshop. Now, we look forward to engaging with our wider UM community to make our campus more inclusive.

Beautiful Minds: Neurodiversity, Equity and Inclusion Conference

April 11th, 2024
9:00am-5:00pm
480 minutes
In-person or Virtual 

Description: Welcome to the University of Michigan information page for the Beautiful Minds: Neurodiversity, Equity and Inclusion Conference.  

This conference culminated as a result of a group of staff volunteers seeking to make a difference in a space that touches each of us in various ways.  As the team navigated, researched, and connected in this space, we teamed up with a group of Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) students and built relationships with institutional partners as we champion and advocate for our University community members who navigate neurodiversity.

With the generous support of our institutional sponsors, we are excited to bring you a conference that  focuses on building awareness and support for the University of Michigan’s community that navigates the challenges of neurodiversity.  As we worked on the project, we have learned that there are many in our community who navigate, interact, and experience the invisible variations of capabilities and communication within neurodiversity. We understand that when you meet one person who is neurodivergent, you have met only one person who is neurodivergent.   

Throughout this process we have also connected with many in our U-M community, we have heard your stories, your concerns and your ideas. By far, the feedback we heard most often centers around support and awareness for those who may navigate neurodiversity, whether it is self, our loved ones, co-workers, faculty, students, patients, etc.  The aim of our work seeks to bring awareness to neurodiversity at our institution and identify resources to supports inclusive environments, that champion all community members and bring the dialog of neurodiversity, equity and inclusion to the forefront.

Through this work, we’ve also connected with the University of Melbourne (Australia) Neurodiversity Project and Stanford Neurodiversity Project as we look to evolve our own efforts.  During the conference we will highlight work taking place at the University of Melbourne and Stanford University, and highlight initiatives underway at the University of Michigan.

The Conference will take place April 11, 2024, at the North Campus Research Center (NCRC) Building 18 Auditorium.  The event is in-person and will also be live streamed. 

Registration is free to the University of Michigan community and we look forward to seeing you there.

Sincerely,

HOPE Team Members (volunteers): Sebastian Beckley,  Liam Benton, Andy Brosius, Annalisa DeGuzman, Kathy Ignatoski, Beth Jakubowski, Chris Laurinec, Christine Lightner, Sally Mo, Aimee Piehl, Jenna Santamaria, Jack Seel, Sara Turner, and Sandy Zalmout 

Pronouns 101

April 17th, 2024
5:30pm-7:30pm
120 minutes
In-person

Description: The Spectrum Center’s Pronouns 101 Workshop is for anyone interested in creating a culture of LGBTQIA2S+ inclusivity in their personal and professional lives. During this 2- hour interactive workshop, participants will learn about pronouns, their significance to queer and trans communities, and gender inclusive language.

Learning objectives include:

• Define what pronouns are.

•  Identify 2 inclusive practices for sharing your pronouns.

• Understand the impact of using people’s affirming pronouns.

• Apply 1 action – oriented goal to be more inclusive of trans & non binary people.

CEO Partner Appreciation Lunch and 15th Anniversary Launch

May 9th, 2024
10:30am-3:00pm
300 minutes
In-person 
Location: Palmer Commons 

Description: CEO’s Partner Appreciation Luncheon is an annual gathering of outreach professionals and scholars dedicated to educational outreach at the University. This year, CEO is expanding the event to launch the year-long celebration of our 15th anniversary. The event will showcase stories from the community through an open house, followed by lunch. We will have a panel of experts on the urgency of college access from across the state. We will close the event with awards, musical performances, and important updates for the next academic year as we celebrate our 15th anniversary.

What to Do When You Feel Powerless: Supporting Participants Throughout Complex Situations

May 22nd, 2024
11:30am
90 minutes
Zoom

Description: Session: To provide a professional development opportunity for all pre-college program coordinators and staff to provide a training opportunity for your summer employees. This webinar will tackle challenging scenarios to help you and your team understand how to handle difficult situations when dealing with our pre-college participants. This unique opportunity for you to share this webinar with your staff will also be recorded for your use to share in the future as programs prepare for the upcoming summer sessions. 

Juneteenth Symposium 2024 – More Information Coming Soon!

Date: June 20 and 21
In-person
Location: Michigan League Ballroom

Description: The Juneteenth Organizing Committee invites you to two dynamic and thought-provoking days of visual art, performances, conversation, and celebration as we present the fifth-annual Juneteenth Symposium.
Learn more at juneteenth.umich.edu

Pronouns 101

Wednesday, October 18, 2023
10:00 AM — 12:00 PM
120 minutes
Michigan Union Pond Room (1st floor)

Description:  A 2-hour workshop on the basics of pronouns and their usage put on by the Spectrum Center. Participants will have the chance to practice using different sets of pronouns and work on bystander intervention skills. This is open to the campus community including students, staff, and faculty.

Hearsdustin: Creating a Community Where We Overcome Adversity with a Positive Mental Attitude

Thursday, October 19, 2023
3:00 PM — 4:00 PM
60 minutes
Weiser Hall – 1010 (500 S. Church St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109) & Virtual

Description: For Disability Community Month 2023, the Council for Disability Concerns, Disability Culture @ U-M, LSA Faculty & Staff Disability Navigators, and Student Accessibility and Accommodation Services are partnering to bring Dustin Giannelli of HearsDustin, a profoundly Deaf motivational speaker, to campus. We aim to bring attention to Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing experiences, as well as steps our community can take to create more inclusive spaces and activities on campus. This 1-hour hybrid speaker event will be held on October 19 from 3–4pm (doors open at 2:45pm). Live captions and ASL interpretation will be provided. The in-person venue (Weiser Hall Event Space 1010) is wheelchair accessible, including the restroom, and we will have limited assistive listening devices available for checkout. There is a live stream option for those who can not join us in person.

This event aims to:

• Highlight the disability community at U-M in a positive light,
• Amplify DEIA efforts at U-M,
• Introduce strategies and solutions for creating access for those who are Deaf/HOH, including some piloted in spaces at U-M, and
• Discuss how accessibility best practices can support everyone.

We are pleased to provide reasonable accommodations to enable your full participation in this event. Please contact [email protected] to request specific accommodations or access needs, providing as much notice as possible.

Inclusive Teaching: Strategies for Promoting Equity in the College Classroom

Friday, October 20, 2023
9:30 AM – 11:00 AM
90 minutes
Michigan League – Vandenberg Room

Description: Teaching strategies that emphasize structured active learning can create more equitable classrooms and improve learning for all students. As an introduction to inclusive teaching techniques, UNC Professors Kelly Hogan and Viji Sathy, authors of the highly regarded Inclusive Teaching: Strategies for Promoting Equity in College Classrooms, will ask participants to reflect on inequities and diversity in their classrooms through interactive, hands-on activities. After providing a framework for inclusive design and their own research results, Hogan and Sathy will lead participants through active learning exercises and case studies that explore inclusive techniques. Drawing upon their own teaching experiences and educational research, they will model approaches that can be readily implemented with any discipline or class size to help all students achieve their potential. Participants are also invited to register and attend a panel discussion with Professors Hogan and Sathy from 1:00 – 2:00 pm.

How Do We Begin: A Historical Reckoning with Anti-Black Racism at U-M

Friday, October 20, 2023
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
120 minutes
Virtual

Description: Written by guest playwright and U-M alumnx Jordan Harris, this short series of plays illuminates U-M’s complicated relationship to elitism and racial inequity. Using Matthew Johnson’s book Undermining Racial Justice (a historical analysis of the admissions processes at U-M) as an entry point, the play examines how American colleges and universities–and U-M specifically–have perpetuated anti-Blackness while simultaneously benefiting from their association with inclusive values. Through a series of facilitated discussion and activities, participants will wrestle with a central question: with an understanding of our inequitable past and present, how will we imagine and pursue a racially just future?

Understanding How Stereotype Threat, Impostor Syndrome, and Growth Mindset Affect Student Learning

Tuesday, October 24, 2023
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
90 minutes
Virtual

Description: Research shows that when students worry about fulfilling a negative stereotype related to certain social identities, it can hurt their learning (a phenomenon known as stereotype threat). Research also shows that an instructor’s beliefs about their own and their students’ intelligence and ability impact the classroom environment. In this interactive session, participants will reflect on instructor and student social identities and learn about strategies for mitigating stereotype threat, impostor syndrome, and encouraging a growth mindset for students in their classes.

Anti-Racism Training with MESA 

Wednesday, October 25, 2023
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
90 minutes
Walgreen Drama Center, room B207

Description: This 90 minute teach-in will provide attendees with tools and prompts to engage in a meaningful conversation with others as we unpack our varying experiences. Our hope is to raise critical consciousness and understand the opportunity for actions

DEI DIGs Webinar 

Thursday, October 26, 2023
9:45 AM – 10:45 AM
60 minutes
Virtual

Description: The SMTD DEI Team will review the DIGS applications process, discuss how to put together a successful application, and answer questions about the DIGS program.

Change it Up! To Stop Anti-Black Racism 

Friday, October 27, 2023
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
90 minutes
Virtual

Description: For some context, in June 2020, then Dean of Engineering Dr. Alec D. Gallimore charged members of the dean’s cabinet to create plans for enterprise-wide professional development on anti-racism. He set a goal for every member of the CoE community to receive bystander intervention training to interrupt harm in our community. Project leadership convened and organized until October of 2021, with support from key stakeholders, and CiU!-ABR was born. CiU!-ABR is an interactive 90-minute workshop focused on bystander intervention in response to anti-Black racism; however, it does not negate nor minimize other types of racism and covers unconscious bias, social identities, and social justice.

Consent Based Practices In The Necessary Intimacy Of Costuming

Friday, October 27, 2023
12:00 PM – 1:20 PM
80 minutes
In-Person 
Walgreens Classroom 2233

Towards Solidarity: Allyship in Action

Monday, October 30, 2023
10:00 AM – 5:00PM
90 minutes
The Michigan Union, 3rd floor, Wolverine Room

Description: A 6-hour workshop that aims to deepen our U-M community’s understanding of, and ability to engage with, LGBTQIA2S+ allyship. In Towards Solidarity, we move beyond basic conceptualizations of allyship and challenge participants to center liberation as they show up actively for LGBTQIA2S+ communities. Put on by the Spectrum Center.

Note: Participants are expected to complete our Introduction to LGBTQIA2S+ Communities and Identities web-course before attending this workshop.

Voices of Resistance in Academia: A viewing of the film Clusterluck

Tuesday, October 31, 2023
3:00 PM – 5:00PM
120 minutes
Multipurpose Room Trotter Multicultural Center

Description: According to The Education Trust (2022), the US population is becoming more diverse while university faculty remain overwhelmingly white. In fact, of the 1.5 million faculty at degree-granting postsecondary institutions assessed in the Fall 2020, 73% of faculty were white; specifically 35 percent white female and 38 percent white male (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2021). This phenomenon remains consistent when considered in relation to college student populations (Davis & Fry, 2019).

College students, especially those from minoritized backgrounds, have expressed a need for diversity in their faculty. More diverse faculty may allow these students to be “seen”, heard, and understood, which can have a positive impact on their retention and graduation rates (Curry, 2020). In addition, white students who interact with diverse faculty are more likely to develop deeper cross-cultural and critical-thinking skills and greater levels of empathy, which are essential for success in today’s multicultural and multiracial world (The Education Trust, 2022).

There is a clear need to actively work to diversify the professoriate as the the benefits of a more diverse faculty population are comprehensive among college students.

The NCID, in co-sponsorship with the Anti-Racism Collaborative and the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education, and as a part of the 2023 Arts & Resistance Theme Semester Grant through the U-M Museum of Art and the U-M Arts Initiative, is proud to present Voices of Resistance in Academia: A viewing of the film Clusterluck. This award winning documentary highlights the journey of faculty participating in a cluster hire initiative. By exploring the journey of these faculty members as they traverse academia, we hope to offer information on how to create effective initiatives designed to diversify faculty and improve the educational experience of college student populations.

Speakers:
-Candace N. Hall, EdD, Assistant Professor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
-Cherese F. Fine, Assistant Professor in Educational Leadership at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
-J.T. Snipes, PhD, Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville

Change it Up! To Stop Anti-Black Racism

Tuesday, November 7, 2023
11:30 AM- 1:00 PM
90 minutes
Virtual

Description: For some context, in June 2020, then Dean of Engineering Dr. Alec D. Gallimore charged members of the dean’s cabinet to create plans for enterprise-wide professional development on anti-racism. He set a goal for every member of the CoE community to receive bystander intervention training to interrupt harm in our community. Project leadership convened and organized until October of 2021, with support from key stakeholders, and CiU!-ABR was born. CiU!-ABR is an interactive 90-minute workshop focused on bystander intervention in response to anti-Black racism; however, it does not negate nor minimize other types of racism and covers unconscious bias, social identities, and social justice.

Digital Workshop: Best Practices Affinity for Global Majority (BIPOC)

Sunday, November 12, 2023
11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
420 minutes
Virtual

Description: This workshop covers TIE’s Best Practices, including tools for developing a consent-based process, setting boundaries, desexualizing the process, choreographing intimacy, and documentation. This workshop is an affinity space for Global Majority

Digital Workshop: Creating a Culture of Consent: Community Agreements

Monday, November 13, 2023
5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
180 minutes
Virtual

Description: Intimacy work cannot exist in a vacuum – there needs to be a culture of consent to create and support long-term changes in how artists work and train together. In this workshop, participants will learn about community agreements, the research into the benefits of crafting them, and explore models for bringing this practice into their own artistic and/or educational spaces.

First Gen Gathering 

Sunday, December 3rd, 2023
Starts at 2:00pm 
UMMA and Pizza House 

Description: Join SMTD DEI for a gathering of First Gen! This event is open to all but meant for our SMTD First Gen students, faculty, and staff. We will start at The University of Michigan Museum of Art. After enjoying the exhibitions, we will travel to Pizza House. Food and Beverages will be provided to participants.

MLK Day Circle of Unity

Monday, January 15, 2024
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
60 minutes
U-M DIAG – Central Campus 

Description: All invited to listen to or join a program of impromptu song, dance, and spoken word performances inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. Featuring performances by local singer-songwriter Joe Reilly, Detroit singer-guitarist Julie Beutel, and others.

MLK Spirit Awards

Wednesday, January 18, 2024
5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
120 minutes
Duderstadt Center

Description: The Martin Luther King Spirit Awards are given to students, student organizations, staff, and faculty members at the University of Michigan North Campus colleges who exemplify the leadership and vision of Dr. King through their commitment to social justice, diversity, and inclusion

Pronouns 101 workshop

Wednesday, January 31, 2024
10:00am-12:00pm
120 minutes
Virtually 

Description: Spectrum Center’s Pronouns 101 workshop is for faculty, staff, and students across all of the University of Michigan campuses interested in creating a culture of LGBTQIA2S+ inclusivity in their personal and professional lives. During this 2-hour interactive workshop, participants will learn about pronouns, gender inclusive language, and the significance to queer and trans communities.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Define what pronouns are.
2. Identify 2 inclusive practices for sharing your pronouns.
3. Understand the impact of using people’s affirming pronouns.
4. Apply 1 action-oriented goal to be more inclusive of trans & non binary people.

DEI Staff Meet & Greet 

January 31st, 2024
Moore Conference Room 
60 minutes

Description: Join SMTD DEI office for a Staff Meet & Greet. This short presentation (30 minutes) will discuss DEI 2.0, programming offerings, resources, and how to contact our office. There will be one in-person meeting and two virtual meetings. We will be providing coffee and bagels for our in-person meeting. We are looking forward to meeting/chatting with you. Calendar invites/reminders will be sent out.

MESA – Black History Month Opening Ceremony 

Monday, February 5, 2024
6:30pm-8:30pm
Michigan Union (Michigan Union | Rogel Ballroom (2nd floor)

Description: Please join us for an Opening Address from U-M School of Music, Theatre, and Dance Faculty Lecturer, Deidre D.S.SENSE Smith. Followed by a range of student, staff, and guest performances including spoken word, jazz ensembles, story-telling, dance, and more.

This year, BHM is a partnership between MESA, and student organizations, Supporting Incoming Black Students (SIBS), the Black Student Union (BSU), and various U-M Departments. The focus of Black History Month programming this year is empowering and uplifting the rich, timeless culture, and ingenious talent contributions of Black folx within the Diaspora. Our theme, “Empowering Generations: Past, Present, Future” with an emphasis on Black Creativity and Expression is inspired by the generational impact of the arts, how they have connected the Community, and represents the foundation of this celebration.

Nkeiru Okoye’s “When the Caged Bird Sings” World Premiere

Saturday, February 10th
Show starts at 7:30pm
Hill Auditorium 

Description: This collaboration between UMS and the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance features a new commission and world première by American composer NKEIRU OKOYE. When the Caged Bird Sings fuses elements of oratorio, theater, and opera in a multi-movement musical ceremony of sorts, which Okoye describes as “a gathering” that invokes the ritual of the concert experience as a ritual of community.

Drawing inspiration from the Black church, it celebrates the spirit of rising above expectations and transforming adversity into triumph. Partly in tribute to the activist and poet laureate Maya Angelou, the work celebrates the transformative ability of Black women, commemorating those who have paved a path for future generations in many fields of human endeavor.

Commissioned by the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance as part of the Michigan Orchestra Repertoire for Equity initiative.

Tickets starting at $17 are available at https://ums.org/performances

DEI Staff Meet & Greet 

February 13th, 2024 
60 minutes
Virtually, via zoom 

Description: Join SMTD DEI office for a Staff Meet & Greet. This short presentation (30 minutes) will discuss DEI 2.0, programming offerings, resources, and how to contact our office. There will be one in-person meeting and two virtual meetings. We will be providing coffee and bagels for our in-person meeting. We are looking forward to meeting/chatting with you. Calendar invites/reminders will be sent out.

DEI Staff Meet & Greet 

February 15th, 2024 
60 minutes
Virtually, via zoom

Description: Join SMTD DEI office for a Staff Meet & Greet. This short presentation (30 minutes) will discuss DEI 2.0, programming offerings, resources, and how to contact our office. There will be one in-person meeting and two virtual meetings. We will be providing coffee and bagels for our in-person meeting. We are looking forward to meeting/chatting with you. Calendar invites/reminders will be sent out.

First Annual DEI Staff Meet & Greet! 

February 15th, 2024
12:00pm-1:00pm
60 minutes
Moore Conference Room

Description: Join the SMTD DEI Office for our first annual book club!  We will be reading, “How to Be an Antiracist” by acclaimed author Ibram X. Kendi and discussing at the below dates/times. We are happy to provide a copy to everyone who RSVPs and will be sending calendar invites out to all who respond. We look forward to our first book club together and hope we can continue each semester. Additionally, attending any of the book club sessions will count towards the DEI learning expectation.

1st Annual DEI Book Club! 

February 22nd, 2024
12:00pm-1:00pm
60 minutes
Moore Conference Room

Description: Join the SMTD DEI Office for our first annual book club!  We will be reading, “How to Be an Antiracist” by acclaimed author Ibram X. Kendi and discussing at the below dates/times. We are happy to provide a copy to everyone who RSVPs and will be sending calendar invites out to all who respond. We look forward to our first book club together and hope we can continue each semester. Additionally, attending any of the book club sessions will count towards the DEI learning expectation.

Teaching in Tumultuous Times with Mental Health Support Training

February 22nd, 2024
1:00pm- 2:00pm
60 minutes
Virtual – Zoom

Description: We live in unprecedented times with heightened anxiety and stress in regards to unsettling global/local events. Students report feeling alienated when instructors in their courses do not acknowledge such unsettling events. This interactive workshop offered by Victoria Genetin, Ph.D.Associate Director, Focus on Diversity,Equity, & Inclusion, provides an opportunity for instructors to think and work through several strategies for engaging with students about emerging events on campus and beyond.

42nd Annual WCTF Career Conference “Centering the Voice of Women of Color: Navigating the Digital Age and Cultural Change”

Friday, March 1st, 2024
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
420 minutes
In-person, Michigan Union

The Women of Color Task Force is excited to host its 42nd annual Career Conference on March 1, 2024. This year as we return to campus, the conference will be a hybrid event held at the Michigan Union with in-person and virtual sessions. All U-M staff, faculty, students, and the public, regardless of gender or ethnicity, are invited to attend this inclusive professional development event. Please ask your supervisor now for professional development leave so that you may attend this valuable conference opportunity! Are you interested in presenting at the Career Conference? Submit your workshop proposal here by Friday December 1, 2023 @ 5:00 pm. Please visit the WCTF webpage for more information about this staff development project.

IGR Dialogic Workshop Series on Disability starting 3/5/2024

Starting Tuesday March 5th – April 23, on Tuesdays
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
90 minutes
Zoom

Description: CommonGround is offering a special 8 week dialogic workshop series on disability where student participants will have the opportunity to reflect on their own ability status and experiences with ability, and meet others who are interested in dialoguing about disability. The workshop series will be held over zoom and the zoom link will be sent to participants after they register for the session. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

Under Siege: Teaching Bans, Academic Freedom, and the Future of Higher Education

March 6th, 2024
3:00pm-4:00pm
60 minutes
Zoom

Description: Academic freedom is a core feature of academia, encouraging open inquiry, among other ideals and protections towards promoting and enacting principles of a democratic society. Higher education and intellectualism have been under attack in the current climate, posing threats to academic freedom and leading toward a chilling effect within education. These efforts are being framed as measures to prevent the teaching of “divisive concepts,” which, in effect, are topics that name and seek to address societal inequities and to improve the greater human condition and have led to the dismantling of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, book and teaching bans, and discipline or termination of individuals who engage in this work. The codifying of such efforts presents clear and immediate challenges to academic freedom, education, and society writ large. In this conversation, panelists will discuss anti-intellectualism and anti-DEI through a historical and contemporary lens. Panelists will also discuss how such efforts seek to disrupt progress gained by the enactment of DEI efforts. Finally, panelists will offer insights on navigating these challenges and their chilling effects within higher education and beyond.

1st Annual DEI Book Club! 

March 7th, 2024
12:00pm-1:00pm
60 minutes
Dance Building Conference Room

Description: Join the SMTD DEI Office for our first annual book club!  We will be reading, “How to Be an Antiracist” by acclaimed author Ibram X. Kendi and discussing at the below dates/times. We are happy to provide a copy to everyone who RSVPs and will be sending calendar invites out to all who respond. We look forward to our first book club together and hope we can continue each semester. Additionally, attending any of the book club sessions will count towards the DEI learning expectation.

First Gen Gathering

Saturday, March 9th, 2024
Location: Moore Building
1:00pm-3:00pm
In-person

Description: We will enjoy food from Palm Palace and have a variety of crafts to complete. Food, Beverages, and supplies will be provided to participants! This event is open to all but meant for our SMTD First Gen students, faculty, and staff. 

This is How We Brunch

Sunday, March 10th, 2024
Walgreen Drama Center Large Classrom
12:00pm-2:00pm
In-person

Description: This brunch gathering is open to all SMTD faculty, staff, and students but will focus on community building within the BIPOC community. We’ll enjoy food from Jamaican Jerk Pit and play board games.

Food and Beverages will be provided free to participants.

SMTD DEI is committed to accessibility at all of our events and willing to provide accommodations for those who need them. Please contact Caitlin Taylor, [email protected], if you need or anticipate needing accommodations to participate in this event.

2023-2024 DEI Awards 

March 12th, 2024
6:00pm-8:00pm
90 minutes
Michigan League – Hussey 

Description: We are excited to announce that the 3rd Annual SMTD Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Awards will be happening on Tuesday, March 12, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. at the Michigan League Hussey Room. Light h’ordeuvres and beverages will be served. We look forward to celebrating distinguished faculty, staff, and students, and their commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion at SMTD!

Change it Up! To Stop Anti-Black Racism

March 12th, 2024
10:00am-11:30am
90 minutes
Zoom

Description: I am writing to announce an exciting professional development opportunity.  Change it Up! To Stop Anti-Black Racism is a 90-minute virtual bystander intervention workshop. The workshop is focused on bystander intervention in response to anti-Black racism; however, it does not negate nor minimize other types of racism, also covering unconscious bias, social identities, and social justice. Over 5700 College of Engineering community members have participated in a CiU!-ABR workshop. Now, we look forward to engaging with our wider UM community to make our campus more inclusive.

Hiring & Interview Process Accommodations (ADA Team Lunch and Learn Series)

March 13th, 2024
12:00pm-1:00pm
60 minutes
Zoom

Description: In this workshop, you’ll learn about the varying stages in which an employee can request accommodations, including during the hiring and interview processes. This training targets the differences in the Interactive Process if reasonable accommodations are sought prior to the start of employment, language etiquette, examples of accommodations in these early stages, and frequently asked questions by applicants and employers. 

Depression on College Campuses Conference

March 12th & 13th, 2024
March 12th, 2024 – 12:30pm-6:30pm
In-person – Rackham Graduate School building

Description: The current generation of college students has experienced unprecedented stressors in their lifetime – including trauma, violence, and a pandemic – that have changed the ways we provide treatment and other support services. College campuses across the U.S. continue to see rising rates of stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout, with many college students meeting the criteria for at least one mental health problem.

The 2024 Depression on College Campuses Conference: A New Generation aims to look at the evolution of college mental health over the past 20 years and discuss innovative ways higher education is responding to unique student needs today while looking ahead to the future.

Check out our speaker lineup and session details 

Inclusive History Project Showcase

March 19th, 2024
4:00pm-5:30pm
90 minutes
In-person and Virtual 
Location: Student Activities Building, Auditorium, 1st floor
515 E Jefferson St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Description: Join us to learn about and celebrate the IHP! You’ll hear from the IHP team about how we are beginning our research into U-M’s history. Leaders of some of the many existing projects on the university’s past will also share their progress and findings. Participating projects include: 

A Supervisor’s and HR Partner’s Guide to Reasonable Workplace Accommodations (ADA Team Lunch and Learn Series)

March 21st, 2024
12:00pm-1:00pm
60 minutes
Zoom

Description: In this workshop, supervisors will learn how to recognize requests for reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), strategies for creating an inclusive environment for employees with disabilities, best practices to document the interactive process, and how to approach questions and concerns from employees with disabilities and coworkers.

OAMI Anniversary – Event registration

March 21st, 2024
10:00am-2:30pm
270 minutes
In-person 
Michigan League Ballroom (2nd floor)

Description: OAMI’s 35th anniversary celebration and its impact on student success and multiculturalism. There will be a student services panel featuring University leaders exploring how support and engagement have evolved post-COVID, the impact of existing and emerging technology on services offered, and how to sustain multicultural initiatives in the face of the anti-DEI movement. The afternoon will feature a panel of current students who will share their experiences and perspectives on the challenges and opportunities for campus services to create a more equitable campus. 

1st Annual DEI Book Club! 

March 22nd, 2024
12:00pm-1:00pm
60 minutes
Dance Building Conference Room

Description: Join the SMTD DEI Office for our first annual book club!  We will be reading, “How to Be an Antiracist” by acclaimed author Ibram X. Kendi and discussing at the below dates/times. We are happy to provide a copy to everyone who RSVPs and will be sending calendar invites out to all who respond. We look forward to our first book club together and hope we can continue each semester. Additionally, attending any of the book club sessions will count towards the DEI learning expectation.

Working with Performance Anxiety

March 22nd, 2024
1:00pm-2:00pm
60 minutes
Virtual – Zoom 

Description: In this workshop with SMTD embedded CAPS Counselor Emily Hyssong, we will explore techniques for managing performance anxiety with your students. We will spend time discussing how to best support your students, options for treatment, and resources. 

The Interactive Process (ADA Team Lunch and Learn Series)

March 27th, 2024
12:00pm-1:00pm
60 minutes
Zoom

Description: This workshop will focus on the steps of the Interactive Process under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Participants will learn how the ADA Team Accessibility Specialists facilitate a positive dialogue with employees and units to navigate reasonable accommodation requests and implementation in the workplace. Learn answers to the most frequently asked questions about the interactive process and engage with ADA Team members to ask your own!

DEI Student Showcase

March 27th, 2024
3:30pm-5:00pm
90 minutes
Michigan Union – Courtyard and Community Spaces

Description: The Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (ODEI) is proud to host a DEI Student Showcase on March 27th! Our campus community is invited to celebrate and recognize the many wonderful achievements and impactful contributions of our students in diversity, equity & inclusion initiatives over the 2023-24 academic year.

Come learn about our students’ ideas for improving our campus and the world, with projects focused on topics ranging from advancing equity and justice through the arts, exploring anti-racism research, and enhancing civic engagement and democratic values, among many others.

This event will feature student performances, presentations and a poster gallery.

Refreshments will be provided. Register now to confirm your attendance! Space is limited.

2024 Rackham César Chávez Day of Service and Learning

March 27th, 2024
2:00pm-3:30pm
90 minutes
Location: Fourth Floor, Rackham Building
Livestream and in-person

Description: Please join Rackham Graduate School as we celebrate the 2024 César Chávez Day of Service and Learning featuring Christine Chávez.

Christine Chávez, granddaughter of César Chávez, serves as the outreach coordinator for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service. Christine has made a lifetime commitment to civil rights, the labor movement, and community organizing.

In her remarks, she will explore the current state of the labor movement, César Chávez’s legacy of service and learning, and how we can continue to advance this legacy today

Change it Up! To Stop Anti-Black Racism

March 29th, 2024
11:30am-1:00pm
90 minutes
Zoom

Description: I am writing to announce an exciting professional development opportunity.  Change it Up! To Stop Anti-Black Racism is a 90-minute virtual bystander intervention workshop. The workshop is focused on bystander intervention in response to anti-Black racism; however, it does not negate nor minimize other types of racism, also covering unconscious bias, social identities, and social justice. Over 5700 College of Engineering community members have participated in a CiU!-ABR workshop. Now, we look forward to engaging with our wider UM community to make our campus more inclusive.