Florida State University
PA-4: Diversity and Equity Coordination

At The Florida State University, we recognize that every competitive advantage begins with people. By valuing, celebrating and leveraging the differences and similarities of our students, faculty and staff, we inspire an environment of innovation and passion - one that enables us to create a teaching, research and service environment that better reflects the needs of our students, faculty, staff, customers, constituents, communities and other key stakeholders. Diversity and Inclusion have long been a part of the operating philosophy at the University. In the context of the workplace, valuing diversity means creating a workplace that respects and includes differences, recognizes the unique contributions that individuals with many types of differences can make, and creates a work environment that maximizes the potential of all employees. As a concept, it focuses on a broader set of qualities than race and gender. Inclusion is a practice of ensuring that people in an organization feel they belong, are engaged and are connected through their work to the goals and objectives of the organization. Now, we are uniting our efforts at FSU to move our Diversity and Inclusion initiative even more to the forefront of our University's agenda so that we can deliver on our vision to become the university and workplace of choice. Educating employees on how to work effectively in a diverse environment helps the University prevent discrimination and promote inclusiveness. There is evidence that effectively managing a diverse work force can contribute to increased faculty, staff and student retention and productivity. It can enhance the organization's responsiveness to an increasingly diverse world of customers, improve relations with the surrounding communities, increase the organization's ability to cope with change, and expand the creativity of the organization.

The FSU Office of Diversity and Inclusion is responsible for advancing and monitoring the University's Equal Employment Opportunity, Affirmative Action, Americans with Disabilities Act, and Diversity and Inclusion policies, procedures, programs and initiatives by: Working to maintain an environment free from discrimination and harassment and ensuring compliance with all applicable local, state and federal laws; Promoting a culturally diverse and inclusive work and educational environment where faculty and staff are treated fairly, recognized for their individuality and promoted for their performance; Developing policies and procedures to enhance equity for all employees; Communicating the University's commitment through training, education and program development. HR administers the Bridging Cultures for Service Excellence for employees to gain insight and sensitivity to providing customer service in an environment as culturally diverse as FSU. The Diversity & Inclusion Council introduced the Florida State University Diversity & Inclusion Certificate. The certificate creates an opportunity for faculty and staff to explore strategic areas around diversity and to learn more about the ways in which they can assist in creating a welcoming and inclusive campus for all. The Center for Global Engagement offers training and workshops in Intercultural Communication (ICC) to any student group, center or department across campus as well as in the Tallahassee community. This interactive training is custom-designed to meet the diverse needs of each group, including: •Preparing groups of students for effective global engagement and successful re-entry •Developing, improving and applying intercultural communication skills in a variety of cultural contexts •Improving leadership skills •Increasing understanding and awareness among different cultures •Enhancing customer service needs when interacting with culturally diverse groups •Integrating global learning within a local context The Center for Global Engagement through the HR department administers the Bridging Cultures for Service Excellence for employees to gain insight and sensitivity to providing customer service in an environment as culturally diverse as FSU. Additionally, CGE has developed a Global Partner Certificate program for staff and a number of cross-cultural activities and programs open to any employee on campus.

Additional diversity initiatives include: - Diverse Leadership Mentoring Program - Supplier Diversity Program Center for Leadership & Social Change programming: (CommUNITY Dialogue Series; Community Outreach Program; Leadership through Intergroup Dialogue; Multicultural Leadership Summit; PeaceJam Southeast; Social Justice Ally Training; Social Justice Living Learning Community; With Words; Women's Leadership Institute Student Government Association: Asian American Student Union; Black Student Union; Hispanic/Latino Student Union; Pride Student Union; Veterans Student Union; Women's Student Union; Seminole Allies & Safe Zones Center for Cultural Engagement: Global Cafe; International Coffee Hour; Intercultural Program Series; International Bazaar