University of Houston
PA-5: Diversity and Equity Coordination

NOTE: The programs and departments described below were active during FY23, but are in the process of reorganization due to Texas Senate Bill 17, which mandated the closure of DEI services in public institutions of higher education. A new Center for Student Advocacy and Community has been created to fill the gap of some of the offices (such as LGBTQ or Women & Gender offices), providing resources for ALL student and staff identities.

The Office of Equal Opportunity Services acts on behalf of the University as a neutral fact finder that enforces the University’s Equal Opportunity Policies. Equal Opportunity Services provides the University system with multiple services including the development and monitoring of faculty and staff recruiting, the presentation of awareness and prevention trainings, and the implementation of the university's discriminatory complaints policies. The Office of Equal Opportunity Services is additionally charged with the processing of all inquiries and complaints concerning discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, disability, genetic information, and/or veteran status. Equal Opportunity Services works in conjunction with other members of the university community to seek a fair and effective resolution with regards to confidentiality of those concerned. No person shall be subject to retaliation for filing a complaint or assisting in an investigation conducted by the Office of Equal Opportunity Services.

The Center for Diversity and Inclusion seeks to engage, empower and educate campus members. Their mission is as follows:

- CDI engages campus constituents by providing intercultural dialogues, university program partnerships, and highlighting organizations and services that promote diversity and inclusion.
- CDI empowers students to celebrate and appreciate their cultural heritage and others by offering transformative diverse campus programming and by providing leadership experiences that maximize their potential. The Center is an avenue for developing students’ sense of belonging.
- CDI educates the University of Houston campus by offering meaningful educational programs, lecture series, and workshops that advance diversity education and cultural competence. The Center also serves as a change agent in fostering an inclusive environment.

Other offices fostering diversity, inclusion and offering community support include: The LGBT Resource Center, the Women and Gender Resource Center, and the Multicultural Task Force.

The University of Houston not only has a wide array of established training programs for faculty, staff, students, and administrators but also has open avenues for the request of new training programs to be developed.

All new hires are required to complete a set of training activities, including an anti-discrimination segment. This segment includes hypothetical scenarios to assess cultural competence. Supervisors and managers are required to complete a training segment titled "Cultural Sensitivity in the Workplace".

The department of Equal Opportunity Services and the Center for Diversity and Inclusion handle the special requests training mentioned above. Examples include: workplace sensitivity, discrimination, and harassment. The Center for Diversity and Inclusion recently implemented and Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) assessment for intercultural competence –the capability to shift cultural perspective and appropriately adapt behavior to cultural differences and commonalities. This training was given to staff and student employees.

Finally UH's Counseling and Psychological Services center (CAPS) houses the Diversity Institute which is a cultural outreach center to support students, their families, faculty, and staff. Additionally, CAPS holds an annual event to encourage cultural sensitivity, competence, and awareness both in and around campus.

NOTE: The programs and departments described in this credit were active during FY23, but are in the process of reorganization due to Texas Senate Bill 17, which mandated the closure of DEI services in public institutions of higher education. A new Center for Student Advocacy and Community has been created to fill the gap of some of the offices (such as LGBTQ or Women & Gender offices), providing resources for ALL student and staff identities.

Center for Diversity and Inclusion: http://www.uh.edu/cdi/
Training Programs: http://www.uh.edu/legal-affairs/equal-opportunity/request-training/types-of-training/index.php
LGBT Resource Center: http://www.uh.edu/lgbt/index.html
CAPS Webpage: http://www.uh.edu/caps/outreach/diversity_institute.html
The Women and Gender Resource Center: http://www.uh.edu/wgrc/