University of Idaho
PA-4: Diversity and Equity Coordination

The University of Idaho Office of Equity and Diversity engages in social justice advocacy through policy implementation, programs, and services that promote access and inclusion for cultural and diverse populations. Partner offices include the College Assistance Migrant Program, the LGBTQA Office, the Native American Student Center, the Office of Multicultural Affairs, and the Women’s Center. The University of Idaho has a standing President’s Council on Diversity and Inclusion who do their work through six committees: (1) Student Recruitment and Retention: Identify strategies for, as well as current barriers to, increasing the diversity of the University of Idaho student body by examining current recruitment and retention initiatives and developing recommendations for assessment, improvement and accountability. (2) Staff Recruitment and Retention: Identify strategies for, as well as current barriers to, increasing the diversity of the University of Idaho staff, by examining current recruitment and retention initiatives as well as hiring and promotional policies and practices and developing recommendations for assessment, improvement and accountability. (3) Faculty Recruitment and Retention: Identify strategies for, as well as current barriers to, increasing the diversity of the University of Idaho faculty, by examining current recruitment and retention initiatives as well as hiring and promotional policies and practices and developing recommendations for assessment, improvement and accountability. (4) Multiculturalism in the Curriculum and Co-Curriculum: Inventory and assess multicultural curriculum and co-curricular offerings university-wide and recommend strategies for increased diversity and cohesion within the curriculum and co-curriculum that reflect the interdisciplinary scholarship curriculum development evolution and co-curricular programmatic innovation in which the University is engaged. (5) Culture and Climate: Assess campus climate and make recommendations for improvement framed by the University strategic plan and presidential priorities. (6) Community and Statewide Outreach: Inventory diversity-focused statewide programs and outreach and recommend innovative approaches for integrated and strategically planned diversity goals and objectives that engage the many communities served by the University of Idaho. The University of Idaho Office of Civil Rights and Investigations focuses on practices that make all members of the University of Idaho community feel welcome, wanted, accepted, respected and supported. Chief among these practices is providing professional and authoritative advice with respect to university matters that concern access and inclusion in all aspects of the university. Activities include MLK Jr. Day Celebration, Black History Month, Taste of Nepal, Native American Film Festival, Borah Symposium, Tutxinmepu Powwow and many more. A calendar of events and training opportunities is posted at https://www.uidaho.edu/diversity/events.

Creating Inclusive Classrooms/Campus Environment This workshop focuses on helping faculty contribute to student recruitment and retention by improving faculty’s cultural competence and learning strategies for effective intercultural communication. The workshop addresses the unique needs of students from diverse backgrounds, and provides hands-on skills for helping to ensure students’ persistence and success. Fright Night, Keep it Right: Don’t Mess up When You Dress Up Designed for any group interested in engaging in critical dialogue on cultural appropriation, cultural (in) sensitivity, and awareness, while offering a historical perspective and exploring sociopolitical and ramification of these behaviors. Cultural Literacy and Competence Symposium This Symposium is designed for faculty, staff, and students interested in developing their cultural competency knowledge and skills. Attendees learn to understand the importance of collective community and culture, understand and participate in relevant political and governance systems, and develop well-informed, multi-faceted understanding of local, national, and international issues. Know Your Title IX: Creating a Safer Campus This training will provide a brief overview of Title IX as it applies to the University of Idaho and relevant definitions. Additionally, we will cover your obligations as an employee and what you should do if a student discloses to you. Many Nations, One Family: Strengthening Connections with Indigenous Students This training looks at the complex and rich backgrounds of the vast American Indian Nations, each having their own distinct culture. It focuses on how staff, faculty, and students can bridge the uniqueness of each nation with coming to understand the many similarities and shared values that make all people one family. More than Tequila and Tacos: Reframing Cinco de Mayo Focusing on the history behind Cinco de Mayo, the training dives into the importance of avoiding stereotypes created by misconceptions many have about the Mexican culture and this “holiday”. The training helps participants enhance their cultural competence around this topic. Respectful Communication: Transforming Debate to Dialogue This training addresses how to express different points of view without becoming polarized; how to replace destructive stereotyping with understanding and concern; how to engage in respectful dialogue from which everyone involved walks away feeling good about the outcome; and how to move towards creating and maintaining an organization that is productive, flexible, and easily adaptable to change. Safe Zone Training The Safe Zone program promotes the understanding and inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, asexual, and ally people on campuses nationwide. The two-hour training provides information on sexual orientation and gender identity and tips and best practices for creating inclusive spaces for all LGBTQA people on our campus. Stop the Hate An educational initiative of Campus Pride, Stop the Hate aims to develop and implement campus-wide strategies to reduce hate crimes at colleges and universities. Participants will acquire social justice tools for recognizing, preventing, and combating acts of bias and hate on campus, as well as fostering the development of an inclusive and supportive community. Transgender 101 The Transgender 101 trainings, as part of the Safe Zone program, provide an introduction to Transgender identities. The two-hour training provides best tips and practices for creating an inclusive campus environment for Transgender and Gender Non-conforming students, staff, and faculty. Women’s Leadership Conference A University of Idaho collaboration between Athena, the Women's Center and Professional Development and Learning, this conference convenes annually to celebrate our differences and create an empowered campus community more inclusive of women as a group, irrespective of social identity, status or institutional role. Additional trainings from various offices are available upon request and individual offices’ activities may be found on their website.