Wake Forest University
PA-4: Diversity and Equity Coordination

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion develops and articulates the institutional approach to fostering a diverse and inclusive campus community. We work collaboratively with faculty, administrators, staff, and students to create a campus culture that transforms the driving assumptions underlying our policies, the allocation of resources, and the synthesis of institutional practices to assure our increasingly diverse population receives equitable treatment. The Diversity & Inclusion Executive Advisory Council (DIEAC) is a select team of 10 to 15 tenured faculty and administrators that inform and evaluate the entire diversity and inclusion strategic planning process for the Reynolda Campus. DIEAC is charged with the initial vetting of the institutional strategic plan and fosters dialogue over the most effective approaches to establish the long-term vision. It establishes the shared framework of performance indicators to measure progress throughout the planning cycle. The Diversity & Inclusion Partners Council (DIPC) is an action-oriented team of WFU inclusion champions that serves primarily as a resource to the Assistant Provost for Diversity & Inclusion. DIPC is comprised of administrators and staff advocates who help establish actionable goals and implement mission-critical inclusion initiatives within their respective units. The DIPC acts to identify and eliminate barriers that may interfere with successful implementation of the strategic plan. The DIPC engages in discussions that facilitate decisions about Strategic Initiatives made by the Diversity and Inclusion Executive Advisory Council (DIEAC) and the Assistant Provost. The DIPC provides influential ownership and credibility for the strategic planning process and is critical to the overall success of our strategic diversity management agenda.

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion created and implements the Gatekeepers Workshop Series to enhance cultural competence and intercultural communication skills of the staff and faculty constituency. Gatekeepers 1 (GK1), Enhancing Our Community through Inclusion, introduces participants to the meaning and value of diversity, multiculturalism, and inclusion; enhances participants’ knowledge and understanding of cultural differences, similarities, and perceptions; and provides tools that help participants effectively engage in building and maintaining a more diverse and inclusive community. GK2, Cross Cultural Conflict, addresses the impact different approaches to addressing intercultural conflict can have in the workplace. GK3, Contact Theory and Dialogue, enables participants to learn and practice dialogue skills and gain insight into the role of Contact Theory in advancing cultural competence and fostering inclusion. GK4, Making Excellence Inclusive, includes a variety of one-offering workshops on culture-specific topics as a means of making academic, social, and emotional learning open to all university constituents. In addition, the Intercultural Development Inventory, IDI, is offered to faculty and staff to assess their world view and provide strategies to increase cultural competence. The Safe Zone Program is an in-depth, interactive presentation designed to educate Wake Forest faculty, staff, and students about the LGBTQ community. Participants learn what it means to be an ally—a person who supports and stands up for the rights of LGBTQ people—as well as how to create a Safe Zone. Allies who have completed the training program receive a Safe Zone sticker, identifiable to the entire campus, which may be displayed on their door to designate it as a safe place for all members of the community.