Washington University in St. Louis
PA-4: Diversity and Equity Coordination

There are several D&I offices within the university serving different stakeholders: The Office of Diversity Programs (School of Medicine) enhances the educational environment through recruitment of a culturally diverse academic workforce while preparing a diverse student body to become leaders in a vibrant, global society. The Office of Diversity & Inclusion (School of Medicine) aims to create a workplace environment that is diverse, inclusive and nurturing of people from all backgrounds. Center for Diversity & Inclusion: The CDI is the student-facing piece of our strategic institutional priority to infuse considerations of diversity and inclusion throughout every part of of the university. The center’s staff supports and advocates for students from traditionally underrepresented or marginalized populations and creates collaborative partnerships with campus and community members to promote dialogue and social change. Human Resources Staff Diversity Our Office of Human Resources supports the diversity of the staff community by focusing on people, the workplace and external partners. The Office provides training, supports hiring, leadership training, and assessment. Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement and Institutional Diversity: Our Office mission is to build an inclusive, dynamic campus community that inspires innovation, leadership and academic excellence through equity and social justice. This office supports faculty recruitment and development, leadership development, and pipeline programs.

STUDENTS Bear Beginnings: The first year orientation (for all students) includes presentations and conversations on diversity and inclusion. The Center for Diversity and Inclusion supports/trains student groups that do cultural competency outreach and education: - Intergroup Dialogue (utilizing the University of Michigan Model) is a three-credit courses carefully structured to explore social group identity, conflict, community, and social justice. Each dialogue involves identity groups defined by race, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic class, gender, sexual orientation, (dis)ability status, or national origin. - Identity literacy: A pilot program that provides a 1 credit hour diversity class for incoming undergrad students. - A survey course on issues of identity. Gephardt Center for Civic Engagement hosts cultural competency training for faculty, staff and students who are interacting with the St. Louis Community through service and community-engaged teaching: https://gephardtinstitute.wustl.edu/service-trips/trip-leader-resources. Two cultural awareness workshops for students participating in service trips include: a panel during a training that includes Cultural Competency, and a customized workshop on Cultural Humility. In the past the Cultural Competency panel reached about 200 students, and the Cultural Humility workshop reached 60-80 students. The competency panel is now an online workshop, which all students participating in the service trips (about 200) are expected to complete, and the Cultural Humility workshop is largely done independently, directly reaching about 30-50 students. Indirectly the Gephardt Center reaches the rest of the students attending trips (through preparation and support to trip leaders to craft and facilitate this training and discussion themselves). Cultural Competency primary educational topics: • cultural different • self-education • culture shock • layers of culture (think about an iceberg, used as a metaphor for what is seen and unseen of culture) • phases of cultural immersion • safety Cultural Humility • self-awareness and understanding what you bring to community (building from a workshop on diversity, inclusion and self-awareness) • cultural norms, history, and forces • Respect and humility • entering and exiting community • community empowerment and sustainable support (leads into a workshop on effective service and engagement) STAFF New Employee Orientation (NEO) The Human Resources Department incorporates formal diversity and inclusion training into its New Employee Orientation process. The first of the four Diversity and Inclusion training sessions is provided to all new employees. Additional sections can be pursued as individuals or as a department: Diversity 1.0 – Awareness Diversity 2.0 – Understanding Diversity 3.0 – Commitment Diversity 4.0 – Action Description: Through a series of four, one-hour training sessions known as Diversity 1.0-4.0, Diversity and Inclusion leaders take Washington University community members on a journey aimed at greater understanding of diversity and inclusion. Participants learn more about the role of conscious/unconscious biases and prejudices in our everyday interactions as well as measures we can take to mitigate their impact. New Manager Orientation (NMO) Each quarter, diversity and inclusion leaders facilitate a 3.5-hour training session for new managers that includes experiential activities, short lectures, and group interactions. The learning objectives are to: - Increase awareness of the diverse workforce - Develop ways to contextualize our similarities and differences - Develop an understanding of unconscious bias - Analyze the impact of bias and how it can define communication - Create and communicate strategies to limit the negative impact of bias in our campus community Other training modules: -Communication Across Cultures -Generations in the Workplace - Cultural Awareness -“Isms” -Unconscious Bias -Disability in the Workplace: A Guide to Inclusion FACULTY Faculty are able to take (and do take) the D&I training listed above under staff. In addition, courses are available through the Teaching Center. Example of upcoming classes: Inclusive Teaching and Learning: Fostering Civil Discourse in “Uncivil” Times, co-sponsored by the Center for Diversity and Inclusion. While topics related to identity, inequality, power, and politics have always been challenging to discuss in the classroom, teaching these topics seems to have become increasingly complex during this time of division and conflict. This workshop will provide an opportunity for faculty to discuss these challenges and to develop concrete strategies for fostering civil, respectful discussions in order to advance understanding across differences. Topics will include i) establishing ground-rules and expectations, ii) teaching through tense moments, and iii) addressing bias in the classroom. Presenters: Beth Fisher, PhD, Director of Academic Services (The Teaching Center) and Lecturer (WGSS) and Christi Smith, PhD, Assistant Dean and Senior Scholar (Center for Diversity and Inclusion)