Weekly Three 09/22/21
Greetings Miami University,
Here is this week's diversity, equity, inclusion "weekly three" from the Office of Institutional Diversity:
Miami’s Third Annual Across the Divide Conference: Achievement and Opportunity
I invite all Miami community members to register and attend Miami’s Third Annual Across the Divide Conference: Achievement and Opportunity on October 8, 2021. This year’s hybrid conference features a joint keynote address, panel presentations, workshops, and research on diversity, equity, inclusion at Miami University. You can choose to attend in person or remotely.
This year we have an exciting lineup of Miami students, faculty, and staff including a special keynote, “We Know Why the Caged Bird Sings: Re-envisioning Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education”.
One: DEI Implementation
The Myaamia Center is hosting Pakitahantaawi! Let’s Play Lacrosse!
Wednesday September 29, 2021 from 5:00-6:00pm | Central Quad between MacCracken and MacMillan Halls
The Myaamia Center staff and students invite you to come and play peekitahaminki- “lacrosse.” You’ll learn about the Myaamia history of the game and get to try it using wooden lacrosse sticks. No registration needed, just show up on Central Quad and be ready to give it a try. Note: in case of inclement weather this event may be cancelled.
Graduate School’s Cross Cultural Mentoring Program
The graduate school seeks doctoral level faculty & staff to participate in the Cross-Cultural Mentoring program. As a mentor, faculty & staff would engage a doctoral student not as an advisor, but as a role model, counselor, and experienced future colleague, providing support for the research process and preparing for life after the dissertation. Please contact Dr. Rose Marie Ward, Associate Dean of the Graduate School with questions.
Miami University Heritage Month Programming
We are kicking off the Fall semester with Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month, and invite all to check out the calendar of events and more resources.
View Heritage Month Programming
Expanded Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion "Behind the Scenes" Town Hall
In line with Pillar 5: Inclusion and Accountability, Recommendation 3, OIDI hosts “Behind the Scenes” Townhalls to provide insights and details of how DEI is embedded in the decision-making processes and practices of each division. This fall we invite the Miami community to join an expanded DEI Behind the Scenes Townhall Series, featuring College Deans.
Save the date for the upcoming three webinar events:
-
- College of Engineering and Computing, Tuesday, September 28, 12-1pm Register Now
- Graduate School, Tuesday, October 5, 11am-12pm Register Now
- College of Liberal Arts and Applied Sciences, Wednesday October 20, 12-1pm Register Now
Two: Community Updates
Diversity Officers Leadership Council
The goals of this new council are to identify, discuss and support unit-based and cross-unit efforts; develop new collaborative ways forward to foster inclusive excellence; share and coordinate programming; identify and proactively support the work and ongoing professional development of DEI leaders; provide a space for those directly engaged in DEI work to constructively discuss challenges and opportunities, and ensure broad-based input and discussions about university-wide DEI planning and strategies. The Diversity Officers Leadership Council meets monthly starting Fall Semester 2021.
Strategies to Forge an Inclusive Classroom Workshop
September 24, 10:00-11:30 am
Raquel Radina, Teacher Education, Tekeia Howard, Center for Career Exploration & Success, Natalee Price, College of Arts and Science, and Tarah Trueblood, Global Initiatives present this workshop where attendees will learn and practice strategies to: (1) navigate the conflict that is already present in the classroom because of our diverse perspectives and lived experiences, (2) interrupt implicit bias, and (3) transform debate into dialogue.
Educating Through Partnership: Miami Tribe of Oklahoma & Miami University
Hosted by Miami University Art Education as a part of the Monday Night Meet Ups, join Director Kara Strass of the Myaamia Center and Director of Brand Management & Strategy Laura Driscoll on September 27, 7:00-8:00pm for a conversation on partnership. The partnership between the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and Miami University, continues to evolve and enhance the communities it serves. In 2017, the University and Tribe redoubled their commitment to the relationship, signing a new Memorandum of Agreement to launch the Myaamia Heritage Logo and Collection. The logo and collection are part of a larger initiative to educate Miamians about this strong partnership.
Creating a Welcoming and Accessible Classroom Experience for Disabled Students Workshop
Dan Darkow, Assistant Director of Student Disability Services and Stephanie Dawson, Student Disability Services present this two-part workshop is designed to equip instructors with the knowledge and skills to champion access in their classrooms. The first session, September 28, 2:00-3:00 pm will focus on educating participants about student disability and access, including feedback on instructional practices received from disabled students at Miami. Building upon this learning, the second session, October 5, will interactively explore possibilities for integrating access into practice. Participants are encouraged to bring their syllabi and other course materials in order to identify ways to increase accessibility.
Collaborative Teaching, Learning, & Mentoring: Supporting Diverse Graduate Students at Miami
September 30, 12:30-2:00 pm, Laws Hall 320
Rose Marie Ward, Graduate School and Research Office Kinesiology and Health, and Kristen Budd, Sociology and Gerontology present this workshop on how effective mentoring plays a critical role at Miami in the teaching and learning process. In this interactive CTE workshop, participants will reflect on mentoring diverse graduate students, discuss the rewards and challenges of mentoring diverse graduate students, and, ultimately, develop strategies to improve mentoring diverse graduate students at Miami. This workshop is intended for all types of mentoring configurations: faculty/staff-graduate student mentoring, graduate student-graduate student mentoring, or graduate student-undergraduate student mentoring.
Three: Celebrations & Recognition
Miami receives Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT into Diversity magazine
INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine recognized Miami for its commitment in envisioning a clear DEI model at Miami, being more accountable and transparent about DEI, creating sustaining DEI resources, and creating a pathway to implementing the model. Those efforts build on the work of the President’s Task Force for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), which last summer outlined an aggressive path to change based on five pillars. Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, said, “our standards are high, and we look for institutions where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being done every day across their campus.” Miami is one of only seven Ohio schools to have received this award.
National Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month at Miami University
Check out our new Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month page, with a calendar of events and more resources! According to the 2020 Census, the Latinx population makes up 18.7% (62.1 million) of the U.S. population and growth in Ohio reached a new record of 4.4%. The Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion invites you to submit programming content (lectures, events, and initiatives) connected to Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month. We encourage all members of our community to promote and participate in these events; please submit your event to the University Calendar and complete the Weekly Three Submission.
Upcoming events include:
Gabby Rivera
The Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion is proud to host Gabby Rivera as a guest speaker for Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month. Rivera is an outgoing, outspoken creator invested in fostering better dialogue, inspiring radical creativity, and improving our most vulnerable communities. The author of Juliet Takes a Breath, she’s also the writer of the Marvel series America—featuring the first queer, Latinx teen-girl superhero, ever. The New York Times, Vogue, and beyond: and Marvel Studios and Disney+ just announced a new show based on the series. A small intimate meet-and-greet will be hosted virtually for a select group of students/student organizations at 8pm. CSDI, UNIDOS, Spectrum, and Sigma Lambda Gamma are co-sponsoring this programming.
Reclaiming the Streets: Youth and Resistance in Latin America
Wednesday, September 29, 4:30-6:00 pm, MacMillan 212
Presented by: Latin American, Latino/a, and Caribbean Studies faculty
Miami Alumni Association Presents: The Kissing Bug - A conversation with author Daisy Hernández
October 7, 2021, noon-1pm
Upcoming Religious Holy Days and Holidays & Inclusive Scheduling
- September 21-27*: Sukkot (Jewish)
- September 22: Mabon (Pagan/Wiccan)
- September 28*: Shemini Atzeret (Jewish)
- September 29*: Simchat Torah (Jewish)
“*” denotes holidays that start sundown the day before. Please note that individual practices may vary.
Please see the academic affairs calendar and complementing interfaith narrative calendar for policies and for more information, and regarding religious holy days and holidays observed by Miami Community members during the month of September.
With Love and Honor,
Cristina Alcalde, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)
Vice President for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion
Professor, Global and Intercultural Studies
vpDiversity@MiamiOH.edu