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Weekly Three 10/18/21

Greetings Miami University,

Here is this week's diversity, equity, inclusion "weekly three" from the Office of Institutional Diversity:

Please join us for Miami’s Freedom Film Festival & Freedom Summer ‘64 Award

On Sunday, November 7 at 7pm, Miami University will launch its inaugural Freedom Film Festival following the presentation of the Freedom Summer of ‘64 Award to Hollywood film producer Reginald Hudlin at Hall Auditorium. The Freedom Film Festival coincides with the book release of Colorization: One Hundred Years of Black Films in a White World, by Miami University alumnus and Boadway Scholar-in-Residence Wil Haygood. The November 7 ceremony will include a conversation between Wil Haygood and Reginald Hudlin, followed by a Q&A session. The week-long film festival will be held in Leonard Theatre, Peabody Hall, Nov. 8-12. There will be a brief introduction to each film, the screening, and then a facilitated discussion about it. The following films will be featured:

  • Monday, Nov. 8, 7 – 9:30 p.m. “A Patch of Blue” 
  • Tuesday, Nov. 9, 7 – 9:30 p.m. “Carmen Jones” 
  • Wednesday, Nov. 10, 7– 9:45 p.m. “Imitation of Life”  
  • Thursday, Nov. 11, 7 – 9:30 p.m. “Shaft”
  • Friday, Nov. 12, 7 – 9:45 p.m. “The Butler”

One: DEI Implementation

Undergraduate Capstone Strategic Communication & Public Relations Class Partners with OIDI.

STC459 class photo

The PRISM section of STC 459, taught by Dr. Hongmei Li, associate professor of Strategic Communication at the Department of Media, Journalism and Film, is partnering with OIDI during Fall 2021 to provide comprehensive communication and PR proposals for the newly launched Heritage Month Programming. Students will conduct in-depth interviews, focus groups, surveys and background research with the Miami community. The semester-long project enables students to have a better understanding of DEI-related issues, and, more importantly, allows students to synthesize their skills and produce a bigger impact beyond the classroom. "We are excited to work with Dr. Cristina Alcalde and support the DEI initiatives at Miami," said Dr. Li. There are 18 students working on the project, including Olivia Baratz, Olivia Bianco, Lucy Bonner, Emma Coleman, Anikka Cook, Erin Daugherty, Sarah Dayan, Gianna Embry, Evan Ford, Cecelia Johanni, Alyssa Jones, Abbey Kovacevich, Becca Michel, Regan O'Brien, Chi Pham, Sarah Pohlman-Beshuk, Caroline Riley, and Kyla Snodgrass. The class has met with OIDI twice so far and work is underway.

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.

Submit Interest Form

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 next events:

  • POSTPONED: College of Liberal Arts and Applied Sciences [New Date TBA]
  • College of Creative Arts, Thursday, November 4, 12-1pm Register Now
  • College of Education, Health, and Society, Tuesday, November 9, 12-1pm Register Now
  • Farmer School of Business, Wednesday, December 1, 12-1pm Register Now

View previous "Behind the Scenes" videos

Two: Community Updates

“Accelerating Ahead: Miami’s Focus on the Future”

This virtual conference is a compilation of presentations from Miami University educators and thought leaders. This nine-session virtual conference covers topics spanning from living, learning, and working amidst a pandemic to strategies for future success.TheseTedTalk-style presentations, featuring Miami’s administrators, faculty, and staff from various colleges, offices/departments, and disciplines, will share insight into how Miami has persevered, acquired new knowledge, developed new initiatives, learned best practices for going forward, discovered ways to build a better future and more.

View Virtual Conference Presentations

Belly of the Beast

Wednesday, October 27, 2021 at 6pm

Miami University’s Center for the Study and Support of Children and Families of the Incarcerated Hosts Virtual Documentary Screening of the documentary Belly of the Beast. The documentary chronicles the practice of involuntary sterilization of incarcerated women and mothers in the U.S. prisons and presents poignant personal stories of their families. For additional details about the screening and to register, contact Yvette R. Harris.

Collaborative Teaching, Learning, & Mentoring: Supporting Diverse Graduate Students at Miami

November 11, 12:30-2:00 pm

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.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.

Register Now

Three: Celebrations & Recognition

Disability Identity & Culture Month

The Office of Institutional Diversity and the Miller Center for Student Disability Services sponsored a keynote event Ableds are Weird: Working Toward Disability Representation and Fighting Ableist, Microaggressions featuring Imani Barbarin.

View Programming

LGBTQIA+ History Month

Check out Miami University LGBTQIA+ History Month for events and resources.

Upcoming Religious Holy Days and Holidays & Inclusive Scheduling

  • October 19*: Mawlid al-Nabi (Muslim)
  • October 27: Buddha’s Descent (Buddhist) 
  • October 31: Samhain (Pagan/Wiccan)
  • October 31: Reformation Day (Protestant Christianity)

“*” 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.

With Love and Honor,

Dr. Cristina Alcalde

Cristina Alcalde, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)
Vice President for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion
Professor, Global and Intercultural Studies
vpDiversity@MiamiOH.edu