DEIA Building Blocks, Part 1

The division of Faculty Affairs within the Office of Academic Affairs invites faculty to participate in a workshop series developed by School of Education Professors Jeff Mangram and Melissa Luke.  These workshops are part of the university commitment to professional development opportunities related to diversity, belonging, inclusion and equity offered throughout the academic year.

This three-part workshop series is designed to support participants’ exploration of a) the role that socialization and identity play in how we view ourselves and others, b) the relationship between bias, stereotype, prejudice and discrimination and c) ways to identify and disrupt various forms of microaggression that arise in educational contexts.

The three workshops are inter-related, but not sequential. They have been intentionally designed so that faculty can attend starting with any of the three sessions and proceed with the remaining workshops.

“I found the DEIA Building Blocks workshops useful, motivating, and a nice balance between theory and practice. Metaphorically speaking, pointing out the chasms and the divides among us is easy. Building bridges and common ground is much, much more difficult. What is presented shows experience, thought, and pragmatism and is a critical first step in building understanding and bridges across differing world views and experiences for our new students.”
–Shiu-Kai Chin
Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Meredith Professor of Teaching Excellence

“As someone who works primarily with first generation college students, I think it’s important for faculty to really know how much impact they have on students’ experiences.  Through their words and actions, faculty can show the class that they’ve got the skills to manage triggering events in a way that gently but firmly communicates that their learning environment is safe and respectful, and everyone present is accountable for upholding those values. In the Building Blocks trainings, Melissa and Jeff walk you through the process of “leaning into” the experience so that not only are you better prepared to react with intention in the future, but you have the tools to turn a triggering event into a significant learning opportunity.”
–Amy Messersmith
Associate Director of Student Support Services

 

For more information or scheduling, contact:
Jeff Mangram jamangra@syr.edu
Melissa Luke at mmluke@syr.edu