Inclusion, Equity, and Community Building

This five-module series provides a comprehensive approach to addressing cultural humility, bias awareness and identity development, microaggressions, privilege and allyship and change leadership for participants interested in applying intentional inclusion to their policies, programs, practices, and people. The series ends with action planning and guidance from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to sustain inclusive excellence. Participants who complete all five modules of the series receive a certificate.

Module Descriptions:

• Module 1: Cultural Humility and DEI Alphabet Soup: This introductory workshop explores cultural humility, self-reflection and identity, and their application to participants’ professional roles. The session also provides an overview of relevant social justice and diversity, equity, and inclusion terms.
• Module 2: Bias Awareness, Socialization, and Identity Development: Participants explore their own biases via the Harvard Implicit Association Test and how they are influenced by socialization. Identity development, with a focus on internal and external authoring, is introduced to demonstrate the importance of intentionally inclusive environments on positive student development and employee engagement. Pre-work is required for this session (+/-10 minutes)
• Module 3: Inclusive Language, Communication, and Triggers: This session explores microaggressions and the role of language, communication, and socialization in inclusion and exclusion. Participants also explore how these contribute to identity authoring and lived experience.
• Module 4: Privilege, Collusion, and Allyship: Participants explore various types of privilege in their lives and the lives of others, and engage specifically in an examination of privilege, collusion, and positional power at UNT. The session also discusses needed efforts to practice allyship and apply intentional inclusion strategies. Pre-work is required for this session (+/- 30 minutes).
• Module 5: Change Leadership and Action Planning: This workshop explores what organizational change looks and feels like, and examines how we can use our spheres of influence to enact change. Participants will consider applying change strategies to an aspect of their work environment. Pre-work is required for this session (+/- 30 minutes).

Enrollment/Participation Requirements:

To preserve the integrity of the curriculum, participants will agree to the following:

• Supervisor approval is required to participate in the Inclusion, Equity and Community Building series. Each registrant’s supervisor will receive an email with full instructions requesting approval for their attendance.
• Supervisors will also approve those who are waitlisted, and the learner must notify them if they are waitlisted.
• Supervisors will have the option to indicate why they have denied a participant’s enrollment in the course.

To preserve the integrity of the curriculum, participants will agree to the following:

• Supervisor approval is required to participate in the Inclusion Equity and Community Building series. Each registrant’s supervisor will receive an email requesting approval for their attendance.
• Participants must attend each module in proposed order.
• Due to limited staff, session make-ups cannot be provided. Participants must attend all scheduled modules to achieve completion and will be removed from the roster if a session is missed.
• Participants must attend each module’s entire four-hour session. Those arriving later than 15 minutes after start time will be removed from the roster.
• Adhere to the “Principles of Engagement” of the series:
• Each participant will receive a reflection journal in which they can complete their pre-work, take notes, and answer reflection questions. Laptop computers are not permitted in the sessions.
• All assigned pre-work must be completed before session (including assigned activities, reflections, and other assignments).
• Participants will receive slide decks for each module via email after each session they complete.

Inaugural Inclusion, Equity, and Community Building Class

Congratulations to the inaugural cohort of the Inclusion, Equity and Community Building open enrollment series, which graduated its first class of completers October 5th. Representative of employees across the university, these participants attended all five modules and were tasked with identifying a practice, program, or perspective within their respective units that could be improved by intentional inclusion. The cohort will continue to meet throughout the year to provide support and feedback for their change strategies. The next cohort will be offered Fall of 2019. For more information, contact Diversity.Inclusion@unt.edu.

Back row (L-R): Anjelita Cadena, Bethany Blackstone, Vicki Campbell, Felita Cook, Saria Outhier, Elizabeth Hinkle Turner.
Front Row: Lilly Ramin, Kathy Neira Gonzalez, Meghan Fitzgerald, Mariah Hope.