Achieving Equity Together: Navigating Challenges While Empowering Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Forum, April 30-May 1, 2024
Forum held virtually 
 
The DEI Forum offers a warm and inclusive virtual space where people from diverse backgrounds can unite to exchange ideas, foster connections, and jointly advance efforts towards anti-racism and social justice. Embracing an intersectional perspective, we honor and celebrate the diversity of identity, encompassing elements such as race, ability, age, gender, sexual orientation, language, socioeconomic status, and religion. Whether you’re just beginning your DEI journey or have been actively engaged for years, there’s something for everyone to learn and contribute to at the DEI Forum.

The theme of this year’s DEI Forum, “Achieving Equity Together: Navigating Challenges While Empowering Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education,” highlights the significance of working collaboratively to tackle the complexities and barriers involved in promoting equity within academic settings.

Over two enriching days, attendees will have the unique opportunity to glean insights from campus leadership, esteemed faculty, and dedicated professional staff. The event will feature engaging workshops and intimate small-group discussions, all centered around our unwavering commitment to social justice. Our primary goal is to ignite meaningful conversations and foster deeper connections within the UW tri-campus community. The diverse array of session topics will delve into actionable strategies for developing robust diversity initiatives, understanding the essential work required to dismantle systems of oppression, and laying the groundwork to ensure the success of marginalized communities in every facet of our campuses.

We believe that this forum will catalyze positive change, empowering each community member to contribute to the ongoing journey toward a more inclusive and equitable academic environment. Mark your calendars, and join us as we work together to create a university community that embraces diversity, champions equity, and values inclusion.

The DEI Forum is developed by pro-staff for pro-staff, and all in the UW community are welcome to participate!

Details of the 2024 DEI Forum:
When: April 30, 12-4 PM; and May 1, 9 AM-2 PM
Where: Zoom

Registration link forthcoming.

DEI Forum Community Commitments
What happens here stays here. 
What’s learned here leaves here.  
Be open to experiencing some discomfort.  
Take the time you need to care for yourself.
Listen to understand, not to respond.  
Be aware of the space you are taking up and your identities and positional power.  
Exercise consideration and respect in your speech and actions. 
We don’t expect to always agree.  
Speak your own experience (“I” statements) and participate to the fullest of your ability.
Respectfully challenge one another, but share the space.  
Assume positive intent when listening. 
When speaking, recognize impact is more important than intent.  
Recognize that multiple truths exist.  
Expect and accept non-closure.
Be mindful of your surroundings and your fellow participants. 

Alert the DEI Forum planning team if you notice a dangerous situation, someone in distress, or violations of these Community Commitments, even if seemingly small.

*Adapted from the UW-IT DEI Community of Practice and the Foster School DEI Community of Practice