Reporting Diversity and Inclusion Activities
The new EFAR system uses labels to indicate activities with a diversity and inclusion component. After you have entered information about your activity, look for "Labels" at the top of the page and click on "Add labels". In the box that appears, click the "+" by "VT Strategic Initiatives" and select the diversity and inclusion label.
Below are some examples of how faculty support a diverse and inclusive community of scholars at Virginia Tech.
Examples: Participation in diversity awareness workshops on campus or off, attending harassment prevention training from EO Office, participation in CEUT reading group on multicultural/diversity topics, attending diversity-related programs to learn more about groups other than your own (Diversity Summit, identity group celebrations, Campus Climate Checkup, MLK events, special speakers, annual AdvanceVT and Scholarship of Diversity conferences, events hosted by Cranwell Center or Disability Services, special programs in your discipline or association, etc.); participating in an Undoing Racism workshop; learning another language (including American sign language) so that you might speak to current or prospective students, parents, or community members.
Examples: Chairing or serving on a college or departmental diversity committee, membership on the Commission on Equal Opportunity and Diversity, participation on an Advance work group, participating in planning campus diversity events such as the campus climate check up or Diversity Summit, helping to translate university webpages into Spanish or Chinese, serving on the Task Force on Race and the Institution, chairing or participating in a diversity-related task force for your professional association or serving on a national or regional committee related to diversity.
Examples: Serving as a research mentor to students in the MAOP, MEAMP, McNair, or VT-PREP programs (include information about joint publications/posters, or other outcomes if relevant); serving as a faculty advisor to student organizations like MANRRS, Society of Women or Black Engineers, Women’s Space, Muslim Student Association, etc.; lecturing/mentoring in MOSAIC residential learning community; participating in SAFEZONE, mentoring of student workers or student leaders from underrepresented groups, counseling with students who are victims or perpetrators of bias-related incidents.
Examples: Revising a course reading list to incorporate concepts, readings, and scholarship on issues of gender, race, and other perspectives relevant to the course material; rethinking or adapting workshops, lectures, or publications to incorporate multicultural or gender perspectives; creating classroom discussions about the Principles of Community; creating an extension program to address needs in the Hispanic community; developing a service learning experience to introduce students to issues of concern to residents of the Appalachian region; using/doing diversity research to help inform university programs and problem solving; inviting and hosting a diversity-related speaker for the department; facilitating educational programs in the residential halls; assisting students in planning cultural events related to courses; securing research grants or industry funds to support diversity initiatives or research; facilitating a staff training activity on diversity, bias reduction, or celebration of diversity.
Examples: Identifying and personally recruiting candidates from underrepresented ethnic/racial groups (or women) to positions in the department; making contacts with faculty counterparts at regional HBCUs to identify potential graduate student applicants; inviting and hosting a woman postdoc for a pre-recruitment visit to your department; visiting another campus and asking to meet with doctoral students from underrepresented groups to talk about faculty career opportunities; making calls to prospective freshmen from underrepresented groups to encourage them to apply and accept the offer to VT; consciously inviting women and minorities to join student organizations, programs, or to participate in leadership opportunities from which they might benefit.
Examples: Teaching a segment in the VT-STARS/C-Tech2 summer program; met with high school students from a minority high school to talk to them about majoring in my field; giving a talk to a high school class for women’s month or Black History month; participating in the Women in Math Career Day for sixth-grade girls; meeting with students in Upward Bound; participating in a VT-STEM initiative targeted toward underrepresented students.
Examples: Providing special support to international, women or minority doctoral students; serving as a host family for international students; assisting students, employees, or families with special needs; acting as an informal advisor to students of color or women who are not your formal advisees; special mentoring of colleagues from underrepresented groups.