The University is committed to preparing its community members to lead with intentional inclusion and to hold informed and informative discussions about DEI.
"As a community of learning, we must support and invest in the professional development of our staff, especially when it comes to our commitment to intentional inclusion," says Vanessa B. Beasley, Ph.D., president of Trinity University.
Manager of Organizational Development and Learning
Trinity University’s Office of Human Resources is hiring a Manager of Organizational Development and Learning to focus on staff development and training, particularly concentrating on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. This new position will help develop inclusive leaders and foster a stronger presence of DEI work on campus. The search to fill this position is currently underway, and it is expected to be completed by the end of August.
Professional Development in DEIB
As part of this commitment, Trinity is collaborating with Furman University and Davidson College as part of an Associated Colleges of the South (ACS) grant funded initiative to support 15 staff members to participate in a pilot program of professional development topics exploring issues of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB). The ACS grant program that Trinity obtained “[supports] initiatives that have the potential to make a lasting impact on institutional culture,” and this pilot workshop series seeks to engage the community in meaningful discussion that does not avoid difficult dialogue, but rather embraces the hard questions and works to solve complex issues.
“While faculty have a wide range of opportunities to discuss DEIB-related issues, staff have fewer opportunities for professional development in this area,” says Wilson Terrell Jr., Ph.D., associate vice president for Academic Affairs. “This particular project will address this gap through a DEIB workshop pilot series. In the future, this pilot could be expanded so that more Trinity staff could participate, and that is what excites me.”
This opportunity will consist of four modules on DEI@Work (Wednesday, July 12); Identity, Self-Awareness, Bias (Tuesday, July 18); Empathetic Listening (Wednesday, July 26); and Inclusive Leadership Including Microaggressions (Wednesday, August 2). All the modules will take place from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Collaborative Sandbox (EHCL 330), and lunch will be provided. Tabitha Venezia, M.Ed., assistant director for assessment and technology in the Center for Experiential Learning and Career Success, will facilitate the modules.
Interested participants need to RSVP and have their supervisor send a brief email message containing an acknowledgement of their support to Terrell Jr. by 5 p.m. on Friday, June 30. Participants must complete a pre-workshop survey, attend all four in-person workshop modules, complete the program evaluation, and hold a 30-minute conversation with at least three co-workers structured around DEIB topics and questions generated in the workshops by Friday, August 18. Upon completion of these requirements, each participant will receive a $300 stipend for their involvement in the program.
Any questions about the pilot program should be directed to Venezia or Terrell Jr.
You might be interested in
