Staff Activities
Diversity Talks
Since 2016, the EDI Committee has organized monthly diversity talks to develop awareness, provide training, foster racial and cultural equity, and encourage accountability among all Libraries staff. These talks cover a variety of topics—for example, unconscious bias, development of equitable & inclusive learning spaces, shifting our framework for supporting students with disabilities, serving a neurodiverse campus, and unpacking Latinx identities, etc. These talks aim to help to provide our staff with ongoing professional development and engagement activities in support of our commitment to fostering EDI.
Training and Staff Development
The Libraries offers support for staff to participate in a variety of EDI professional development activities. This includes programs offered through the NC State University Office of Equal Opportunity and many external organizations.
Opportunities for training and staff development are regularly suggested by the EDI Committee, and staff are encouraged to recommend programs they discover. The following examples are just some of the types of activities in which our staff have been engaged.
Learning Opportunities for Library Staff
The EDI Committee has facilitated learning opportunities provided by other campus units for Libraries staff. These trainings include:
- Inclusive Excellence Certificate (IEC) program, which develops a fundamental understanding of diversity, inclusion and equity
- Green Zone Training, which addresses issues potentially facing active service members, student veterans, and their families
- Project SAFE Ally Workshop, which prepares staff to understand and address the needs of GLBT students
Through these programs, library staff develop their foundation of EDI issues and deepen their understanding of our community while earning badges and displaying them in the email banners and their staff profiles.
Essentials of Cultural Competence
From December 2019 through March 2021, the Libraries offered all staff access to DeEtta Jones & Associates' Essentials of Cultural Competence online training program on a basis of voluntary, but strongly encouraged, participation. The five modules in the program covered a range of theoretical content and practical examples related to equity, diversity, and inclusion, as well as opportunities for self-reflective activities. The decision to purchase and offer this training advanced our strategic priority to "nurture a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization that enables welcoming services and spaces, experimentation, aspiration, creativity, and success."
View a full outline of the discussion session (Google doc)
Other Staff Activities
Some other past staff activities included support to participate in: