Campus-Wide Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives

Campus-Wide Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Initiatives

Spring 2022 Initiatives

Procedural and Structural

The registrar's office updated the college catalogs to remove binary gendered language and replaced it with gender-neutral language as part of their Policy and Procedural Review through an Equity lens
CAS supported the passage of the DEI course requirement as proposed by the Faculty Core Curriculum Committee.
In support of students with limited resources, hygiene products have been added to the Oak Tree Food Pantry sponsored by Health & Counseling, Campus Activities, and Res Life: Free full size and travel size hygiene products are now offered at the on-campus Oak Tree Food Pantry. Students can visit the Oak Tree Pantry website to see what hours they’re open or schedule an appointment for pick-up or an on-campus delivery.
The NBRET has appointed two new co-chairs, Jazzmyn Ivery Robinson and Heather Sourwine. New core team members have also been added representing key offices on campus. Professional development opportunities have been offered for students, faculty and staff with local community organizations including the Gandhi Institute.
The Community and Belonging webpage continues to be updated including the DEI Faculty and Staff Repository, Student Scholarship Resource and the Diversity Scorecard.
Center of Life's Work and the UA are partnering to study student transportation needs on campus and now working to create a series of options for students who need assistance (including a transportation scholarship for students from low-income backgrounds who need to get to required fieldwork)
SoE DEI Commitment Statement Implementation Work Group began the process of analyzing SoE policies and practices through a DEI lens.
Children’s Literature and Makerspace in the College Library: Nazareth’s Children’s Center Maker-Space is dedicated space for professional preparation, learning and community connections in key areas including: play, language and literacy, and whole-child development. This shared innovative space provides an ideal setting for faculty and staff to partner with the community to prepare innovative, informed, relevant and culturally responsive providers of (early) childhood services, programs and supports across healthcare, education and community settings. The on-going commitment to representative and developmentally appropriate materials fostering whole-child development will provide a collaborative opportunity to learn together in the intentional efforts to prepare our future graduates as culturally and linguistically responsive providers of developmental services and programs.

Community Engagement

This summer Nazareth will be hosting PeerFoward, a national organization whose mission is to support youth living in low-income communities by connecting them to college and careers.
A Naz Alternative Break sponsored by Weider Office for Community Engagement was completed this spring with students prepared to enter communities and serve alongside partners in South Dakota. A group of 12 students and 2 faculty members spending Spring Break at the Sioux YMCA. Students deepened their awareness and understanding of different cultures and various social justice issues, examining their own biases and reflecting upon inequality, privilege, and power.
Tele-connections with Honduran home for children/bilingual school sponsored by Communication Sciences & Disorders: Since Fall 2020, CSD students have been connecting virtually with students at a bilingual school in Honduras (Amigos de Jesus Bilingual School). Some students have engaged in cultural exchange/conversational English practice with small groups of children, and some bilingual SLP students have provided supervised speech-language therapy sessions in Spanish. These connections have served to support some unmet needs on the Honduran side while simultaneously helping Nazareth students continue to build cultural humility and culturally responsive practices.
Together, the Center for Spirituality and the Community Youth Development program continues to facilitate culturally responsive youth engagement activities with a church that serves children whose parents are employed as migrants. The 'fun with a purpose' activities provides social and emotional learning opportunities for both the children and Nazareth College students.
Racial Healing and Inclusive Leadership sponsored by the Community Youth Development collaborates with youth leaders of the City of Rochester's Mayor's Youth Advisory Council for the past two semesters to explore and share personal and community stories about racial healing as a pathway to Inclusive Leadership. Together, CYD students and youth leaders have discussed the impact of personal and community implicit biases, stereotyping/profiling, inequities of access to developmental resources, intersectionality, 'whiteness', and identity development. A youth-focused Inclusive Leadership curriculum is being co-created as a result of the two-semester project. In addition, the Inclusive Leadership ideas will be presented at the 2022 CARS.
The Center for Spirituality and the Community Youth Development program continue to facilitate culturally responsive youth engagement activities with a church that serves children whose parents are employed as migrants. The 'fun with a purpose' activities provide social and emotional learning opportunities for both the children and Nazareth College students.
Sponsored by the Registrar's office, in support of our transgender and gender-expansive alumnx, Nazareth now provide a complimentary, no-cost, reprint of diplomas with their requested name change as a representation of our commitment to inclusivity.
The Hickey Center sponsored a virtual seminar facilitated by Professor Sahar Aziz for the UN Harmony Week, the seminar discussed the racial and religious profiling of Muslims that closely resembles religious and racial discrimination historically experienced by African Americans, Jewish Americans, Native Americans, and Asian American communities.
The CCE and CFLC organized a Public Art Walking Tour led by Rochester photographer & writer, Quajay on Friday, December 17th from 1:30-3:30 pm. Students and staff joined the tour to learn how public art is a tool for education, awareness, and brightening communities. Students also had the opportunity to engage with AmeriCorps fellows to learn more about post-graduate service in Rochester
The Center for Civic Engagement organized a Public Art Walking Tour led by Rochester photographer & writer, Quajay on Friday, December 17th. Students and staff joined the tour to learn how public art is a tool for education, awareness, and brightening communities. Students also had the opportunity to engage with AmeriCorps fellows to learn more about post-graduate service in Rochester.
SoE DEI Commitment Statement Implementation Work Group began the process of analyzing SoE policies and practices through a DEI lens.

Faculty/Staff Events and Opportunites

Introduction to Antiracist Practices sponsored by the Nazareth College Weider Office for Community Engagement: As part of the Weeks of Social Justice and in conjunction with Community and Belonging, an introductory discussion around race, racism, antiracism, and antiracist practices utilizing resources curated by the National Museum of African American History and Culture was offered to the entire campus community. The discussion included what it means to be an antiracist and action planning of the next steps to address individual and structural racism.
Experiential Impact Team Allyship and Equity in the Workplace co-sponsored by CFLW, Center for International Education, and Office of Research, Scholarship, and Innovation (ORSI). This Experiential Impact team meets monthly in education, training, and ongoing learning, as stated in our Call to Action: to “learn and educate ourselves on how we can individually respond to instances of racism” and intentionally carve out time to build our knowledge base, increase self-awareness and put learning to action in our work through conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion, building more safe and trusting workplace cultures.
Supervision Conference for Clinical Supervisors sponsored by Communication Sciences and Disorders: The CSD department is presenting a webinar entitled "Ethical Navigation of Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in Supervisory Relationships" to provide a continuing education training opportunity for the program's clinical supervisors. Central concepts discussed will include cultural humility, identity, bias, and power dynamics, with an overarching focus on ways speech-language pathology supervisors can be culturally responsive to student clinicians.
Anti-Racist Curriculum Project connections by Isabel Cordova: Upon collaborating with the grade 5 Latinx unit for the Anti-Racist Curriculum, I made several introductions between them and Naz folks who proceeded to set up a series of talks/workshops/trainings on campus and a Center for Public History Student set up a library exhibit with them as well. Now the Dean of SOE and myself are serving o the board and finding more ways to collaborate between colleges and the community in these efforts.
Artists and Art Scholars in the Art and Design department are engaged with the global citizenship of makers around the world. As they view, consider, and engage with works from historical and contemporary artists/makers from all geographic regions, traditions, as well as personal and social identities, they build knowledge of and respect for diverse beliefs and perspectives
School of Education:

Faculty and staff participated in an all-day professional learning session focused on the Anti-Racist Curriculum Project. Components of the curriculum were integrated into teacher education coursework during the Spring semester.
In Spring, 2022, a SoE faculty member and a teacher from the RCSD, developed and co-taught a section of EQS – “Mythbusters: Urban Schools Edition.”
In Spring, 2022, three faculty members from SoE, HHS, and CAS developed and co-taught INT 427, “Challenging Normalcy,” a course focused on exploring disability studies and intersectionality.
SoE “DEI Commitment Statement Implementation” Interest Work Group developed DEI curriculum/pedagogy assessment survey. Completed by all SoE full time and adjunct faculty teaching in the Spring 2022 semester.
Faculty and staff participated in professional literature circles focused on the book, Start here start now: A Guide to Antibias and Antiracist Work in Your School Community by Liz Kleinrock.

Student Events and Opportunities

Center for Life's Work & Alumni Engagement is sponsoring BIPOC Affinity Group Mentorship Program To empower BIPOC students to become courageous changemakers for designing their life’s work. To engage BIPOC alumni to connect with current undergraduate and graduate students while broadening and strengthening their leadership and professional skills
Dr. Muhammad Shafiq’s fall semester course called RES 250G on Islam and Global Issues is part of the College of Arts and Science's initiative to expand DEI into the curriculum
ODIEE, CFLW, and Alumni Engagement is sponsoring BIPOC Affinity Mentorship Program. This year, the program will pair current Nazareth BIPOC undergraduate and graduate students with BIPOC alumni in their fields of interest. They will gain the necessary knowledge and skills to be successful in their fields of choice.
Athletic Diversity Ambassador Initiatives continues with campaigns and information sharing on an array of DEI topics such as Autism Awareness, Heritage months, and Naz United 4 Change
Introduction to Antiracist Practices sponsored by the Nazareth College Weider Office for Community Engagement: As part of the Weeks of Social Justice and in conjunction with Community and Belonging, an introductory discussion around race, racism, antiracism, and antiracist practices utilizing resources curated by the National Museum of African American History and Culture was offered to the entire campus community. The discussion included what it means to be an antiracist and action planning of the next steps to address individual and structural racism
People of Color Support Group sponsored by Health and Counseling was launched this spring. It provides a safe space for students who identify as POC to discuss their experiences on campus and beyond. Topics covered include microaggressions, stereotypes, intersectionality, self-worth and belonging at a PWI, and more.
Four Social Justice Student Scholars (grant funded through Community and Belonging) will present at this year CARS 2022 on April 19th, sponsored by ORSI; CARS (Creative Activity and Research Showcase). CARS is an annual college-wide symposium celebrating students' creative and scholarly work through posters, presentations, and performances.
Student Access and Achievement hosted a BIPOC semi-formal in March.
Latinx Social Hour and Study Hall at Casa Hispana created informal spaces on campus to build community among Latinx students in Spring 2022
School of Education:

Over the fall and spring semesters, faculty and staff from the School of Education and Community Engagement hosted a study group for the book, Teaching for Black Lives, for faculty, staff, undergraduate and graduate students, and alums, to develop a deeper understanding of anti-racist practice and create necessary curriculum and other items for their practice and that of their communities.
The Frontier Center for Urban Education sponsored a presentation by Liz Kleinrock. The presentation focused on ways to engage in antibias and antiracist (ABAR) work in schools with particular attention to the questions: How can I work with parents and caregivers? How can I partner with my administration to support ABAR work? The presentation was open to all members of the Nazareth community.
The Frontier Center for Urban Education and the Urban Teacher Opportunity Partnership Program sponsored a series of events for “Teach the Truth” week, February 21-24, 2022. The events were open to all members of the Nazareth community.

Fall 2021 Initiatives

Procedural and Structural

Athletics in partnership with Marketing and Communication launched the student inspired Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging campaign titled NazUnited4CHANGE.
Marketing and Communication has engaged in a DEI audit this past fall to find opportunities to bring coherence in how we message and authentically communicate the Naz commitment to DEI.
All four academic units (CAS, HHS, SBL & SOE) have created or expanded existing committee work to address DEI in the curriculum.
CAS continues work to develop an interdisciplinary proposal to develop a DEI minor or modules.
NBRET completed it second semester of implementation. End of semester updates are posted on the NBRET webpage.
Community and Belonging has formed a Shared Equity Leadership Team an institutional priority in the creating of a Next Generation DEI Action Plan.
Dr. Wayne Hilson, Associate Vice President in Community and Belonging has been hired to oversee the Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusive Excellence Education and provide leadership for the Student Access and Achievement Program (SAAP).
Community and Belonging secured grant funding to support the Social Justice Student Scholar Initiative to support six students in SAAP to create and develop a research proposal examining various issues related to social justice.
The Center for Student Success is now requiring all new student tutors to complete a training session called "Best Tutoring Practices to Support Equity for All." The goal of this workshop is to ensure that our tutors are aware of various learning styles and that they implement strategies to support the diverse learning needs of all their students.
Community and Belonging enthusiastically welcomed LifePrep@Naz to its organizational portfolio.
Faculty and staff in the SoE drafted and approved a SoE Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice statement. SoE established a “DEI Commitment Statement Implementation” work group whose focus is to determine Commitment Statement implementation and action steps.
SoE implemented a revised Student Teaching/Graduate assessment after analyzing the assessment through a DEI lens (.e.g, word choices, actions, instructional choices and interactions with others).

Community Engagement

Faculty/Staff Events and Opportunities

Academic Advisement has incorporated DEI content into the Master Advisor program. The department has begun to research and develop a separate DEI module for advisors, but it's not ready for implementation
Pathstone Antiracist Curriculum Training- The Center for Life's Work staff will partake in a 1/2 day workshop to learn about the local history and contemporary realities of structural racism and civil rights in Monroe County through the Pathstone Antiracist Curriculum Training. This interactive workshop will expose us to some of Rochester's history through primary sources and case studies and connect to the present impact of past structural racism.
Drs. Hilda Chacon, Isabel Cordova, and Joseph Viera presented “Where do we sit on the bus”. A film screening followed by a guided discussion for Hispanic Heritage Month. For Indigenous Heritage month Dr. Maire Watkins facilitated a guest lecture and screening of Under the Husk and Dr. Thomas Lappas presented a lecture on Native American Residential Schools accompanied by a screening of Unseen Tears.
In fall 2021 an SBL faculty member co-taught a section of EQS - ‘Equitable Work’ in collaboration with a member of CFLW. SBL faculty members continue to explore ways to intentionally infuse diverse perspectives into their disciplines, pedagogy and courses. As an example, one of our faculty members will be implementing changes in an upper-level finance course this spring including a review and guided discussions.
SOE fall initiatives include: Faculty/staff work group drafted a SoE Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice statement. (Summer 2021) Approved by SoE full time faculty and staff (Fall 2021). Development of implementation and action plan (beginning Fall 2021); Established “DEI Commitment Statement Implementation” Interest Work Group (focus: determine Commitment Statement implementation and action steps); Revised Student Teaching/Graduate Practicum assessment (specific analysis/revision based on DEI e.g., word choices, actions, instructional choices and interactions with others). (New assessment implemented Fall 2021). Revised Student Teaching/Graduate Practicum assessment (specific analysis/revision based on DEI e.g., word choices, actions, instructional choices and interactions with others). (New assessment implemented Fall 2021)

Student Events and Opportunities

Athletics has identified students who are holding monthly meetings with players on our team to educate them on topics such as bias, color blindness, AAV, and other structural racism topics. They are working to in partnership with the Diversity Ambassadors to ensure that our team culture continues to grow and thrive as a space of equity and belonging.
Residential Life has acquired a departmental membership with 540W Main for ongoing training for the Residential Life staff. We have had RAs take a course on allyship and are working with the 540W Main Leadership to determine the next steps throughout the Fall semester. The plan is for all RAs to participate in at least two additional seminars throughout the Spring as a part of their professional development.
Association of Earth-Based and Indigenous Spirituality and Justice was founded by the Community and Belonging Outreach Scholar Dr. Esperanza Roncero. This is a non-theist discussion group devoted to exploring and celebrating indigenous culture and spirituality. All humans with all perspectives are welcome to share spiritual views in an accepting and peaceful environment.
Hickey Center, IIIT Chair, School of Music, Department of Theater and Dance, CFS and C&B sponsored World Music Dance Festival brought about a dozen different cultural/ethnic/religious groups together to perform for the Nazareth Community.
Difficult Conversations, a student-led collection, launched its the second year of programming focusing on DEI themed films and discussions.
The library completed an analysis of diversity in the Children's Collection. Many books were examined and another 44 books were added to the collection. The room will be refreshed with the addition of a mural and end panel signage.
SoE is providing opportunities to better support teacher candidates’ learning focused on working with students with diverse gender and sexual identities. Dr. Rowland-Storm provided a professional learning series for TOC II participants, and Dr. Rowland-Storm and Dr. Bailey Jones offered Gender Revealed as part of Teacher Lounge Series (designed for students, faculty and staff).

Spring 2021 Initiatives

Procedural and Structural

The college's inaugural Bias Response and Education Team (NBRET) was launched on February 1, 2021.
The SEC has charged a working group comprised of faculty to conduct a preliminary review of the faculty manual language with a specific focus on equity-based and inclusive language. This group is working in collaboration with Community and Belonging and will make recommendations to the SEC by late spring for their consideration.
The Center for Life's Work (CFLW) has created a Call to Action for planning, implementing, and tracking all the department’s actions. Some ongoing and completed goals include collaborating and amplifying diverse voices, participating in team education and training, expanding access and reducing barriers to experiences and resources, and continuing to evaluate and assess work towards improvement.
The Academic Policies and Procedures Committee and Graduate Advisory Council will be reviewing all undergraduate and graduate academic policies and procedures with a lens of equity and inclusion and making adjustments as needed to be included in the 2021-2022 catalogs and beyond.
Health & Human Services has formed a Diversity Committee that is currently working on initiatives associated with its different curricular activities, as well as an overarching strategic plan.
Academic Advisement has been reviewing and updating all undergraduate academic policies and procedures with a DEI lens. Updates will be included in the 2021-2022 UG catalog. Another committee is also conducting the same review for the graduate catalog.
The Center for Civic Engagement is going through the process of redoing the Center's Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) so they align with Community & Belonging's updated language and definitions for diversity, equity, inclusivity, & belonging.
Athletics is promoting awareness with weekly emails about education and activism opportunities. They are hoping to start a subgroup in SAAC in charge of DEI initiatives.
The Library has created an online guide for heritage months and diversity in higher education, highlighted DEI titles in new acquisitions announcements and curated a more diverse leisure reading collection. They are currently examining subject headings in the catalog to update terminology.
The NCAA Diversity & Inclusion Officer is working with Athletics to create a Diversity Ambassador Position. These student-athlete centered roles focus on fostering and sustaining a culture of belonging where individual differences, as well as lived experiences, are embraced and empowered as part of an interconnected, inclusive athletic community

Community Engagement

Faculty/Staff Events and Opportunities

Student Events and Opportunities

An interdivisional committee hosted the virtual 2021 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration.
The Religious Studies & History Departments offer a Malcolm and Martin class for any student who wants to explore the impact of slavery on the religious, moral, social, and economic conditions of African Americans. The material covers issues of racial inequality and injustices in light of the contemporary BLM movement and suggests reforms for restoring social justice for all.
A new series of Equitable Spaces Courses will again be offered in fall 2021. These are one-credit courses that provide entry points for students and speak to the issues of diversity, equity, and/or systemic racism that are defining the public discourse. Descriptions will be provided during the registration period.
Students in the Principles of Marketing courses celebrated Black History Month by learning about African American pioneers, entrepreneurs, and heroes in the field of marketing.
The Center for International Education is offering 3 international credit-bearing classes for undergraduate students to engage with language, culture, history, and marketing/business practices. They are also offering virtual international internships and hope to increase enrollment in internships in the summer.
Financial Friday's is an Instagram Live series on the UA Instagram (@UA_NAZ) hosted by the UA, CFLW, and Student Access and Achievement Programs. Every Friday one of the UA Executive Board members will be discussing a new topic so that the student body can come together to break the barrier of confusion when it comes to financial topics and issues.
ODIEE and Health and Counseling Services are collaborating with local BIPOC therapists to provide counseling and group therapy services to BIPOC students called ANCHORS/PILLARS.
The NCAA Diversity & Inclusion Officer is working with Athletics to create a Diversity Ambassador Position. These student-athlete centered roles focus on fostering and sustaining a culture of belonging where individual differences, as well as lived experiences, are embraced and empowered as part of an interconnected, inclusive athletic community.
The ESports team will host a 24-hour charity stream benefiting the Equal Justice Initiative from 7 p.m. on March 26 until 7 p.m. on March 27.
Alumni Engagement Office is holding an event called Unfolding History: Paper Cranes & Symbolism in East Asia-Post WWII. Nevan Fisher, Ph.D., offers an overview of paper cranes’ symbolism throughout East Asia in the years following WWII. Often displayed prominently where atrocities and incredible acts of destruction were committed, the paper crane carries different meanings for people. Some places long strings of carefully folded cranes as a prayer of forgiveness; others lay paper cranes in hopes of peace and reclaim spaces desecrated by war.
Discussion on Gendered Challenges in Leadership discussed the gendered issues in leadership. This discussion is part of the advocacy project in the Leadership, Advocacy, and Social Change course under the new Equitable Spaces series. Both the WGSSA and the FBLA-PBL Leadership Club have agreed to do this event as a collaborative meeting to discuss a topic closely related to both clubs.
C & B, The Konar Center, and CEE are hosting Professor Lara Schwartz to campus for a keynote titled "Be the Architect of Your Own Voice: A Discussion on Civil Discourse. The event involved dialogue across differences, freedom of speech and dissent, collaborative learning, inclusive pedagogy, dispute resolution, and civil rights.
CFS, the Shannon Chair for Catholic Studies, and C&B welcomed Dr. Hanlon Rubio for “Creating a Welcoming Equity-Minded Campus Community” an event to support students as they collaborate to build welcoming campuses.

Fall 2020 Initiatives

Procedural and Structural

Student Experience is revising the Student Code of Conduct for the spring semester.
Institutional Research is working with leadership to help understand the inequities in the admissions process and student retention.
Academic Advisement and the Registrar's Office collaborated on the Registration Equity Project that would create equitable access to priority registration for all incoming first-year students beginning spring 2021 for fall 2021 registration. Students will be randomly placed in an initial class band based on Nazareth credits earned and then assigned registration priorities based upon their class band.
The Office for Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Education (ODIEE) was created within the Division for Community and Belonging.
The ATLAS Center and Diversity Resource Room were established for LGBTQ+ students in Shults 118.
Senior leadership completed a six-part professional development series on diversity and equity in the workplace.
The Diversity in the Curriculum Task Force Report was disseminated; implementation of recommendations in process.
Athletics appointed the first Nazareth College diversity and inclusion officer for NCAA initiatives.
The ACS 101 curriculum was updated for Fall 2020 with an increased focus on DEI.
The Registrar's Office, in collaboration with ITS and C&B, is launching the Pronoun Project in November '20. The project seeks to use existing technology to have faculty and staff submit pronouns through NazNet Self-Service.
The Diversity Scorecard on the Community and Belonging Resources webpage features the College's diversity statistics, national survey results, and 2019 campus climate survey data.
The Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences has convened a faculty working group that is exploring potential modules/certificates in CAS connected to D&I areas. The group, led by Dr. Yamuna Sangarasivam, is tasked to explore possibilities for small interdisciplinary clusters of courses that we might call modules to serve as something standalone, or as an IS cluster, and/or to create certificates, that specifically engage D&I outcomes, topics, and issues.
The Administrative Council was charged with completing the CUPA - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Maturity Index as a preliminary measure of Nazareth's progress towards creating an equitable campus community.

Community Engagement

Faculty/Staff Events and Opportunities

Student Events and Opportunities

What else?

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Nazareth University

Culture, Community, and Belonging

Campus-Wide Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Initiatives

Spring 2022 Initiatives

Procedural and Structural

Community Engagement

Faculty/Staff Events and Opportunites

Student Events and Opportunities

Fall 2021 Initiatives

Procedural and Structural

Community Engagement

Faculty/Staff Events and Opportunities

Student Events and Opportunities

Spring 2021 Initiatives

Procedural and Structural

Community Engagement

Faculty/Staff Events and Opportunities

Student Events and Opportunities

Fall 2020 Initiatives

Procedural and Structural

Community Engagement

Faculty/Staff Events and Opportunities

Student Events and Opportunities

What else?