Diversity. Equity. Inclusion.
Much of my day is spent thinking about these three words. Part of this is due to the course I’m taking on “Social Justice in Higher Education,” but the other is that I firmly believe these three words should be at the center of my work.
No, I don't work in an Inclusion and Diversity office. In fact, my work is not typically what most would consider “DEI work,” however, I have come to realize more and more that DEI is not just someone's job - it is everyone’s responsibility.
Throughout my courses and meetings over the last few weeks, one common theme has emerged: Most people are waiting on someone else to make the first move, the first decision, or start the first initiative aimed at tackling systemic racism and creating opportunities for historically marginalized communities.
I by no means have institutional control. I’m not able to change policy. I don't even have full-time staff members that report to me. So, what can I do? I can make sure when working on projects or pitching ideas that I seek out opinions and views that aren't my own. I can be the reminder in a meeting about making our programs inclusive. I can research and work to understand barriers that exist for historically under-represented communities. I can make sure that my programs promote equitable access and inclusion for people from all backgrounds.
We can all be champions for DEI in our spaces.
How? Next time you are working on a project or creating a program, stop and think about how someone in else might come into contact with it. A few of the questions I like to routinely ask myself are:
How would this event work for someone that is in a wheelchair?
What would the experience of viewing the content I’m creating be like for someone who is deaf or blind?
What might a first generation college student not know about this process that a legacy student does?
How does this process, strategy or program take into consideration the issues caused by years of systemic racism and exclusion?
Some of these questions are hard. They take time to consider. As a straight, cis-gender, white, male, second generation college student working in higher education, I admittedly have privilege and blind spots. I don't always have the right answer. Luckily, there are excellent resources and research that has helped illuminate these areas and issues I was not originally aware of.
How have I used answers to these questions to create more inclusive and equitable environments? Here are a couple of tangible examples:
Created a guidance document that translates my institution’s digital media accessibility policy into a list of actionable steps that content creators need to take each time they create digital content.
After launching an email messaging program to engage and remind prospective students of important information during the recruitment cycle, we added a texting platform to reach students that may not have reliable access to internet. (We know this is a challenge in several parts of our state.)
Created events for prospective students to engage directly with financial aid officers at the university to make sure they had access to and information about paying for college, regardless of their parents’ or relatives’ previous experience with higher education.
Advancing principles of DEI is the job of everyone in an organization. Expecting a few people in a DEI office to change an entire institution’s culture is never going to be the answer. Each of us need to focus on how WE contribute to either the problem or the solution with each decision we make.
I don't write this to try and pretend that I am some great social justice warrior. I have struggled with what my role is and what, if anything, I should be doing in this space for a while. I do write this, however, to show that even with “little power” in my institution, I can not only contribute to but be a part of creating a more inclusive environment. Hopefully reading this will help illuminate small ways you can begin to make change from where you sit.
Have you worked on any projects recently that would typically be considered "outside the DEI space" and were able to make changes or contribute ideas to improve equity and inclusion? I would love to hear about it in the comments and see more ideas and examples!