On behalf of NIRSA’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Commission, I invite you to take some time this week to review the resources below. Whether you choose to integrate them into an upcoming staff training or you’re simply reading them to expand your understanding of the vital topics of equity, diversity, or inclusion, these resources can help shape your perspective on social justice.

By Nitin Nohria | The Washington Post

Nitin Nohria, Dean of the Harvard Business School, offers a perspective piece on how higher education institutions have made great strides in increasing diversity, but still need to do a better job of creating environments where people feel like they belong fully and can thrive. Nohria speaks to the role of cross-identity relationships in learning and the benefit of reaching out to people with different life experiences who can help leaders be more sensitive to inclusion when creating policies.

This article offers perspective, rooted in real-life examples, demonstrating how diversity does not automatically equal inclusion—an important lesson to understand as we work to make our facilities open and welcoming to our entire campus community.

 

By Robin Pedrelli| Diversity Journal

This post by Robin Pedrelli, co-founder of VisionSpring, Inc.—a certified diversity and inclusion consulting firm—reminds employees at all levels of ways to contribute to and support diversity and inclusion efforts of any organization. These simple ten ideas are designed to engage employees at all levels within the organization and doesn’t necessarily require expertise in the field.

As we start to prepare for the upcoming school year and begin to plan fall programming and staff trainings, ideas like this can serve as an easy guide. They can remind us to be inclusive of all staff and students; it also provides practical tips for teaching to those same staff and students.

Add your voice to the conversation

We encourage you to connect with colleagues from across North America on this important topic. Join NIRSA’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Community of Practice today to find more resources or to participate in the online discussion.

 | NIRSA Profile

Trineice Durst is currently a Senior Associate Director in the Department of Recreational Sports at University of California, Berkeley; she also serves as a commissioner on NIRSA's Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Commission. Trineice can be reached at durst@berkeley.edu.