ISCORE to Action

ISCORE to Action Opportunities 2022-2023

October 7, 2022
1-3 p.m., Memorial Union Room 3534 
The Forgotten Constituency: Engaging Staff in Campus DEI Initiatives 
Presenters: Jane Berliss-Vincent, A.M.L.S., Tyne Lucas, B.S., Nichole Burnside, M.B.A., Steve Vinson, M.H.S.A., Tina Jordan, B.A.S., Mary Rose, Ph.D.
Along with students and faculty, staff are a critical constituency in institutional diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) plans. Staff provide essential services, interact with faculty and students, and play an integral role in promoting and maintaining campus/unit climate. This session focuses on the inclusion of staff as key constituents in campus DEI efforts using examples, perspectives, and experiences from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor--a campus undergoing Year 4 implementation of its Five Year DEI Strategic Plan. This session features an interactive panel discussion addressing two main topics: 1) exploring the various structures and challenges of staff DEI positions in academic and non-academic units and 2) strategic initiatives that focus on staff voices and engagement. This session should particularly benefit anyone who is charged with moving DEI initiatives forward at your institution, current DEI staff, and HR professionals interested in staff retention. Participants will walk away from this session with an understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities facing staff, as well as practical strategies to incorporate staff concerns, issues, and engagement in their DEI efforts.

November 4, 2022
1-3 p.m., Virtual (register here)
Discovering Common Ground Across Differences: An Innovative Course on Facilitating Difficult Conversations 
Presenters: Legacy Lee, M.A., Sihin Tsegay, Anglea Rascom, Rachel Fuller, Sarah Beth Dempsey | Saint Mary’s College California
This session describes, outlines, and models an innovative course designed to train undergraduate students to lead peer dialogues on "isms," and it may serve as an example for faculty, staff, and students to create similar student development programs for campus anti-bias work. Staff presenters will review the course syllabus and activities, discuss course development and institutional support, and share resources for building cross-departmental collaborations for students to use their facilitation skills in a variety of campus settings (e.g., residence halls, advising programs, other courses, etc.). Student presenters will demonstrate their learning and experiences moving from their roles as participants to facilitators, as well as their success and challenges in co-facilitating on campus.

December 2, 2022
1-3 p.m., Memorial Union Room 3512
Behind the Masks: Uncovering Assumptions, Biases and Stereotypes 
Presenters: LaTashia R. Reedus, PhD, Johnathan E. Page, MA, Kristina Marshall JD |  Bake College
Masks are supposed to keep us safe, but that safety does not look the same for everyone. When you intermingle facial coverings, physical distancing, race, gender, and class, some of our students and faculty become at risk. How do we position our campuses in a way that these disparities are not magnified and our faculty and students feel safe? Our panelists will discuss privilege, colorism, and concerns some of our students and faculty of color may face this fall.

January 6, 2023
1-3 p.m., Memorial Union Oak Room 
The Intersection of Strengths and Social Identity: Using the Clifton Strengths to Engage Conversation about Difference
Presenter: Daniel Almeida, PhD | California Polytechnic State University
This session will engage participants in a discussion to unpack concepts of privilege and oppression and explore how our experiences of privilege and oppression have empowered or constrained our development and use of our natural talents using The Clifton Strengths Assessment. The assessment and its results are used widely on Cal Poly's campus and at other institutions of higher education in curricular and Co-Curricular activities and centers on the premise that individuals understanding of their unique combinations of talents and how to leverage them leads to success in a variety of areas of life. Participants will walk away with tools and strategies for engaging students, faculty and staff in conversations about differences in strengths, which can lead to effective conversations about other, often more challenging to talk about, areas of difference (e.g., race, gender, social class, sexual orientation, etc.).

March 1 & 3, 2023 
Iowa State Conference on Race and Ethnicity 
Half-day preconference and all-day conference

April 7, 2023
1-3 p.m., Memorial Union Room 3512
NCORE 101: What to Expect and How to Show Up! 
Presenters: Sedelta Oosahwee, M.Ed., Senior Program/Policy Analyst/Specialist (American Indian/Alaska Native Liaison) with the National Education Association (NEA) | Mycall Riley, LGBTQIA Resource Center Coordinator, Office of Multicultural Student Success, DePaul University | Emma Coddington, Ph.D., Associate professor, Biology Department, Neuroscience and Women & Gender Studies Programs, Willamette University | Nathan Nguyễn, M.Ed. Director of LBGT Student Services, West Michigan University | Ajia I. Meux, MSW, MA, Projects and Communications Manager, SWCHRS/PSI, University of Oklahoma Outreach
This special conference preview webinar will offer reflections from individuals at different stages of their NCORE participation – from first timers to seasoned participants. The purpose of this session is to provide resources, tips and inspiration to NCORE 2019 participants through a Q&A discussion.

Kaleidoscope: Improving Campus Culture using a Program with a Diversity Lens
April 6, 2021
Presenters: Crystal Jushka, M.Ed., Adrienne German, MS | University of Wisconsin

This session examined the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Kaleidoscope program, developed to create a more welcoming campus, create cultural competence among students, staff, and faculty, and increase the matriculation of underrepresented students. Presenters discussed how MCW developed and delivers a much-needed forum for constituents to learn about and discuss issues of diversity. They discussed how the program and featured topics regarding race and ethnicity are facilitated and provide engaging examples.

Navigating Academia in PWCs and Universities: A guide to equip first-generation students of color to thrive in higher education
February 2, 2021
Presenter: Krystal M. Cruz, Doctoral Student | Department of Health and Behavior Studies, Program in Health Education at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Education, Health and Psychology—Teachers College, Columbia University

Drawing upon experiential and academic knowledge, this session serves to provide strategies for first-generation students of color (SOC) to navigate predominantly white academic institutions. Experiential knowledge will center on the intersectionality of race, class, gender, and ability, aiming to share lived experiences to illuminate differing trajectories of success. Strategies include mentorship, mental health-seeking behavior, identity-based student group campus spaces, safe and inclusive spaces, and bias incident reporting systems.

Woke Olympics and Social Justice Arrogance 
January 5, 2021
Presented by Rev. Dr. Jamie Washington

“You are speaking out of your White Privilege.” “If you were non-binary, you would understand why pronouns matter.” “This entire training is based on heteronormative assumptions.” “We don’t have anyone on this team qualified to assess how our entire operation is based on racist and colonized frameworks.” Have you been in the room when comments like these have been made? Have you felt shut down or at a loss for how to address and deal with the weaponization of social justice knowing? This session is designed to create a space for a real conversation about how the “Woke Olympics” is contributing to the challenge of creating learning campus environments and impacting the ability to move to more diverse, equitable, and inclusive campuses. The session will provide key concepts and foundational frameworks for navigating these important and prevalent dynamics impacting DEI efforts.

The Dehumanization of Indigenous Women
December 1, 2020
Presented by Emma Allen, MA, and Stephanie Cross, MA

According to the FBI, Indigenous women are three times as more likely to experience rape or sexual assault than Black, Latina, and European-American women in North America. Historically, Indigenous women have and continue to experience both racism and sexism through the colonization of North America. This session will argue that Indigenous women are viewed as less than human, that is, they experience dehumanization by non-Native people. Thus far, no empirical research has investigated the objectification of Indigenous women through the dehumanization framework. Through both quantitative and qualitative research methods, the presenters will investigate various ways that Indigenous women experience dehumanization and the mechanisms underlying how they are dehumanized by others. This session will examine the effects of dehumanization on Indigenous women and their lived experiences both in and outside of the University of Oklahoma. After a discussion centered on these issues, the presenters will discuss the implications that dehumanization has for Indigenous women inside higher education. The presenters will then offer recommendations for best practices when incidences of racism and sexism (i.e. dehumanization) occur on campus and how to support and empower Indigenous women through relationship building. This session should particularly benefit those working with and advising Indigenous students.

Racism and Infectious Disease: Understanding the impact of COVID-19
November 3, 2020
Presenters: Dr. Li-Chen Chin, Dr. Lily Cho, Avvy Yao-Yao Go, Dr. Jennifer Ho, and Yun Sun
Closed-captioned

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, there has been an increasing number of xenophobic and racist incidents against Asians in the US and Canada, and against Africans in China–from being told “Go back to where you came from,” “Stop eating wild animals,” to being refused service, physically assaulted, or forced to get tested. Marginalized populations are disproportionally affected by the global pandemic and serve as scapegoats for failed institutional policies and practices.

A panel of experts will present and engage in an interdisciplinary discussion to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on a transnational level, and how higher education institutions can use this opportunity to examine our policies and practices and to advocate for justice and equity for all students, staff, and faculty, and our community.

Hashtags and Unfollows: Race and Racism in the Age of Social Media
October 6, 2020
Presenters: Alana Anderson, PhD and Kevin Gin, PhD
Closed-captioned

Limited research has been advanced that considers how social media intersects with race, racism, and gender among college students. Additionally, scholars have noted these are areas necessitating the attention of student affairs. This session presents literature, emerging research, and best practices to advance action-oriented practices regarding how to best support students in the context of today’s racialized and gendered social media campus cultures.