Workshops

The University of Minnesota is committed to increasing equity and diversity among its staff, faculty, and students. This includes supporting people of color, people who identify as women, people with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, and other identities across campus. It is essential to recognize and address the presence of implicit bias and microaggressions in our everyday lives. This workshop exposes learners to the concept of implicit bias and how it produces microaggressions that can impact the classroom, work, and social environments.

This workshop addresses one of the most significant aspects of equity and diversity work: navigating challenging conversations. In each of our ongoing developmental paths around equity, diversity, and social justice, we will find ourselves in more situations that call for self-reflection, careful listening, nuanced language, and thoughtful questions. This workshop introduces skills in the following areas: noticing and naming our own triggers and activation, developing nuance in our understanding of our intentions, and developing empathy and active listening skills when we impact others.

If “diversity is everybody’s everyday work,” then what is my role? This foundational workshop introduces learners to the core concepts around equity, diversity, and social justice. Key topics include foundational terminology, understanding our own identities, exploring bias and oppression, and how to work to be an ally and advocate in this work.

Departments across the U of M regularly participate in searches and selection processes. The University is committed to increasing diversity among its staff, faculty, and students in admissions, promotions, scholarship decisions, and other selection processes. The presence of implicit bias in these processes can inhibit this goal. This workshop exposes learners to the breadth of implicit bias research and will help them recognize shortcuts resulting from unconscious or unexamined bias. Learners will be introduced to promising practices and resources for addressing implicit bias in the context of search and selection processes.

If you're interested in this offering the OED Education Program offers this each semester systemwide, please click here to register and learn more.

In addition to this workshop through OED, our colleagues in the Medical School, Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) offer a workshop for Medical School Faculty and Staff. For more information visit the ODEI website here.

The first step to addressing a microaggression is to recognize that one has occurred and dissect what message it may be sending. To provide a language to describe the experiences and the realizations surrounding the impact of microaggressions. This workshop focuses on practical approaches to addressing microaggressions within multiple ecological contexts.

Xenophobia, fear or hatred of people from other countries, is a real barrier to our international community members who come to the U of M to study, work and research. This is not a new phenomenon, but has escalated due to the global pandemic and incendiary rhetoric. In this session, we will raise awareness of these issues and discuss how we can support our international community and understand our complicit role and active anti racist actions we can take. Our aim is to foster a more inclusive and just campus where everyone, including international community members, can contribute at their highest and best. The OED Education Program is excited to offer this workshop in collaboration with our partners at Minnesota English Language Program (MELP) and Global Programs and Strategy Alliance (GPS Alliance)! For upcoming offerings, please visit the OED Education Program workshop webpage.

If you're interested in this offering the OED Education Program offers this each semester systemwide, please click here to register and learn more.