Weave together human ecosystems from the many complex systems that emcompass all aspects of human communities integrating multiple factors such as economics, socio-political, technical, cultural, historical, psychological, and physical factors.
Search committees at colleges and universities nationwide increasingly require candidates applying for faculty or leadership positions to submit a diversity statement. And while we have begun to make this a requirement, frequently, search committees do not know how to evaluate this component of the application, and applicants do not know how to approach writing a diversity statement.
In this workshop, we offer advice for search committees as they evaluate diversity statements and advice for candidates writing diversity statements. We lay out some of the “red flags” and “key frameworks” to look for when evaluating this significant part of applicants’ statements while offering roadmaps for those writing these important statements.
As members of an institution that seeks to measure itself by whom it includes and not by whom it excludes, faculty and staff at ASU can uphold inclusive practices through exhibiting culturally responsive behaviors, the result of developing Cultural Intelligence (CI). After recognizing why diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) are foundational for student success, participants will examine what qualities demonstrate CI and how to create inclusive environments, both in person and online. Engaging activities will provide participants opportunities for critical reflection as they investigate antiracism, privilege, implicit bias, and microaggressions. Most importantly, participants will commit to action-oriented steps to become more empathetic, compassionate and effective in their daily practices. Attendees will receive a digital workbook with which to engage material during and beyond the workshop.
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Cyndi Coon is a producer, writer, storyteller and rule-bender for good. She serves as the Chief of Staff at the Threatcasting Lab, a producer at ASURE (Applied Research Lab), Producing Director at the Weaponized Narrative Initiative and a special projects contractor for the office of the president at Arizona State University. She is a board member of the People Centered Internet, Volunteer Ecosystem Producer for the PCI Global Help Desk. She is the Founder and CEO of Laboratory5 Inc. Cyndi's role is to look at big wicked problems and insert opportunities for humans to collaborate.
Pardis Mahdavi, PhD is currently Dean of Social Sciences and Director of the School for Social Transformation at Arizona State University. Before coming to Arizona, she was Acting Dean of the Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver (2017-2019), after spending eleven years at Pomona College from 2006-2017 where she most recently served as professor and chair of anthropology and director of the Pacific Basin Institute at Pomona College as well as Dean of Women. Her research interests include gendered labor, human trafficking, migration, sexuality, human rights, transnational feminism, and public health in the context of changing global and political structures. She has published four single authored books and one edited volume in addition to numerous journal and news articles. She has been a fellow at the Social Sciences Research Council, the American Council on Learned Societies, Google Ideas, and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. In 2018 she was appointed by Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper and re-appointed by Governor Jared Polis to serve on the Colorado Commission on Higher Education.