DEI office driving institutional change on campus
Semester of events planned to shift anti racism conversations into action
Director of Diversity Education Nikita Murray is interviewed in her office Thursday, March 24 in Warriner Hall.
The Office for Institutional Diversity, Equity & Inclusion will host several events this fall to support student minorities and turn the campus dialogue around antiracism into action.
Throughout the Fall semester, eight events will feature various professionals from Central Michigan University in lecture series, workshops and celebrations "intended to help drive institutional change" Nikita Murry, director of diversity education, said.
She said she wants the campus community to understand the larger context behind the upcoming events this fall.
“We understand that if you don't feel as though you fit in the community - that the community isn't welcoming or if you're having experiences that you think are a form of micro-aggression or exclusion - then you're not going to feel welcome (and) you’re not going to be able to give your best self to CMU,” she said. “It's our work to help make sure that the entire community is what people need it to be."
Murry has been working with a DEI council, made up of representatives from each academic college, to analyze the campus environment and students needs'.
“Everybody has something that they can contribute to the dialogue,” Murry said. “Dialogue is built around the whole idea of just actively listening to one another."
The council is currently working on its diversity report card that highlights the university's success and areas for improvement.
The upcoming events are planned for the Fall 2022 semester. More information on the location and topic of each individual event will be available closer to the date.
Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022
Conversations that Matter: Has Education Become Political? with Dr. Georgina Wilson
5 to 7 p.m.
Powers Ballroom
*Free to the public with registration; dinner is provided.
Monday, Oct. 3, 2022
Advanced Explorations in DEI
Online, self-directed
*Free to campus community with registration
Monday, Oct. 10, 2022
National Indigenous People’s Day 2022
All-day
Location TBD
*Free and open to the public
Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022
Soup and Substance: Coming Out Day Special Topic
12 to 1 p.m.
Bovee UC Rotunda
Presenter: Dr. Jack Day will present his research on LGBTQ-focused school policies and practices
*Free and open to the public with RSVP; soup and rolls provided
Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022
Emma Norman Todd Lecture Series: Speaker Jeff Chang
6 p.m.
Plachta Auditorium
*Free and open to the public
Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022
Soup and Substance: Native American Heritage Month
12 to 1 p.m.
Location TBD
*Free to campus community with RSVP
Friday, Dec. 9, 2022
King-Chávez-Parks (KCP) Future Faculty Fellowship (FFF) Research Colloquy
12 to 3 p.m.
Bovee UC Terrace Rooms A&B
*RSVP required
Friday, Dec. 16, 2022
Staff Cultural Competency Workshop
9 to 11 a.m.
Via Zoom
*Free to all CMU staff with RSVP; topic ARA
