Spring 2022 DEI Workshop Series

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Workshop Series is a three-part professional development plan designed to equip employees with the habits of mind and tools to address diversity-related matters on campus and contribute positively to a culture of belonging at SPU. The series is guided by a belief that employees are better able to increase their diversity competencies when they have opportunity to develop this knowledge and skillset within the context of their professional roles. Upon completion of the series, we encourage participants to apply their learning to real-life situations on campus by working collaboratively towards the development of a department-level diversity action plan.

DIVERSITY 101: EXPLORING THE WHAT, WHY, AND HOW OF DIVERSITY AT SPU 

Required of all new employees/Open to all employees

Next session: Thursday, April 14, 2022, 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Cremona Classroom 102. Register on Percipio here. 

What do we mean by “diversity” at SPU, and why does it even matter? This introductory professional development workshop is divided into three parts and provides a shared language and framework for SPU employees to move forward productively in the work of diversity. Part I (the what) seeks to move participants from a narrow understanding of diversity that focuses on visible aspects of our social identities to a more complex understanding that includes an awareness of how institutional biases can reproduce group-based inequities. Part II (the why) examines SPU’s biblically-informed rationale for this work and introduces participants to Seattle Pacific’s diversity timeline to provide context for current engagement around issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Part III (the how) provides an overview of the role and function of the Office of Inclusive Excellence and resources available to employees. The workshop concludes with a call to action for participants to commit to continued learning and engagement in SPU’s DEI efforts.  

Posted: Monday, March 28, 2022