DEI Task Force: BIPOC Mentoring Program and Affinity Groups
The regional campuses of Indiana University convened a belongingness work group of faculty and staff for each regional campus, DEI Task Force, to focus on the best practices and supports needed to help retain diverse staff and faculty. This is related to the diverse faculty hiring initiative that President Whitten announced in 2021. One of the recommendations from the DEI Task Force meetings is to have a regional cross campus mentoring program so that diverse staff and faculty are able to connect with others who have experienced promotion or advancement in their units.
The Mentoring Program will do our best to create pairs that are beneficial to both the mentor and the mentee. Participants will also help us craft what this initial program will look like and with what support is needed to keep it in place after the pilot round. Please let us know if you have any questions but we are excited to have you participate in this process with us.
Another recommendation from the DEI Task Force meetings is to have regional cross campus affinity groups so that diverse staff and faculty are able to connect with others both in a professional support and social settings, provide professional development, and to contribute to the campus dialogue about related diversity issues.
Affinity groups are a collection of individuals who share a common identity characteristic, usually traditionally underrepresented. They promote inclusion, diversity and other efforts that benefit isolated campus members, such as safe spaces for networking, access to resources for mentorship towards career mobility, or training for professional development.
The DEI Task Force will launch this effort with a focus on our Asian and Desi, Black and Latine communities. Each community will have its own affinity group and will be brought together in person at least once per semester along with ongoing virtual meetings throughout the year. In-person convenings took place on March 31, 2023 and September 29, 2023. A large virtual meeting took place on December 9, 2022, and smaller separate virtual meetings are occurring throughout the year.
Please complete the involvement form to join one or both programs. Contacts for each program are as follows:
Mentoring Program: Rosalyn Davis (rosddavi@iuk.edu) and J.R. Pico (jrpico@iu.edu)
Black Faculty and Staff Affinity Group: Andrea Griffin (griffane@iun.edu)
Latine Faculty and Staff Affinity Group: Felix Burgos (fburgos@iu.edu)
Asian and Desi Faculty and Staff Affinity Group: Sau Hou Chang (sauchang@ius.edu) and Zihang Shao (zihsha@iu.edu)
If you have any questions, please contact VPRCOE Faculty Fellow, Seuth Chaleunphonh, schaleun@ius.edu or one of the DEI Task Force representatives:
Felix Burgos (IUE) fburgos@iu.edu
Zihang Shao (IUE) zihshao@iue.edu
Rosalyn Davis (IUK), faculty co-chair, rosddavi@iuk.edu
April Evans (IUK) aplevans@iuk.edu
Andrea Griffin (IUN) griffane@iun.edu
Amy Diaz (IUN), staff co-chair, amyjdiaz@iu.edu
Chloe Robinson (IUSB) chnrobi@iu.edu
Michael Harley (IUSB) mlharley@iusb.edu
Sau Hou Chang (IUS), faculty co-chair, sauchang@ius.edu