Diversity and Social Justice Staff Training Project

For the past many months, your AIMHO Diversity and Social Justice (D&SJ) Committee has been hard at work contacting AIMHO schools to ask one thing – how do you “do” diversity and social justice training for your staff, if at all? Coming out of a conversation at AIMHO 2010 during a social justice roundtable, it was clear that while many of us are engaging in this important work with our staff and students, we weren’t communicating with one another about our training and programming efforts. “Wouldn’t it be great if someone contacted all the AIMHO schools to see how other campuses approach diversity and social justice training and programming?” we thought.

So that’s just what we did! D&SJ committee members Bailey Borman (ASU), John Buchanan (Fort Lewis College), Ariela Canizal (CSU), Malinda Jensen (Boise State), Johanna Karasik (UC), Jeanette Pacheco (NAU), Ana Romero (NAU), Nicole Stella (UNC), and James Wagner (UI) all spent time contacting AIMHO schools to ask about your training process.

After speaking with 27 different institutions, we found that nearly all schools interviewed are doing some kind of diversity and social justice training for professional/graduate, and student staff. We were excited to learn the average time spent on diversity and social justice training was at least half a day, with many doing a full day’s worth of training! Many schools also require on-going training in this area, both through in-services and spring training sessions. The majority of schools interviewed conducted the training sessions “in house” – either with Residence Life staff, or other campus partners such as the Multicultural Office.

One particular resource we wanted to highlight came from our interview with Naropa University – the article “Stages of Inclusion in Residential Halls” available  from the Ed Chane Multicultural Pavillion (www.edchange.org/multicultural/resources/residence.html). We found this short piece particularly poignant as a frame of reference for Naropa’s approach to diversity and social justice, and thought it was an important reminder for all of us engaged in this work – why and how do you do social justice training and programming? Is it because you are actively trying to work for equity, inclusion, and access for all, or only because you’re required to? We encourage you to take a look at the article, and use it to frame the conversations your staff has when it comes to social justice in residence life.

The full information from each school can be found below. Notes from each school interviewed include:

• Name of School, Location
• School contact for the project (who did we interview)
• On-campus population:
• Number of professional/graduate staff:
• Number of RAs:
• Is Diversity & Social Justice Training required?
• If so, for how long?
• Who facilitates the trainings?
• Points to highlight from the interview:
• Any resources shared (websites, list of attachments, etc):

Again, thank you sincerely to all the schools who helped us with this almost year long project. It was invigorating to speak with each of you and hear how you are doing the important work of access, inclusion, and social justice on your campuses. Thank you for your time, your dedication, and about all your commitment to equity and equality!!!

Sincerely,
The AIMHO Diversity and Social Justice Committee

SCHOOLS INTERVIEWED:
1) NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY – FLAGSTAFF, AZ
2) THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA – TUCSON, AZ
3) WESTERN STATE COLLEGE OF COLORADO – GUNNISON, CO
4) COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY – FORT COLLINS, CO
5) UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN COLORADO – GREELEY, CO
6) COLORADO HEIGHTS UNIVERSITY – DENVER, CO
7) NAROPA UNIVERSITY – BOULDER, CO
8) BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY – BOISE, ID
9) NORTH IDAHO COLLEGE - COEUR D’ALENE, ID
10) UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO – MOSCOW, ID
11) MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHERN – HAVRE, MT
12) ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGE – BILLINGS, MT
13) THE UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA – MISSOULA, MT
14) UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, LAS VEGAS – LAS VEGAS, NV
15) UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO – RENO, NV
16) EASTERN NEW MEXICO UNIVERSITY - PORTALES, NM
17) SANTE FE UNIVERSITY OF ART AND DESIGN - SANTA FE, NM
18) UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO - ALBUQUERQUE, NM
19) UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY - LOGAN, UT
20) COLLEGE OF EASTERN UTAH (OF USU) - PRICE, UT
21) DIXIE STATE COLLEGE OF UTAH – ST. GEORGE, UT
22) UNIVERSITY OF UTAH – SALT LAKE CITY, UT
23) SOUTHERN UTAH UNIVERSITY – CEDAR CITY, UT
24) EASTERN WYOMING COLLEGE – TORRINGTON, WY
25) SHERIDAN COLLEGE – SHERIDAN, WY
26) THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING – LARAMIE, WY
27) WESTERN WYOMING COMMUNITY COLLEGE – ROCK SPRINGS, WY