Keep growing. Keep learning.
Diversity work is always on the move. The breadth and depth of learning opportunities is deep and wide. The Mines DI&A team and campus partners actively work throughout the year to create opportunities for campus to get involved in diversity, equity and inclusion topics and engage with one another in transformative learning and skill building experiences. Many of these opportunities take the form of peer-led workshops offered through the Ambassador, Advocates, Peer Educator and SAFEzone programs. If assembling a group for a workshop seems hard, don’t despair, there are several new activities featured in this month’s DI&A Digest you can do solo or with a friend. We are thankful for the ways you continue to invest in yourself and others through the gift of learning and engagement.
Dr. Amy E. Landis, Tammy Curry, Heather Houlton, Kelly Knechtel and Arielle Rainey
Mines DI&A
Content This Month
- Celebration of DI&A at Mines, call for workshop proposals
- Call for reviewers
- Culture, not costume
- Join a bi-weekly learning community to strengthen your advocacy skills
- Student organization spotlight: International Student Council
- Engineering, Design & Society and Humanitarian Engineering & Science host lecturer Dr. Erin Chech for two campus-wide learning opportunities
- Proceeds from the Administrative Faculty Council’s Autumn Harvest Market to support the Employee Relief Fund
- STEM demo designers needed for K-12 virtual classroom takeover
- Contribute to next month’s Mines DI&A Digest
- Save the dates
Celebration of DI&A at Mines, call for workshop proposals
Save the date! The 4th annual Celebration of DI&A at Mines returns to campus on Monday, March 13, 2023. We invite you to submit a proposal to facilitate an interactive 50-minute breakout session during the event. Want to lead a discussion on a timely DI&A topic? Want to share DI&A efforts you’ve incorporated in your class to help foster a greater sense of belonging? We want to read your ideas. Proposals are due January 23, 2023 and will be reviewed by a small committee of faculty, staff and students. Mines DI&A will cover all your expenses associated with facilitating your workshop and lead the marketing efforts to drum up enthusiasm for your session.
Call for reviewers
Scattered throughout the year, the Mines DI&A team and other campus partners review applications for the Ambassadors, Fellows, DI&A awards, small community grants and other activities. We are looking for four-five people to join the review and selection committees. The time commitment is minimal—no more than an hour or two —every couple of months. Reviewers are provided with a scoring rubric and anonymized application materials to make the process run smoothly. This is a great service role to campus and a way to learn about all the impactful things that are happening across campus that align with MINES@150 and the DI&A Strategic Plan. If interested in joining, please email diversity@mines.edu with Review Committee in the subject line.
Join a bi-weekly learning community to strengthen your advocacy skills
If you’ve attended a DI&A workshop in the past or more recently, you may be looking for ways to continue practicing your new advocacy skills. You’re invited to join a learning community this semester: Unconscious Bias & Microaggression Bystander – designed for the entire Oredigger community. The scenario-based experience provides an opportunity to practice and receive feedback on ways to respond to incidents of unconscious bias or microaggressions experienced by fellow Orediggers. The communities also unite colleagues and peers across campus who are committed to fostering a more equitable and inclusive campus. The only homework is putting what you learned into practice. The community is facilitated by Dr. Amy Landis and a Mines DI&A Ambassador. Email diversity@mines.edu to receive the virtual meeting access information.
Student organization spotlight: International Student Council
The International Student Council (ISC) is a non-profit governing body that represents all international organizations at Mines. As a campus representative of the international community, ISC aims to create a platform to ensure and enhance communication and cooperation among international students, other organizations and the school. ISC works closely with the International Office in organizing events that promote cross-cultural understanding and raise awareness to bridge the gap between international and non-international students. In addition, as a voice for the international student population at Mines, ISC addresses issues and concerns associated with international and exchange students on campus. Currently, ISC oversees and coordinates 14 international student organizations. One of ISC’s biggest programs held yearly is International Day (I-day). This event allows international students to showcase their culture through themselves, which includes preparing and sharing food with others. In addition to this, cultures are represented through a talent show. I-day is held on November 5th from 5:00 to 9:00 PM in Green Center, Friedhoff Hall. Food sampling will be from 5:00-7:00 PM followed by the talent performances starting at 7:00 PM.
Engineering, Design & Society and Humanitarian Engineering & Science host lecturer Dr. Erin Chech for two campus-wide learning opportunities
Campus is invited to two events hosted by the department of Engineering, Design & Society and Humanitarian Engineering & Science the week of October 24. Dr. Erin Cech, a sociologist, engineering studies scholar and engineering education researcher will lead a discussion on the book Misconceiving Merit: Paradoxes of Excellence and Devotion in Academic Science and Engineering on Thursday, October 27 at 5:00 (Green Center 217) and a lecture the next day on The Trouble with Passion: How Searching for Fulfillment at Work Fosters Inequity (October 28, 2:00-3:30 PM, Hill Hall 204). You’re bound to leave both events with some new kernels of wisdom and deeper knowledge of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Proceeds from the Administrative Faculty Council’s Autumn Harvest Market to support the Employee Relief Fund
The Autumn Harvest Market returns to campus on Tuesday, November 15, 11:00 AM-3:00 PM, Student Center Grand Ballroom. Students, staff, faculty and Golden partners donate baked goods, crafts, services, gift cards, products and more for purchase, just in time for the holiday season! Some items will be for sale, some items will be for auction and others will be door prizes just for visiting the event, volunteering or donating. Proceeds will go to the Mines Employee Relief Fund, a financial support resource that was established in spring 2020. The fund has supported 11 employees, averaging $750 per recipient. Money has been used to help cover unexpected medical expenses, expenses incurred by COVID-19 or medical equipment. Donate a good, service or skill to the Autumn Harvest by completing a short intake form.
STEM demo designers needed for K-12 virtual classroom takeover
Mines has expanded access to its outstanding K-12 outreach programs through virtual classroom experiences. In the program’s second semester, the K-12 Virtual Classroom Takeover aims to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers by bringing Mines students to classrooms across the state of Colorado. The experience involves Mines students zooming into classrooms for a 45-minute “takeover,” which includes a short interactive STEM lesson, an overview of Mines and a Q&A panel. Project designers and demo facilitators are needed for grades K-12. If interested in learning more about the program or contributing an idea, contact Kelly Knechtel knechtel@mines.edu. Prep and facilitation are compensated at $15/hour.
Contribute to November’s Mines DI&A Digest
Help us highlight the work you or your department is doing across campus to support DI&A at Mines by submitting a brief article to November’s Mines DI&A Digest. Submissions must be received by the first week of November in order to make it into the Digest.
Hyperlinks = virtual meeting access information. All times are Mountain Daylight Time.
-
11/1 @ 10:00 AM Mines DI&A Council Monthly Meeting-General. Open to all Orediggers.
-
11/2 @ 11:00-11:30 AM Unconscious Bias & Microaggressions Bystander Learning Community
-
11/5 @ 5:00-9:00 PM International Day (I-day), Friedhoff Hall
-
11/15 @ 11:00 AM-3:00 PM AFC’s Autum Harvest Market, Student Center Grand Ballroom
-
11/16 @ 11:00-11:30 AM Unconscious Bias & Microaggressions Bystander Learning Community
-
11/16 @11:45 AM-1:00 PM Wednesdays with WISEM featuring Dr. Iris Bahar, Department Head Computer Science, Friedhoff Hall
-
As always, we welcome your ideas, thoughts and feedback at diversity@mines.edu.
Thank you for being a member of an inclusive Oredigger community and an advocate and ally for positive social change.
