March 2023 D I and A Digest Header

Spring has sprung!

Campus looks and feels a little different this time of year. New buds are starting to sprout on the trees and tired winter coats are being replaced with colorful wind breakers. Snow piles are melting to make room for tulips. You also see a change in the faces as you walk across campus. Students and faculty look refreshed after a week off. There is noticeable excitement for the 89th annual E-Days weekend, and a little sadness as a great season of skiing and boarding comes to an end. We feel the changes over in Mines DI&A, too. A mix of emotions as we celebrate Dr. Landis’ tenure as Mines first Presidential Faculty Fellow for Diversity and Inclusion and what she was able to accomplish over the past five years, and excitement for what is to come under Dr. Kate Youmans’ leadership. Campus will mark the change in leadership at the Celebration of DI&A at Mines during the President’s reception on April 3. We hope you will join us for all or parts of the day-long event.

Dr. Amy E. Landis, Dr. Kate Youmans, Heather Houlton, Kelly Knechtel and Arielle Rainey
Mines DI&A 

Content This Month
    Mines DI&A announces new Presidential Faculty Fellow for Access, Attainment & Diversity

    Last month, Dr. Kate Youmans was formally announced as the next Presidential Faculty Fellow for Mines DI&A. Dr. Youmans has served as a Newmont STEM Equity Fellow, Mines DI&A Ambassador and lead instructor for the 2022 Summer Multicultural Engineering Training Program. She also currently serves on the board for the Women in Engineering Proactive Network. Dr. Amy Landis, the first Presidential Faculty Fellow for Mines DI&A, and Dr. Youmans continue to work collaboratively on transitioning leadership, which will take place next week at the Celebration of DI&A at Mines.

    The Celebration of DI&A at Mines has something for everyone

    The fourth annual Celebration of DI&A at Mines is a week away. After months of planning, the Mines DI&A team is thrilled to see such a strong response from campus. Over 185 community members and counting have registered for one or more activities happening during the nine-hour Celebration. This year’s event includes: 

    • 18 interactive workshops facilitated by Mines faculty, staff, students and corporate partners 

    • 25 academic and major campus unit diversity posters 

    • Keynote lunch from Dr. Angie Paccione, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education and a member of the Governor’s Cabinet 

    • President’s reception  

    Still need to register? Visit the event page to scope out the full agenda. The Celebration of DI&A at Mines is on Monday, April 3, 8:15 AM – 5:00 PM. Workshops will be in the Green Center and the Student Center Ballrooms. All registrants will receive a personalized email with room locations and times for the sessions they selected when they registered. 

    Campus climate survey launches this week

    Mines wants to know: What has your experience been like on campus? What can be improved at our institution? What do you need to succeed?

    We seek to create an inclusive and accessible environment where all students and employees can be fully engaged, feel safe, respected and thrive. As part of campus’ commitment to Mines@150 and the Strategic Plan for Diversity, Inclusion and Access, Mines will launch a campus-wide climate survey at the later this week. The Viewfinder survey will collect information about your experiences on campus and your perspectives regarding Mines’ strengths and opportunities for growth in the DI&A-space, broadly.

    Participation in this survey is completely anonymous. It is being administered by INSIGHT into Diversity, Campus Climate Surveys, which is an independent firm specializing in higher education climate surveys.

    Be sure to make your voice heard! When the invitation to participate lands in your inbox, don’t delay in filling out the survey. Please be sure to save enough time in your day to complete the survey. It will take around 25 minutes.

    Nominate a colleague or peer for the 2023 DI&A awards

    The annual award nomination window opened last month and runs through April 24. There are many outstanding faculty, staff, students and groups who are worthy of recognition. Consider highlighting their efforts by submitting a nomination not only to elevate their work across campus, but as a word of thanks.    

    Award recipients demonstrate an exceptional understanding of diversity and inclusiveness as represented by their efforts to: 

    • enhance inclusion through positive foster dialogue communication between people of diverse backgrounds, 

    • promote an environment free from bias and discrimination, 

    • raise awareness and lead initiatives that advance diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion, 

    • support efforts in Mines DI&A Strategic Plan and/or 

    • serve as a catalyst for change in the areas of diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion.
       

    Your stories for Neurodiversity @ Mines: Vignettes and Voices

    To begin a dialogue around neurodiversity, and to foster a more inclusive culture at Mines, Professor Susan Reynolds, a 2023 Mines DI&A Fellow, asks individuals in our community to share their stories. The survey is open to everyone (faculty, staff, and students), whether you identify as neurotypical, neurodivergent, don’t know or have no idea what the terms mean. The results of the survey will inform her future workshops and presentations on the topic. The survey closes April 7. 

    Trefny Center Spotlight Series: Reframing Rigor

    The Trefny Center announced earlier this month their April Spotlight Series on Reframing Rigor. During this series, questions such as: What is rigor? What makes a course rigorous? How can we provide students with support while maintaining rigor? will be considered. Faculty and staff who work with students are invited to join and engage in these conversations to help reframe views of rigor in higher education. More information and registration are found on the spotlight series’ flyer. 

    April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

    The Sexual Harassment & Assault, Advocacy, Prevention and Education (SHAPE) Office has a suite of tabling and learning opportunities during the month of April. These activities aim to elevate the stories of survivors and equip individuals with tools to support victims and survivors of sexual assault. SHAPE will host its annual clothesline project again next month. Shirts will be displayed in the Student Center atrium on April 18. Learn more about SHAPE and their important work on campus. 

    Deepen your diversity, equity and inclusion champion skills through AGU Landing

    AGU Leadership Academy and Network for Diversity and Inclusion in the Geosciences (LANDING) is recruiting its next cohort for aspiring diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) leaders in the geosciences. This professional development program cultivates competencies in strategic planning, understanding best practices and building evidence-based models for success. The cohorts are led by national and international DEI experts and require a two-year commitment. Learn more about AGU Landing and opportunities available to current and aspiring DEI leaders. Applications are due March 31.

    Contribute to next month’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 the next Mines DI&A Digest. Submissions must be received by the second week of the month in order to make it into the Digest.  

    Save the Dates 

    Hyperlinks = virtual meeting access information. All times are Mountain Daylight Time.  

    • 4/3 @ 8:15 AM-5:00 PM Celebration of DI&A at Mines, Green Center and Student Center 

    • 4/6 @ 10:00 AM Monthly Mines DI&A General Council meeting (open to the campus community) 

    • 4/27 @ 5:30 PM MEP Graduation Banquet, Friedhoff Hall 

    • 5/10 @ 5:00 PM The Continuum, Green Center 

    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.

    Diversity, Inclusion and Access