Program curriculum planning: develop programming for diverse audiences

• Take an asset-based approach rather than a deficit-based approach when designing programming for students from historically marginalized backgrounds. Asset-based approaches focus on strengths and potential, not perceived deficiencies, of diverse groups.

• Collect demographic data to assess who is being reached by your programs, with special attention to groups historically underrepresented and/or marginalized in graduate education. Use inclusive instruments to collect demographic data. Examine which groups you are serving with your programs and which groups are under-served.

• Regularly conduct needs assessment to determine wants/needs/gaps in your programming, particularly for students and postdoctoral fellows from underrepresented and marginalized groups.

• Host programming for identity-based affinity groups, such as first-generation students; parents; students with disabilities; LGBTQIA; Black, Indigenous and People of Color; international students, etc. Whenever possible, partner with campus units who specialize in supporting these different groups (DEI office, international center, LGBTQIA center, students with disabilities office, multicultural center, etc.) to implement high-quality, informed programming.

• When inviting panelists or external presenters, invite guests from diverse backgrounds in terms of gender, race, nationality, discipline, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, etc. In doing so, also be mindful of the “invisible tax” by not over-burdening guests from historically marginalized backgrounds with frequent requests.

• Co-sponsor student-led events that support underrepresented voices.

• Offer training on culturally aware career mentorship for faculty mentors, and training on Mentoring Up for grad students and postdocs.

• Provide training that helps graduate students and postdoctoral fellows increase their competencies related to DEI, e.g. workshops on unconscious bias, social identity awareness, bystander intervention strategies, anti-racism, etc.

• Use cohort-based models to ensure a space with open dialogue that builds community across disciplines and between graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

• If and when possible, match graduate students and postdocs with career mentors based on their backgrounds, salient social identities and experiences.

• Organize information about employers that value diversity and are committed to equity, and aggregate information about which companies are socially responsible.

Before programs: design for accessibility and inclusion

• Ask program participants what their accessibility needs are on event registration forms.

• Avoid scheduling programs on days of religious observance.

• Take into consideration how timing of programs may impact attendees with family care and parental responsibilities.

• Choose physically accessible and inclusive locations for programs. Take into consideration rooms with convenient elevator access if they’re on upper floors, select rooms with chairs/tables that are moveable, make sure participants have a choice of places to sit/stand, reserve rooms with microphones so that presenters can be heard by program participants with a range of hearing abilities, choose locations where there are gender inclusive restrooms and lactation rooms nearby, etc. This website is a good starting place on (dis)ability accessibility for events.

• Prepare handouts of slides with enlarged font versions and make them available at programs.

• In addition to using color to distinguish comparative elements in graphs, add patterning for those with color deficiencies. Test images for how they will be perceived by those with different color deficiencies.

• When hosting virtual events, arrange for closed captioning and provide instructions for accessing closed captions on the platform being used.

• When you plan to serve food, ask participants of any dietary accommodations. Offer vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options, and avoid meats (e.g., pork) that many religious groups cannot consume.

• When serving food at events, consider a diverse range of catering options that represents the national and ethnic diversity of your student/postdoctoral fellow community.

• Assess your website, including event listing and registration pages, for accessibility.

During programs: employ inclusive practices during programs

• Employ universal design strategies; use multiple means of representation, expression, and engagement. For example, when presenting, verbally describe visual information (images, graphs, figures) on screen or slides.

• Communicate ground rules for participation/community guidelines during programs, emphasizing explicitly the importance of respecting people’s differences and creating an inclusive environment. Examples can be found here (from University of MI) and here (from the Center for Courage & Renewal).

• Explicitly discuss structural inequities in graduate education and/or graduate career development, e.g., discuss gender and racial pay gaps and equity when presenting on salary negotiation, discuss stereotype threat and systemic bias when presenting on imposter syndrome, discuss cultural differences in networking norms, etc.

• Use closed captions for any videos or audio clips played during presentations. For virtual events, provide clarity on how to access captions.

• Use a microphone so those with a range of hearing abilities can hear you.

• Have name tags and pronoun stickers available for participants and facilitators so everyone is invited (but not required) to share their names and pronouns. For virtual events, give instructions for adding pronouns to one’s screen name. This National Center for Institutional Diversity article on pronoun sharing is a helpful introduction to this inclusive practice.

• Use diverse examples and imagery in presentations to be inclusive of the range of social identities represented among your graduate students/postdoctoral fellows.

Do your inner work and regularly develop your DEI skills

• Adopt a lifelong learner, growth mindset and regularly seek opportunities to develop your DEI skills.

• Especially if you identify as white or white-passing, take anti-racism training, which may be available on your campus. This online resource for White Accomplices has resources and links to training. Consider reading Robin DiAngelo’s book, White Fragility, and Layla F. Saad’s book, Me and White Supremacy.

• Take unconscious bias training, which may be available on your campus. Consider reading Jennifer L. Eberhardt’s book, Biased, and Dolly Chugh’s book, The Person You Mean to Be.

• Take (dis)ability inclusion and universal design training, which may be available through your teaching center, ADA compliance office or students with disabilities office. Read this open source article: Dolmage, J. (2015). Universal Design: Places to Start. Disability Studies Quarterly, 35(2). (available http://dsq-sds.org/article/view/4632/3946)

• Take LGBTQIA ally training through your LGBTQIA support office. The Safe Zone project has a free online course.

• Take intergroup/sustained dialogue training, which may be available on your campus. If not, Intergroup Resources has online training resources and curricula.

• Take inclusive teaching/facilitation training at your campus teaching center. If not available on your campus, the University of Michigan’s teaching center page has inclusive teaching resources.

• Take ally training to learn about supporting undocumented student populations through your international center or legal services office. If not available on your campus, see this resource from UC Davis.

• Take intercultural development training at your campus multicultural center, teaching center and/or international center. If not available on your campus, Coursera has a course on Intercultural Communication and Conflict Resolution.

Created by Drs. Millie Copara, Laura Schram, Deborah Willis