Issue 28
Diversity on Campus:
Monthly Newsletter | February 2023
Welcome to the February Issue of Diversity on Campus!

Although a cold month, life on campus has not slowed down; instead the division has seen OU's community moving far and wide with programs, heritage events and camps outreach. We cannot wait to see what the rest of the spring semester brings.

As always, thank you for reading!

Sincerely,
DEI Team
From the VP Desk
Be a Difference Maker

February is the month of love, a celebration of Black History and random acts of kindness. However you choose to celebrate the month, I hope you will work toward improving the conditions that matter to students, staff and faculty members across OU! We all have the power to impact positive change. Participation in the educational experience is a privilege but a mere hope and dream for so many. As we continue to move through the year 2023, look for opportunities to enrich someone else’s life, whether through a mentoring relationship, random acts of kindness or by providing an intentional opportunity. We all can make a difference! I encourage you to work to make a difference and enrich other people’s life experiences. Improving campus culture and being a difference maker is about holding ourselves accountable for cultivating the climate that we say matters. Jeremy Bravo said, “Great leaders don’t set out to be a leader… They set out to make a difference. It’s never about the role; it’s always about the goal.”

Warmly,

Belinda Higgs Hyppolite, Ed.D.
Vice President | Chief Diversity Officer
Our Division
Office of DEI
The Office of DEI alongside other campus partners has announced the 2023 International Women’s Day Luncheon. This year’s theme is Embracing Equity: Celebrating Women’s Achievements.

The luncheon will feature VP Hyppolite, Ashley Harroz and keynote speaker professor Mpume Zondi, the head of the Department of African Languages at the University of Pretoria, as they discuss victories earned and paths forward to secure equity for women.
TRIO Center

Focusing on our program participants’ success, Project Threshold provides a personalized approach to offering support services for eligible students who may face challenges on campus. Threshold is instituting new programming for the spring semester to increase engagement and networking opportunities. Each week of the month on varying days, Threshold will sponsor the following activities:
 
·         Evening study hall
·         Come-and-go taco lunch
·         Service-learning project
·         Group drop-in hours
 
Dates and details for each event will be shared via email. Please visit our website for more information about Project Threshold or to see if you are eligible.
Chelle Guttery
ADRC

Chelle’ Guttery will retire from the University of Oklahoma on Feb. 24, 2023.

Guttery joined the Accessibility and Disability Resource Center as director in November of 2012 and has served as the director to date. 

A retirement celebration for the director took place on Feb. 21.

Read Hyppolite’s letter to the OU community commemorating Guttery’s time and contributions to the university and the ADRC...
Become a Catalyst of Change With D.O.V.
To help ensure the university is a place of belonging for all, join the Diversity Outreach Volunteer program.

As a D.O.V., you can help foster community as you develop connections across campuses.
Are you ready?

Campus-Wide
News and Involvement Opportunities
Deans Aisha Owusu and Yvette Walker host Back to Our Roots program at the National Weather Center
On Feb. 21 Deans Owusu and Walker hosted a program dedicated to natural hair with a group of panelists alongside vendors devoted to natural haircare and Black-owned baked goods.

Panelists discussed their hair journeys, handling conflict surrounding hair expression and providing advice on self-expression in both professional and academic spaces.

The session also introduced attendees to the ongoing CROWN Act movement, an initiative to protect all-natural and protective hairstyles, for persons in the workplace on a federal level.

To learn more about The CROWN Act...
The Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion wants to provide its campus partners the ability to share their events, webinars, tutorials and other items related to DEI. If selected, your materials will be listed on the DEI website.
Training and Development
Office of DEI Trainings

In a community of care, members are engaged in continuous education via workshops and training sessions like the ones scheduled by the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. View the training schedule for the spring semester...
OU Employee Resource Groups

At OU, the Employee Resource Groups are an open forum for individuals with a shared identity to build community and a place of belonging.

ERGs are available at all three campuses and include Black faculty and staff, African American faculty and staff (OU Health), Latinx Coalition, Indigenous Faculty and Staff Circle, LGBTQ+ faculty and staff, Iranian faculty and staff, and Asian Pacific Islander Desi Indian faculty and staff.

To learn more, visit the ERG webpage at ou.edu/diversity/about/erg.
Monthly Observance:
February 2023
Discover the celebrations, observances and awareness initiatives of February.