October NatSci DEI Newsletter

Welcome to the October 2023 version of our NatSci DEI Newsletter!

In this issue

Upcoming events and sponsorships
Cultural Competency Workshops
Lifelong learning
Health and well-being
Action list
Recognitions
Contact us

Photo by Steve Sutter

Upcoming events and sponsorships

Amplify STEM Zoom webinar: Dr. Ebony McGee, Author of Black, Brown, Bruised How Racialized STEM Education Stifles Innovation.

Date: Friday October 13th

Time: 11am-1pm EST

Link to register.

Open to all members of the university.

Dr. Ebony McGee of Johns Hopkins University is a Professor in the School of Education. Dr. McGee is an electrical engineer by training and an 11-time NSF investigator awardee. She is the leading expert on the experiences and mental health consequences of seeking STEM training and occupations for Black students. She also investigates student resiliency, wellness, mental health, and identity development in this context. She founded Racial Revolutionary and Inclusive Guidance for Health Throughout STEM (R-RIGHTS) and co-founded the Explorations in Diversifying Engineering Faculty Initiative (EDEFI), as well as the Institute in Critical Quantitative and Mixed Methodologies Training for Underrepresented Scholars (ICQCM), with support from the National Science Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, and the WT Grant Foundation.

The College of Natural Science and Community Mental Health Authority of Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham Counties are hosting a Mental Health First Aid Training, Friday, November 3rd from 9am-3:30pm for NatSci employees. This training will be in-person at a location TBD at a later date. Participants are expected to attend the entire training. Please do not sign up if you have work or other commitments that conflict with this session. Food will not be provided. Please bring a lunch and snacks. To sign up for the training, use the link below.

bit.ly/3P2XzfY

The Mental Health First Aid Training website

The NatSci DEI Office is hosting Dr. Vanessa Holmes from the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion for a DEI training for 30 undergraduate students.

Addressing Implicit Bias and Building Inclusive Communities at MSU

Friday, October 6^th, 11:30am-1pm

C301 Snyder Hall

During this 90-minute workshop, participants will learn to define implicit bias, gain strategies on how to mitigate this barrier, and understand the negative impact implicit bias has on building inclusive university communities

Registration link: https://bit.ly/47F4bZd

The NatSci DEI Office alongside the Prevention, Outreach, and Education Department (POE) is holding a Bystander Intervention workshop, Friday, October 20th from 1-2:30pm, location TBD. This will be open to the first 50 NatSci employees and graduate students that register for the training.

In this Bystander Intervention workshop, we will discuss ways to challenge, interrupt, and prevent gender-based violence and other forms of oppression based on social identities by being active bystanders. Participants will explore and reflect on how identities and lived experiences may impact their decision to intervene. This workshop will explore what bystander intervention is, specific skills and behaviors to use, and opportunities to practice using scenarios.

Registration: Link to register here.

We are excited to introduce the BioSci Fellows Program, an initiative aimed at enhancing the experiences of the diversity of students in BioSci courses! We believe that diversity of identities and experiences enriches our community and enables us to create a more inclusive and supportive learning environment.

As a BioSci Peer Leader, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the BioSci Fellows Program. You will work closely with Faculty Mentors and fellow Peer Mentors to share your experiences, engage in educational discussions, collect and analyze data, and plan Spring 2024 program sessions.

· Drawing from your own journey as a BioSci student, you will share insights, challenges, and successes to help create a supportive and relatable atmosphere for your peers.

· You will have the opportunity to read and discuss relevant education literature, allowing you to gain a deeper understanding of effective teaching and learning practices.

· You will actively engage in classroom observations, focus groups, or interviews to collect valuable information about the student experience, which will in turn inform program development.

· Collaboratively plan and execute program sessions for BioSci Fellows, focusing on sharing knowledge, strategies for learning, and developing crucial professional skills.

We look forward to your application for best consideration by Monday October 9! Email [email protected] if you have any questions.

Digital Accessibility

Did you know?

Research shows that 71% of students without hearing difficulties use captions when available for videos at least some of the time. Of those students, 75% report using them as a learning tool, and 98% report finding captions helpful (Linder, 2016). Providing captions to meet accessibility standards helps the majority of students, even those that are not hearing impaired.

Schedule a consultation

Need assistance or advice about accessibility in your classroom? Request an accessibility consultation with the Instructional Technology and Development group.

Do you want to learn more about how to create accessible digital media for your courses? Join the “Creating Accessible Digital Media” workshop on Oct 5 to learn strategies and key considerations for making your video, audio, and graphic content inclusive and accessible.

Amplify STEM is holding a video initiative this year! Help us amplify the voices of STEM professionals from underrepresented backgrounds! Create a 2-5 minute video highlighting an underrepresented STEM professional, professionals can be past or present. Creators of selected videos will also receive a free Amplify STEM t-shirt. Open to students and employees.

Information and submission link site here.

Cultural Competency Workshops

Registration is now open for the Fall 2023 semester NatSci Cultural Competency Workshops for MSU NatSci employees and graduate students! The remaining three workshops are full, however we do have a waitlist you can sign up for in case someone does cancel.

Our workshops are held on:

Fridays, Oct. 20th-Nov. 10th, 9-11:30am, virtual.
Facilitators: Ariel Robbins, Sheba Onchiri, and Claire Vieille

Thursdays, Nov. 9th, 16th, 30th, and Dec. 7th, 1-3:30pm, virtual.
Facilitators: Jerry Caldwell, Devin Silvia, and Kendra Pyle

Dec. 19th-22nd, 9-11:30am, in-person, location TBD
Facilitators: Jonglim Han and Kendra Pyle

To learn more about the NatSci Cultural Competency Workshop click here.

Lifelong Learning

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), celebrating America's workers with disabilities.

Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century: Unabridged Selections

Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be an Ally

Autism Equality in the Workplace: Removing Barriers and Challenging Discrimination

Evaluating Mental Health Disability in the Workplace: Model, Process, and Analysis

Hidden Disabilities in the Workplace

Mental Health and well-being

Please take care of your health and well-being. Please use the resources below for support.

Action list

One of the main goals of NDEAM Month is to encourage year-round activities and strategies for employers to accommodate disability in their workplaces:

Year-Round Employer Strategies for Advancing Disability Inclusion

This link features 10 important ideas and strategies employers can use to engage disability in their diversity efforts.

Building an inclusive workforce.

This 17 page pdf will help you to encourage hiring and retaining of employees with disabilities.

Disability etiquette

This link will help outline etiquette for those with disabilities in the recruiting, hiring, and retainment process of the workplace.

OCR VP shares 2023 notice of non-discrimination and mandatory reporting policy

The vice president and Title IX coordinator Laura Rugless has issued a letter regarding MSU's policies on non-discrimination and its updated mandatory reporting policy.

Dr. Jabbar Bennett, Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer releases September DEI update newsletter

Included in the newsletter are updates on the Summer Leadership Institute, and numerous diversity, equity, and inclusion updates.