1. Faculty Diversity Dialogue Program
James Benevides, Associate Teaching Professor, School of Biological Sciences
Stephen Dilks, Professor, College of Arts and Sciences
Jennifer Hunter, Associate Professor, School of Nursing
Orisa Igwe, Associate Professor, School of Pharmacy
Johanna Nilsson, Professor, School of Education
Jennifer Santee, Clinical Associate Professor, School of Pharmacy
Fariha Shafi, Associate Professor, School of Medicine

2. Introduction Purpose:
Create a faculty-led dialogue program with an established organizational structure responsible for planning and facilitating regular and sustainable diversity and inclusion conversations
Enhance faculty capacity to have respectful, quality dialogue about diversity, equity, and inclusion and to share strategies that promote responsive teaching and research
Provide a venue for faculty to develop and suggest action steps to the faculty senate and administration

3. History
In the fall of 2015, the Vice Chancellor of Diversity and Inclusion convened a group of faculty to discuss how to provide faculty development opportunities
In fall of 2015, a subcommittee, made up of volunteers from the larger committee, was formed to create a program based on the suggestions from the larger committee
We met several times during Spring , Summer, and Fall of 2016
We concluded that a successful program should be dynamic, characterized by timely topics, promote dialogue rather than be didactic, and provide a safe environment where confidentiality and respect are maintained
A proposal was developed and presented to the Provost and the Vice Chancellor of Diversity and Inclusion to seek support and funding
They agreed to support and fund this program
Timely topics: Faculty have so much going on that if a training is about something they are not dealing with right now (for e.g. something that came up in a class that you are teaching), it’s difficult to commit yourself to really understand the information when you have conflicting priorities.
Dialogue vs didactic: With dialogue you have a voice in the direction of your learning – you can tailor the instruction to what it is that you need. Didactic suggests that there is one right way of doing things whereas dialogue is collaborative.
Confidentiality & respect: Issues surrounding diversity and inclusion are sensitive. Faculty may not feel comfortable discussing these issues without confidentiality and respect.

4. Our Proposal
Faculty are invited to engage in hour-long dialogues on issues of diversity and inclusion (personal, institutional, cultural)
Dialogue sessions to occur over the lunch hour; lunch will be provided
3 topics per semester will be explored; sessions will be held on both the Volker and Hospital Hill campuses (6 sessions altogether)
Each topic will be decided upon no earlier than the prior semester
Examples of possible topics
Political correctness/Language in the classroom
Gender neutral bathrooms
How to hire and retain under-represented minority faculty
Recognition of diversity and inclusion in the promotion and tenure process

5. Our Proposal Start the program Fall 2017
Advisory board – faculty representatives
Selects topics from those suggested by faculty
Selects facilitator for each dialogue
Assesses success of the program
Faculty coordinator – Stephen Dilks
Markets program to faculty
Informs staff and students of program initiatives
Coordinates and attends advisory board meetings as ex-officio
Assists advisory board in evaluating program
Attends all dialogue sessions to maintain confidentiality and civility as well as spark conversation
Communicates to administration so that funding continues and action steps developed by faculty are taken into account by administration
What is left to plan: connection to faculty senate

6. Question for Faculty Senate
This is a program developed by faculty, for faculty
What should the link to the senate be, for example
Advisory board makes regular reports to senate?
Member of senate serves on advisory board?
How can the senate use this program to convey the concerns of the faculty regarding issues of diversity and inclusion?