The Equity and Diversity Certificate is a program developed by the University of Minnesota System’s Office of Equity and Diversity. This ally model series of workshops help participants develop tools necessary for advancing equity and diversity in all aspects of their personal and professional lives. It’s free of charge and open to all faculty and staff on all University of Minnesota campuses.
The Office for Equity and Diversity and the University Wellbeing Program are collaborating for the 2023-2024 academic year to provide system-wide virtual ECHO programming. Learn more about the complexities of the medical industrial complex and how that interacts with this program here.
For details and workshop descriptions - click here.
Fall 2024 Offerings at the UM, Duluth campus
This fall, we will offer five UM Equity Certificate Hosted Online (ECHO) program courses. The UMD Office of Diversity & Inclusion partners with the UM Office for Equity and Diversity (OED) Education Program to offer these courses to UMD faculty, staff, and students.
Each course consists of three learning activities: reading materials, watching or listening to media clips, and group discussion participation. Depending on the spots available, learners can choose to take the courses at UMD ECHO and/or UM ECHO courses.
Registration Information
The Equity Certificate Hosted Online (ECHO) program is free for all current staff, faculty and students on all five system campuses.
ECHO Workshop - My Role in Equity and Diversity
Tuesday, September 10, 10am - 11:30am - Zoom
Thursday, September 12, 1pm - 2:30pm - KSC 268 (in-person)
Tuesday, Nov 12, 12:30pm - 2:00pm - Griggs Center (in-person) - Student Only
If “Diversity is everybody’s everyday work,” what is my role? This foundational course introduces participants to the core concepts around equity, diversity, and social justice. Key topics include foundational terminology, understanding our own identities, exploring bias and oppression, and how to work to be an ally, an advocate, and an accomplice to uplift, support, and actively fight for equity and diversity.
ECHO Workshop - Navigating Challenging Conversations
Monday, September 30, 1:00pm to 2:30pm - Zoom
Tuesday, October 1, 10:00 am to 11:30 am - KSC 268
Wednesday, October 2, 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm - Griggs Center (in-person) Student Only
This workshop addresses one of the most significant aspects of equity and diversity work: navigating challenging conversations. In each of our ongoing developmental paths around equity, diversity, and social justice, we will find ourselves in more situations that call for self-reflection, careful listening, nuanced language, and thoughtful questions. This workshop introduces skills in the following areas: noticing and naming our own triggers and activation, developing nuance in our understanding of our intentions, and developing empathy and active listening skills when we impact others.
ECHO Workshop - Addressing Implicit Bias and Microagressions
Tuesday, Oct 8, 10am - 11:30am - Zoom
Thursday, Oct 10, 1 pm - 2:30 pm - KSC 268 (in-person)
Tuesday, Oct 15, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm - Griggs Center (in-person) Student Only
The University of Minnesota is committed to increasing equity and diversity among its staff, faculty, and students. This includes supporting people of color, people who identify as women, people with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, and other identities across campus. It is essential to recognize and address the presence of implicit bias and microaggressions in our everyday lives. This course explores the concept of implicit bias and how it produces microaggressions that can impact the classroom, work, and social environments. Participants will also be prompted to interactively apply skills in acknowledging and actively addressing bias and microaggressions to use in their everyday lives.
ECHO Workshop - Removing Barriers and Creating Access
Tuesday, November 12, 2:00pm - 3:30pm - Zoom
Thursday, November 14, 9:00am - 10:30am in KSC 268 (in-person)
Growing out of efforts to increase access for marginalized people with disabilities in social justice organizing, creating access refers to an approach toward inclusion that envisions a world where everyone's needs are understood as valid. Whether it's captioning, gender-neutral restrooms, rooms for silent prayer, curb cuts, or inclusive language, the work of equity and diversity involves paying attention to how we design our classrooms, labs, offices, residence halls, work, curricula, and events to be as welcoming and inclusive as possible. In this course, learners will engage in critical concepts of access and accommodations and are given opportunities to assess the inclusivity of their own spaces, products, and communities.
ECHO Workshop - Religious and Spiritual Identities
Monday, December 2, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm - Zoom
Tuesday, December 3, 10:00 am - 11:30 am - KSC 268 (in-person)
For many people, religion and spirituality are deeply personal and create values that offer a sense of purpose and community. However, religion may be seen as either impolite to talk about or as dangerously divisive in the public sphere. This course will explore how religious, spiritual, and humanist identities interact with culture and other social identities, as well as explore dynamics of power and privilege within historical and modern contexts.
The Equity and Diversity Certificate helps participants develop tools necessary for advancing equity and diversity in all aspects of their personal and professional lives. It’s free of charge and open to all faculty, staff, and students on all University of Minnesota campuses.
For more information about the certificate program, registration, or to request disability accommodations, contact Susana Pelayo-Woodward at [email protected] or 218-726-8444