Note: Identity & Inclusion Series workshops taking place in April 2020 will be conducted virtually utilizing Zoom.
The Identity & Inclusion Series is a set of interactive diversity and inclusion workshops on building a socially conscious community.
Unless noted otherwise, each workshop is open to all students, faculty and staff; accessible to a variety of prior engagement levels; and facilitated with warmth by the members of the Multicultural Affairs team. Sign up for one or many!
Registration for each session will be capped to maintain a communal environment for discussion, so please only register for workshops that you will commit to attend.
Accessibility needs can be specified on the registration form. You can also email diversityed@columbia.edu.
Unconscious Bias [Monday, January 27, 8:00–10:00 p.m., 505 Lerner Hall]
Through presentation, discussion and interactive dialogue exercises, this workshop offers an overview of unconscious bias; the neural processes that guide our snap judgments; and strategies for mitigating implicit assumptions. This workshop is appropriate for individuals and cohorts of all levels of experience.
Empathic Listening (Staff/Faculty Only) [Wednesday, February 5, noon–2:00 p.m., 505 Lerner Hall]
What does it take to create an environment where students (and colleagues) feel trusted and able to be vulnerable? Through engaging and dynamic exercises, participants in this two-hour session will acquire and hone empathic listening and dialogue skills to utilize in formal and informal settings in their work at Columbia. Coffee and water will be provided. This workshop is available to staff and faculty only.
CU Safe Zone [Friday, February 14, 1:00–4:00 p.m., 505 Lerner Hall]
CU Safe Zone is a 3-hour training session that provides foundational knowledge needed to support and act in solidarity with LGBTQ+ communities at Columbia University. This campus-wide program was designed to educate and visibly identify students, faculty and staff who support the LGBTQ+ community; provide an overview of LGBTQ+ communities and some of the issues these communities face; and share various LGBTQ resources available to folks on campus.
Anti-Racism [Friday, February 21, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., 505 Lerner Hall]
Through personal reflection, interactive exercises and group dialogue, this workshop explores racial oppression and its systemic maintenance, and asks participants to consider strategies and frameworks for shifting from a “not-racist” mode to an “anti-racist” one.
Disability Justice [Wednesday, March 4, 10:00 a.m.–noon, 505 Lerner Hall]
This new curriculum from Multicultural Affairs focuses on manifestations of ablelism on campus and beyond, examines the social model of disability and asks participants to consider personal, interpersonal and institutional strategies for creating a more accessible, affirmational, pro-disabled and anti-ableist environment.
Understanding Antisemitism [Thursday, April 16, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., Zoom]
This new workshop from Multicultural Affairs explores antisemitism, an often misunderstood form of oppression, and how it manifests on campus and beyond. Through interactive exercises and group dialogue, this workshop will examine strategies for navigating contentious dialogue around antisemitism and discuss ways to act in solidarity with Jewish students and communities.
Unconscious Bias [Thursday, April 23, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., Zoom]
Through presentation, discussion and interactive dialogue exercises, this workshop offers an overview of unconscious bias; the neural processes that guide our snap judgments; and strategies for mitigating implicit assumptions. This workshop is appropriate for individuals and cohorts of all levels of experience.
CU Safe Zone [Friday, April 24, 2:00–4:00 p.m., Zoom]
CU Safe Zone is a training session that provides foundational knowledge needed to support and act in solidarity with LGBTQ+ communities at Columbia University. This campus-wide program was designed to educate and visibly identify students, faculty and staff who support the LGBTQ+ community; provide an overview of LGBTQ+ communities and some of the issues these communities face; and share various LGBTQ resources available to folks on campus.