A. Ray Olpin University Union

The University of Utah

Union EDI Initiatives

Acknowledgment

The A. Ray Olpin Union, often known as “The Union,” tries to encompass an inclusive environment where students can feel safe and welcome, therefore inspiring aspirations in students to reach their full potential. We also acknowledge that, at times, we have failed in those objectives. We also understand that there will be marginalized individuals who may not feel represented in this plan and that no EDI plan will be able to adequately represent all people; however, as the A. Ray Olpin Union, we are committed to standing against racism and continuously working on ways to be more inclusive. We will be proactive in our approaches and not just implement policies reactively as we believe the A. Ray Olpin Union should always strive for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Found in the document below, you can find our Anti-Racism Plan. 

A.RayOlpinUnion_Anti-RacismPlan

The Union values diversity and promotes a safe and welcoming atmosphere where all students are inspired to realize their potential. The Union is continually working on equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) initiatives, and this web page is where we will share in-progress, future, and completed initiatives.

A. Ray Olpin Union Administration

The Union values diversity and promotes a safe and welcoming atmosphere where all students are inspired to realize their potential. The Union is continually working on equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) initiatives, and this web page is where we will share in-progress, future, and completed initiatives.

 

In-progress:
    • Adding EDI Initiatives to the Union Website
    • The Union will add and maintain a section of the Union website with content that supports EDI initiatives. This section will include what the department is working on as well as additional resources available to students across campus.
    • Adding Pronouns to Email Signatures. Pronouns are one of the ways we portray our identities. To be more inclusive, our staff will share our preferred pronouns in our email signatures.
    • Staff EDI Trainings. Union Staff will attend at least one training or educational session monthly with an emphasis on equity, diversity, and inclusion. Staff will also watch and reflect on a University of Utah forum discussion entitled, A Call for Racial Healing.
    • Art Committee: The Union is developing an art committee that, among other responsibilities, will review current art in the building and select new art representing a diverse range of backgrounds and identities. What is displayed in different spaces can greatly affect one’s sense of belonging.
    • EDI Advertising for Student Affairs: The Union will offer advertising resources to other Student Affairs departments in an effort to promote and expand EDI initiatives across the Student Affairs Division.
    • State of the Union: The Union will host an event named “The State of the Union,” in which departments that reside in the Union will be invited to share their EDI initiatives, hear feedback from students and work on developing new initiatives and updating the University community on current ones. The State of the Union aims to increase transparency, communication, accountability, and rapport between departments and students. The first State of the Union will be held on March 15th, 10 AM – 12 PM, in the Union Saltair.

 

Completed
  • Braille Business Cards: The Union has added braille to its business cards to be more inclusive for our visually impaired guests.

ASUU/Student Leadership & Involvement

Updates on SLI EDI Action Plan (This is not a comprehensive list of SLI’s EDI Action plan, but a few highlights of major accomplishments and progress made.)

 

In-progress:
    • GOAL: Increase education, awareness and improve practices surrounding celebrations relating to affinity groups, as well as support for all religions and cultural holidays.
        Update: As a staff, we regularly educate ourselves and one another on months of celebration and days/weeks honoring affinity groups (i.e. Black History Month, Pride Month, etc.). In addition, we include education and conversation on all religious holidays and cultural events as they occur. In practice, this means we have a shared calendar with “Religious and Cultural Holidays”, that we rely on to discuss during our weekly team meetings. The impact this has on our team and our students is that we bring a level of awareness and accommodation so that students and staff feel supported in being their authentic selves in our department. A recent example of student impact is that one of our staff members reminded students that Ramadan was occurring during their large student-led event. The staff member outlined ideas such as providing a prayer room at the event and serving food after sun-down so that students who celebrate Ramadan could participate after their fasting occurred. SLI has tried to expand this type of awareness to peers in Student Affairs and across campus by way of the “Campus Programs” working group, and integration of the “Religious and Cultural Holidays” into that shared calendar as well.
    • GOAL: SLI aims to reach out specifically to student organizations that serve students impacted by systemic oppression to get feedback on resources and training for RSOs.
        Update: Students in the RSO community have been given the opportunity to give feedback formally or anonymously through a bi-annual survey (last survey went out in Summer 2021). We will continue to seek feedback from student organizations annually as we recognize that addressing system oppression is ongoing work.
    • GOAL: Social Justice training(s) for Recognized Student Organizations
      • Online Training development began in Summer 2021 in collaboration with ELP Graduate Intern. Training is module based, online, and optional for RSO’s. Goal date for publishing this training is Summer 2023.
      • Spring 2023, In collaboration with Hillel for Utah (Jewish Student Association on Campus), SLI co-hosted an in-person workshop titled, “The Impact of Anti-Semitism”. This educational training was open to RSO’s, Fraternities and Sororities, Bennion Center students, and student leaders in HRE and Campus Recreation. In addition, SLI helped facilitate an additional training as part of the Day of Collective Action.
    • GOAL: Professional development plans for staff should always include at least one competency that is affiliated with multiculturalism, inclusion, diversity, or social justice.
        Update: Professional Development plans are updated once a year in UUPM. Supervisors in SLI work to ensure that each person works on their own development in this way regularly.
    • GOAL: As a team, SLI Professional staff should read & discuss one social justice themed article, once a month.
        Update: This is occurring regularly and has been our practice since January 2021.

Basic Needs Collective

Waiting on initiatives

Bennion Center

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Antiracism (IDEA) Plan
    Vision: Inclusive, healthy, resilient, and just communities
    Mission: Inspire and mobilize people to strengthen communities through learning, scholarship, & advocacy.
    Values: Hope. Integrity. Collaboration. Action.

 

OUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
    “If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.” -Lilla Watson
    The Lowell Bennion Center for Community Engagement commits to building spaces and programming that are inclusive of all identities, including race, gender, sexuality/asexuality, age, class, citizenship status, ability/disability, indigeneity, language, etc.—with a primary focus on antiracism, equity, and justice. We recognize the intersectionality of race and other identities. We assert that by building spaces and programming through an antiracist lens, and in recognition that identities intersect, we will create a culture of solidarity and liberty for all who work with us to build inclusive, healthy, resilient, and just communities. We commit to a shared accountability with our staff, faculty, students, campus, and community partners to create an antiracist, inclusive, and equitable culture for all identities and abilities within and beyond the walls of the Bennion Center.
    PURPOSE
    The purpose of this IDEA Plan is to create opportunities for systemic change in the Bennion Center’s culture that will center all programming, policies, and dialogue around an antiracist, equitable, and inclusive ethic. Guided by our mission of inspiring and mobilizing people to strengthen communities through learning, scholarship, and advocacy, this IDEA plan pronounces and clarifies our antiracist stance, policies, and procedures to promote equity and justice for the people with whom we work. It provides a clear statement of our commitment to nurturing an antiracist and inclusive environment; to role-modeling antiracist, inclusive, and equitable community engagement; and to fostering the recruitment and retention of diverse staff, faculty and student leaders with equitable opportunities.
    COMMITMENTS AND STRATEGIES
      IN PROGRESS:
    • Commitment 1: Nurture an inclusive, equitable, and antiracist environment in the Bennion Center
    • Strategy 1: Evaluate all current programs within the Bennion Center through an antiracist lens.
    • Strategy 2: Require Bennion Center staff and student leaders to engage in antiracist trainings, reflections, and/or educational workshops that critically examine the complex and intersectional root causes of social issues and the role of community engagement in justice work.
    • Strategy 3: Conscientiously pursue funding that supports equity and accessibility at the Bennion Center.
    • Strategy 4: Prioritize community partnerships with entities that are committed to being antiracist allies in community engagement.
        • Commitment 2: Commit to being at the forefront of implementing antiracist, inclusive, and equitable community engagement, as well as being responsive to learning and adapting to best practices
      • Strategy 1: Develop and implement a framework for antiracist community engagement for all Bennion Center endeavors.
      • Strategy 2: We will serve as an ally to campus leaders supporting Black, Indigenous and People of Color.
          • Commitment 3: Ensure that the process for recruitment and retention of staff and student leaders is transparent and provides equitable opportunities for hiring, advancement, and compensation
        • Strategy 1: Review position descriptions and job postings, including student leader applications, to confirm that they are written through an antiracist lens and are accessible to a broad audience.
        • Strategy 2: Evaluate the hiring process and organizational priorities for staff positions through an antiracist lens.
        • Strategy 3: Create emotionally brave, accountable spaces for honest dialogue and critical feedback centered on growth, development, and retention among staff.
        • Strategy 4: Create a transparent process for evaluating staff retention, equity in salary, and access to advancement through an explicitly antiracist and intersectional lens.

Center for Child Care & Family Resources

Waiting on initiatives

Center for Disability and Access

IN PROGRESS:
      Build Community
    • Provide opportunities for students to interact with other students
    • Provide opportunities to for students to develop natural supports, develop supportive therapeutic relationship with advisors in order to address access concerns and resources needed.
    • Establish a peer mentoring program
    • Partner with campus and community resources to strengthen service provision and access for students
      Health Equity
    • Analyze processes and policy to determine whether there are disparities and bias regarding access to heath services and documentation
    • Provide resources in obtaining documentation, receiving services, and treatment
      Collaboration with Academic Affairs
    • Educate faculty regarding accommodations by participating in department training and graduate teacher training
    • Develop mandatory campus disability training
    • Engaging relationships with deans and department chairs
    • Consult with faculty regarding accommodation implementation
    • Support faculty in using the accommodation computer system
    • Provide information to the Teaching and Learning Program regarding accommodations and support for students
      Assessment
    • Disseminate surveys regarding student experience
    • Use data to improve, design, and review the services to students with disabilities
    • Establish benchmarks for retention and student support

    CESB

    IN PROGRESS:
      We will be presenting the key programs that CESB has including our new Continuous Engagement Programming, Cohort Programs, Embedded Mental Health Specialists and Student Organizations.

    Dean of Students

    IN PROGRESS:
      Student Support
    • Behavioral coaching​
    • Connection to on and off-campus resources (e.g., UCC, VSAs, etc.)​
    • Awareness of community resources​
    • Navigate proper University policy and procedures​
    • Student/Student conflict resolution
    • Respondent support​
      Student Accountability/Conduct​
      • Community standards and processes for adjudication
      • Policy 6-400 (Student Code of Rights & Responsibilities)
      Rights
      • Classroom rights, due process, freedom from discrimination, freedom of association, assembly, expression, press, etc.
      Responsibilities
      • Students join an academic community committed to basic & broadly shared ethical principles and concepts of civility. Integrity, autonomy, justice, respect and responsibility
      • Main responsibility = not to violate the rights of others in the community


        • Student Code

        Student Behavior
        • Dishonesty
        • Disruption/obstruction to teaching, etc.​
        • Physical or verbal assault, threats, etc. ​
        • Attempted or actual theft or damage to property
        • Sale or distribution of faculty work for financial gain
        • Unauthorized use/entry of property, equipment, etc.​
        • Unauthorized possession of dangerous weapon, etc.
        • Use, possession or distribution of controlled substance or alcohol
        • Violation of U policies, rules and state/national laws​
        Student Academic Performance
        • Meet the academic requirements of courses and programs​
        Student Academic Conduct
        • Includes, but is not limited to, cheating, misrepresenting one’s work, inappropriately collaborating, plagiarism, and fabrication or falsification of information, as defined further below. It also includes facilitating academic misconduct by intentionally helping or attempting to help another to commit an act of academic misconduct.​
        Student Professional & Ethical Conduct​ Student Records Student Referrals
        • Contact the Office of the Dean of Students
        • Provide available information
        • Suggest a remedy to restore any harm that has been done
        • Participate in hearing if necessary​

    Dining Services

    Waiting on initiatives

    Dream Center

    IN PROGRESS:
    • Visionary Scholars Program
    • Life After College
    • Program Professional
    • Development and Experiential Opportunities
    • UndocuTalks

      • Financial Wellness Center

      IN PROGRESS:
      • Financial Wellness Center has participated in a Financial Wellness Survey to understand the needs facing different populations of students. These survey results will help direct initiatives and resources to address the pressing issues facing our diverse student community. Financial Wellness Center and The University of Utah will participate in this survey every other year.
      • Financial Wellness Center regularly partners with different student organizations to bring tailored financial education to different student populations taking into consideration the background, military connection, culture, gender, and socioeconomic status of the student populations.
      • Financial Wellness Center staff will continue to offer one on one financial counseling sessions tailored to the individual client. Continued education, including Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training, offered by the AFCPE will be incorporated into the full-time staff training and student peer mentor training.
      • Financial Wellness Center will create marketing materials and events that are culturally relevant and speak to the experiences of people of color and other underserved communities. This will include using language and imagery that resonates with diverse audiences and providing case studies and examples that are relatable and relevant to their lives.
      • Financial Wellness Center will ensure all staff are actively involved in EDI and anti-racist practices and training to better serve the University of Utah’s diverse student body.

      RedMed

      Waiting on initiatives

      First Star/Impact Scholars

      Waiting on initiatives

      First-Gen Access Office

      waiting on initiatives

      First-Gen Scholars

      Waiting on initiatives

      Fraternity & Sorority Life

      Waiting on initiatives

      Graduate School Diversity Office

      IN PROGRESS:

       

      For Prospective Students & Departments:​
      • Acceptance Day
      • HBCU Collaborations
      For Current Students:
      • Assessment plan and program improvement​
      • Qualitative evaluation of monthly BIPOC Socials
      • Interest meetings for 23-24 GDO Executive Student Council
      • Dissertation Support Group ​
        • COMPLETED:
        • Revised Guide is complete!​
        • Community building initiatives through the Diversity Office
        • Funding support (fellowships, scholarships, travel, external)​
        • University advocates and roles​
        • University writing resources (and success with thesis/dissertation)​
        • Professional development resources​
        • Mental health resources and events​
        • BIPOC restaurants and businesses in Salt Lake City & UT​
        • Recommended resources (books, podcasts, social media, etc.)​

      International Students & Scholar Services

      Waiting on initiatives

      Learning Abroad

      IN PROGRESS:
        Learning Abroad Scholarships
        • Redistributed scholarship funding so more funding is going towards the Financial Need Scholarship and Diversity Scholarship
        • Created a new scholarship called the Global Discovery Scholarship, which would cover all or at least majority of program costs
        •  Changed our application deadlines so have an early and regular deadline for each term. This allows students to apply for scholarships before they need to commit to a program so they know in advance if they will have funding for a program
        Diversity Abroad Includifi
        • Working with Diversity Abroad to possibly integrate Includifi Pathway Courses into advising and pre-departure support
        •  Pathway Courses are designed to discuss topics relevant to students when thinking about studying abroad or coming to the U.S. as an international student. For example, there are courses on “Approaches to Navigating Microaggressions While Abroad”, “Being a Woman Abroad”, “Being a Member of the LGBTQIA+ Community Abroad” and for ISSS “Bringing Your Diversity to the U.S.”, “Managing Mental Health as an International Student” and “Success for BIPOC Students at Predominantly White Institutions”.
        • Includifi also has many different features, one of which is creating Affinity Groups where students can connect and share experiences. For example, an Affinity Group focused on black students who have studied abroad or who are thinking about studying abroad. These can be linked with different support offices on campus or exist as a forum for students.
        ISSS Global Buddy Program
        • Promotes friendship across cultures by matching international students with domestic students
        Social & Networking Event
        • These monthly gatherings will be opportunities for international students to act as leaders and experts to facilitate and share their home country and culture through fun and informal activities to the campus community
        International Leadership Conference
        • This conference will target international student & scholars, BIPOC students as well as domestic students especially those who have studied or lived abroad to provide a unique opportunity for peer engagement in a culturally diverse space
        The American Classroom
        • A series of workshops to support U faculty members to adopt methods and practices to meet international students where they are at and successfully integrate them into the American classroom settings. Presentation themes will include the advantage faculty members have to become a channel for global change through their teaching methods in the classroom.

        LGBT Resource Center

        Waiting on initiatives

        Office for Inclusive Excellence

        Waiting on initiatives

        Student Development & Inclusion

        Waiting on initiatives

        Student Media

        IN PROGRESS:
          COVERAGE: As the campus storytellers, U Student Media aims to cover the diverse communities at the U of U accurately and respectfully. Our content should include the perspectives from people of all genders, people of color, people with disabilities and members of the LGBT+ community. We aspire to cover students of diverse backgrounds in their richness and complexity beyond narratives of discrimination and suffering.
          • Integrate diversity and inclusion into training for student leaders.
          • Use the SPJ Journalist’s Toolbox to guide training and coverage of race, gender, disability, immigration and other topics.
          • Hold quarterly meetings with student leadership centered on diverse coverage. These meetings will be used to evaluate recent content and set goals for the upcoming months.
          WORK CULTURE: U Student Media aims to create a working environment where diversity is valued and people of all backgrounds are safe and supported.
          • All members of student media will be required to attend yearly trainings from the Title IX Office and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office.
          • Student media staff members will communicate regularly with departments on campus that advocate for underrepresented students to recruit contributors from diverse backgrounds. These departments include, but are not limited to, the American Indian Resource Center, Black Cultural Center, Center for Equity & Student Belonging, Dream Center, LGBT Resource Center and the Center for Disability & Access.
          • Send an anonymous survey two times per year to all student contributors to monitor and address patterns of bias and discrimination.
          DISTRIBUTION: U Student Media aims to make our content more accessible to all audience members.
          • Improve accessibility for all audiences on our digital platforms
          • Use descriptive captions and alt text on all images shared on our websites and social media platforms
          • Use video captions on all videos shared on our websites and social media platforms
          • Use CamelCase for hashtags in social media posts, which allows the words in hashtags to be read individually for those using screen readers.(https://www.harvard.edu/in-focus/the-accessible-world/social-media-accessibility-best-practices/)
          • Use high color contrasts (at least 4.5:1) on all graphics shared on our website and social media platforms

          TRIO

          Waiting on initiatives

          U Card Office

          Waiting on initiatives

          Veteran’s Support Center

          IN PROGRESS:
          • Veteran Support Satellite Centers
          • Scholarship Access to all Military-Connected Students
          • Freshmen and Transfer Student Sponsorship
          • Alumni to Student Mentorship
          • Military Workshops

          Women’s Resource Center

          WRC Mission, Services, and Values: The Women’s Resource Center (WRC) supports student well-being and success through programs, counseling, training, and scholarships. We value justice, equity, community, accountability, and collaboration.
            Programming
            • Coffee and Conversations and other programs​
            • ​Led by student interest​
            • Justice centered programming​
            • Fostering community​
            • EDI Campus Wide planning committees and events/Intersect 12​
              • Scholarships and Support
            • Holistic support for students beyond financial assistance
            • Being responsible stewards of the funds donated to us​
            • Student support fund
              • Mental Health Services
            • All WRC counseling services use a Feminist Multicultural Therapy (FMT) approach​
            • FMT training program for graduate students
            • Support Groups
            • Women of Color groups​
            • Healing Arts
            • Taking Up Space