Fredonia’s Cultural Competency Institute, whose mission is to engage campus community leaders in creating a more inclusive campus atmosphere, conducted the first of six sessions to be held in the 2017-2018 academic year on Wednesday, Oct. 11.
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Its 18 participants – nine faculty and staff and nine students -- were selected through a competitive application process. They represent a range of majors, student organizations, and departments on campus and include: Black Student Union, Brother 2 Brother, Criminal Justice, Psychology, Sociology, Communication Disorders and Sciences, EC English, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Residence Life, the departments of English, Computer and Information Sciences and World Languages and Cultures, Reed Library, the Office of Graduate Studies and the Office of the President.
The Cultural Competency Institute is a cohort-based, year-long series to enrich the educational experience of students and support lifelong learning in the Fredonia community. Fredonia is dedicated to fostering a learning environment that cultivates respect for differences and preparing students to live and work productively in a culturally diverse and globalized society.
The focus of the cohort during the academic year will be on ability, religion, sexual orientation, age and socio-economic status. Participants will not only engage in a deeper understanding of the issues through workshops, they will be challenged as a group to identify a concern on campus, research the concern and propose a feasible and practical solution for the campus.
Learning outcomes of the institute are to:
• Gain an understanding and appreciation of other cultures, beliefs, and experiences.
• Identify societal inequities and the impacts of privilege, marginalization and bias.
• Recognize social identities of self and others and the intersectionalities
• Develop communication strategies to address inequities and support diversity
• Apply an inclusive lens to effectively interact with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
The institute’s remaining five sessions will occur throughout the fall and spring terms and conclude with presentations of participant projects and an award ceremony in April 2018.
Leadership of the institute is a collaboration among Dr. Bill Boerner, Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Khristian King, Intercultural Center; Dr. Naomi Baldwin, Office of International Education, and Dawn Eckenrode and Sandra Lewis, Professional Development Center. Support for the institute is in part due to a grant from the Convocation Committee, with additional support provided by each of the offices identified. It is the first institute of its kind at Fredonia, and is expected to be a continuing effort.
