HR Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

HR Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion


The HR Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee was established in May 2020, and in partnership with UVA's Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and the Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights (EOCR), promotes awareness of and respect for diversity among UVA staff and faculty; advocates for inclusion and inclusive practices and policies; and ensures equity in human resources programs and processes. Current DEI committee chairs are Brian Ford and Kimberlyn McDonald, Senior HR Business Partners. John Kosky, VP & CHRO is the HR DEI Executive Sponsor.

President Jim Ryan on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

In President Ryan's recent UVA Today article about DEI, he asserted that "Colleges should continue to promote the core elements of DEI, as these efforts are crucial to ensuring opportunity and access, attracting and retaining the most talented people, creating a vibrant campus culture, and promoting a richer and more robust exchange of ideas." He notes that critics fall into two camps about DEI: those who embrace the concept but who are concerned about overreach, and those "who would like to see DEI disappear altogether." His article looks for common ground among the camps.

He goes on to define diversity as "not just race, ethnicity, and gender, but a wide range of other factors and characteristics, including geography, socioeconomic status, first-generation status, disability status, religion, age, sexual orientation, viewpoint, ideology, and special talents" and equity as "an effort to ensure equal opportunity, not equal results." He defines inclusion as "an effort to make everyone feel like they belong and are full and welcome members of the community."

He concludes, saying, "To create a community that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive, those in leadership positions have to take actions that actually further those goals – through their admissions processes; their hiring and retention practices; and in the myriad decisions they make about rooming policies, the food to serve, the events to celebrate, the spaces to create for students, and who in their community they choose to honor." 

Read the full DEI article.

September 15 - October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates and calls out the achievements and contributions of Hispanic Americans - Latinos, whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America - who have inspired others to achieve success. The observation began in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988. 

The 2023 recognition theme, Latinos: Driving Prosperity, Power, and Progress in America, pays tribute to the immense economic and political strides Latinos have made in the U.S.

The word Hispanic is generally a linguistic category, referring to people from the 21 Spanish-speaking countries and territories, including Spain. The word Latino is more of an ethnic and cultural category, used to describe people who are descendants from Latin America, including Mexico, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, Central and South America. It is often a personal choice which term people use to describe themselves. Latine and Latinx are gender-neutral terms recently popularized to describe people that originate from Latin America (Latine is the more grammatically correct) because gendered Spanish words offer no option for those who choose to identify as non-binary.

Enjoy this colorful presentation about Hispanic Heritage Month by Gabriela Garcia Largen, UVA HR Sr. Director of Service and Experience.

DEI Events That May Interest You

Check back often for a listing of upcoming DEI-related webinars and events at UVA, along with a monthly program of DEI Listen and Learn sessions hosted by the UVA HR DEI Committee.

UPCOMING LGBTQ+ EVENTS AROUND UVA

September 17, 10:30 am – 2:00 pm: Cville Pride Festival

September 18, 4:00 – 6:00 pm: LGBTQ+ Welcome Reception for Faculty, Staff, and UVA Health Team Members

For more information on LGBTQ+ events and activities at UVA, visit the UVA LGBTQ Committee webpage.

Click here if you would like to be added to the UVA LGBTQ Committee listserv.


HR DEI Committee Listen & Learn Session Recordings

The HR DEI Committee sponsors occasional Lunch & Learn sessions for HR staff and now, you too, can view recordings of these sessions and leave with a better understanding of your DEI IQ, hear discussions about diversity, the path to leadership, trials, triumphs, and a broader discussion on gender in America. Additional sessions will be posted as they are recorded and become available.

DEI Listen & Learn Sessions:

LGBTQ+ Pride Month, Gary Nimax, Chair of LGBTQ+ Committee at UVA

Women in Sports: The Unfair Advantage, Bonnie Hagerman (Additional reading below)

The concept of "just transition" in Estonia, Ivan Sergejev, Architect

The Iran Revolution, Dr. Maryam Zehtabi

Black History Month Panel

Women's History Month Panel

Hispanic Heritage Month

Throughout my career in human resources in higher education, I remain committed to supporting diversity, equity and inclusion as a fundamental part of our mission and will continue to take deliberate action to ensure DEI principles are at the foundation of how we approach our work. Without clear strategies in DEI, most organizations struggle with making substantial progress on DEI outcomes and create lasting and measurable change. John Kosky, Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer Full position statement

Resources

Explore our list of DEI resources. While not a comprehensive list, you will find training opportunities, information on reporting an incident or barrier, filing a complaint, a link to the office of Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights, and a glossary of terms. Interested in an event, conference, lecture or seminar? Search the UVA Events Calendar to learn what is scheduled throughout the year.

  • Education and Training

    If you have experience facilitating DEI-related conversations or educating about related knowledge and skills, take a look at UVA HR’s Education and Training page to complete the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Facilitator/Educator Database informational form and to learn more about their course bundles, programs, team workshops, LinkedIn Learning, and more!

    Education and Training
  • Connecting to Our Community

    Discover Black Cville website - Discover Black culture right here in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. Black residents are an integral part of what makes the region a wonderful place to live, visit and explore.

  • UVA's Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights (EOCR) Reporting Options

    The University encourages every member of our community to promptly report any instance of abuse or mistreatment, bias, discrimination, harassment, etc. or barriers to access for individuals with disabilities. See below for several online reporting options (please note that these are NetBadge protected):

    UVA EOCR website
  • Inclusive Excellence

    UVA is implementing the strategic Inclusive Excellence (IE) framework to synergize and support our collective diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging efforts. The collaborative IE model for organizational change has been a national movement in postsecondary education since 2005 and calls for higher education to address diversity, inclusion, and equity as critical to achieving excellence.

    The Inclusive Excellence Plan for UVA Human Resources focuses on applying the Inclusive Excellence framework and making substantive change within the HR team before sharing and applying what is learned to benefit the institution as a whole. HR is in a unique and critical position to not only increase diversity and inclusion within our team, but also to lead the way from an operations standpoint with this critical work. Because HR impacts every employee at UVA, it is incumbent upon HR to play a foundational and key role in systemic change at the University. The research on DEI is clear; a diverse workforce can improve innovation, attract and retain talent, increase productivity, and better customer service.

    Inclusive Excellence website
  • Office for DEI Learning Resources

    The University’s Division for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion compiled information about a wide range of diversity, equity, inclusion, civil rights, and anti-racism learning resources, recommended by members of the UVA community. While not an exhaustive list, it provides a variety of ways to learn about histories, ideas, strategies, and skills.

    Learning Resources
  • UVA Events Calendar

    The University hosts an array of conferences, symposia, and special events relating to diversity, equity, inclusion, civil rights, and anti-racism. Check the UVA Calendar often to learn about additional opportunities throughout the year.

    UVA Events Calendar
  • Glossary

    Our words can be used to engage, connect, and empower each other. They can also be used to divide us. Because of this, it is important to promote an understanding of commonly used terms for authentic conversations about race and equality.

    See below for definitions of commonly used terms:

    AGEISM

    Discrimination against individuals because of their age, often based on stereotypes.

    ANTI-RACISM

    Actively opposing discrimination based on race by advocating for changes in political, economic, and social life. Today anti-racism is most closely associated with Ibram X. Kendi. His 2019 book, "How to Be an Antiracist," discusses the concepts of racism and his proposals for anti-racist individual actions and systemic changes.

    BELONGING

    A sense of feeling secure and supported by a group where one can be their authentic self.

    BIAS

    Showing preference or favor either positively or negatively for a person, group, or community.

    BIPOC

    An acronym for black, indigenous and people of color. 

    CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE (CQ)

    The ability to relate and work effectively across cultures. 

    DISABILITY

    As defined by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), a disability is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.

    DIVERSITY

    Differences that occur among individuals, including but not limited to race, gender, ethnicity, identity, marital status, and age, etc.

    EQUITY

    Fair treatment in access, opportunity, and advancement for all individuals.

    INCLUSION

    The state of being valued, respected, and supported within a group and having the opportunity to contribute and fully participate.

    INSTITUTIONAL RACISM (SYSTEMIC RACISM)

    A form of racism embedded in laws and regulations that create different outcomes for different racial groups, often leading to discrimination in the criminal justice system, health care, housing, education, etc.

    MICROAGGRESSIONS

    Verbal or nonverbal behaviors such as snubs or slights, whether intentional or unintentional, that occur in everyday interactions and are targeted to a specific group.

    PRIVILEGE

    An advantage, right or immunity enjoyed by some individuals or groups but not by all.

     

    For a more robust list of terms and additional resources, please visit the following:

Zoom Backgrounds

Support Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion by downloading a Zoom background and using it during your meetings! Right-click on each link to 'Save As' as an image to your laptop or device

Andes Mountain Landscape

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Faces of Various Skin Colors

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Multi-Color Hands Reaching Up

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Stripes of Various Skin Colors

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UVA Trumpeter John D-Earth

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LGBTQ+ Pride Month

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