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A look
back at the Diversity Symposium 2017 |
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An
enthusiastic audience of over three hundred people
participated in the symposium How inclusion makes
diversity work that showed that our diversity,
equity and inclusion policy can only succeed if we speak
openly, explicitly, and with precision about the practices we
want to improve, and the deep-seated obstacles to achieving
change. And, more than that, it can only succeed with good
leadership. A reflection by Diversity Officer Isabel
Hoving: ‘If we show openness, precision, and leadership we can
move forward!’
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Be critical about your own practice
Estela Bensimon, Professor of Higher Education at USC
Rossier School of Education, explained that the terms
diversity and inclusion do not address what is at stake.
Instead, the university needs to focus on obtaining racial
equity: students from ethnic minority groups do not
have the same starting position as white students, and our
university is not yet successful at offering them the
same opportunities. Estela Bensimon insists on the need to
take a critical look at our practices because they may not be
working in the way we hope they should, whether in teaching,
recruitment, or other areas. We are all too often
reproducing the inequality and exclusion we aim at
countering.
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Selfscans
Bensimon’s Center of Urban Education provides practical
tools that help teachers analyse their own teaching practices
and materials: do they decrease or increase the gap in the
study success of different groups of students? How can the
university start rewarding equity-minded teachers? We intend
to bring some of these tools for self-enquiry to Leiden
University.
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The importance of leadership
Peter Slort, responsible for diversity at the Dutch
National Police, spoke about how diversity recruiters,
dialogues, training, role models and networks are used as
instruments to make police teams more diverse and inclusive.
He explored the efforts being made by the national police to
become more diverse and inclusive. He also insisted on the
need for leadership, showing an inspiring film on a courageous
leader at the U.S. Air Force Academy who made it very
clear to his students that racism will absolutely not be
tolerated. Slort: ‘A non-inclusive workplace is the Lonely
Planet guide book to the exit for your biggest talents and
your change agents.’
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‘Diversity and Inclusion Policy’
film
The Diversity Office asked students and staff
what is good about the university’s policy and what can
be improved and made a film. It gives a good impression
and stresses the importance of ‘feeling at home
’ at the university, and how this can lead to top
performance. What is also needed is equality between men and
women, awareness of biases, a diverse student population, an
inclusive teaching and working environment and role
models. A panel of deans gave their reaction to the
film.
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Address deep-seated bias
If we want our diversity, equity, and inclusion policy to
succeed, we need to continue addressing the deep-seated bias
about whiteness (as superior), gender, and sexuality. We need
to change the institutional practices that perpetuate this
bias. A range of workshops did exactly that.
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The work ahead!
It was great to see that our inclusion and equity-minded
community is increasing, both in numbers and in enthusiasm.
The Diversity Office will continue to engage all students,
staff, and faculty at our university and will work together
with them to make further steps forward in our diversity,
equity and inclusiveness policy. We are looking forward
to see you at meetings in 2018!
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Launch Sophia Women's Network
Leiden University has a new network for female
academics: Sophia. Sophia strives for equal opportunities and
a better working environment for female academic
staff.
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Sustainable Business Battle wins Van Bergen
Prize
The
Sustainable Business Battle was launched less than a year ago,
but it has already won several prizes. Last week, the
organisers received the Green Trophy and now they can also add
the Van Bergen Prize to their awards.
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16 April: Training
Inclusive Education - reaching all your
students |
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Discover the world
at Leiden University |
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