Unity Star
Distribution: All Without OPS and F
Newsletter
Diversity Week 2015
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ost of you know her as Maria from Sesame Street, and for 44 years you grew up listening to her sing with Muppet® favorites Elmo, Big Bird, even Bert and Ernie. But, did you know that New York City native, Sonia Manzano, was named among the “25 Greatest Latino Role Models Ever” by Latina Magazine? She was one of the first Hispanic characters on national television, plus she has written several children’s books. On October 12, Ms. Manzano will be gracing the stage at the 2015 Diversity Breakfast as our Keynote Speaker. Throughout her career, Ms. Manzano has contributed to enriching diversity on television, on the stage, and in the educational realm. The author Image found on: www.soniamanzano.com of multiple books, she will release two new ones in fall 2015, her memoir, Becoming Maria: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx (Scholastic), and Miracle of 133rd Street (Simon & Schuster). Her recognitions include 15 Emmy® Awards as part of the Sesame Street writing team, the 2013 Pura Belpré Award, the 2003 Congressional Hispanic Caucus Award, and the 2003 Hispanic Heritage Award for Education. We look forward to hearing her share some of her favorite talking points on Monday, October 12.
Thank You Students
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ongratulations go to Senior, Shazia Yusufali, who took first place in this year’s Diversity Week Student Poster Contest. Shazia’s interpretation of this year’s theme (image to the right), RESPECT UCF – Engaging, Exploring and Advancing an Inclusive Culture, won over our judges. Second place was won by Senior, Ebone Grayson, and third place by Senior, Krystal Moore. Great work! May your talents grow and glow as you leave a mark on the world. Thank you to all of the students who participated this year. Your work, and varied interpretations of this year’s theme, definitely challenged our judges’ decision-making process. You all are welcome to participate again next year, and challenge them again. Everyone is invited to visit the John C. Hitt Library during the month of October to see these students’ hard work on display on the second
floor wall. Accompanying the poster designs will be several hand-picked What Respect Means to Me stories submitted by several of our staff, faculty, and students.
Fall 2015
Be a Part of the Diversity Week Calendar
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n the last issue of the Unity Star Newsletter, we mentioned to please mark your calendars for the 2015 Diversity Week, October 12-16. Now, we invite you to be a part of Diversity Week! Visit our website and download a copy of the Program Information Form and submit a program, event, or special presentation to be included on the Diversity Week Calendar of Events. Thank you to all who submitted nominations for the Diversity and Inclusion Impact Awards. We look forward to sharing the names of the faculty/staff member, student, and community partner who have shown exemplary service and commitment to enhancing diversity and inclusion at UCF. The winners will be announced during the Diversity Breakfast on October 12. As always, more information about Diversity Week can be found under the Events tab on our website.
To find us online, and on your social outlets! Visit www.diversity.ucf.edu @UCFODI
ODI Spotlight We’re Going to Miss You - Carmen I. Afonso
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he wonderful Ms. Carmen has met, and the appreciation her peers Afonso has committed 13 great and LEP scholars have shown. While years to the Office of Diversity she hasn’t made any official plans yet, and Inclusion and the UCF family she Carmen hopes to fill her retirement time helped to build. But come December with a part-time job that will keep her 2015, she will be stepping down from active and on her toes, at least a couple her position as Executive Secretary of days a week. A fine person, with and entering the world of retirement. a charming It is with great honor that we take this personality, a moment to thank Carmen for all the quick wit, and work she has put into her position, her great sense dedication to the Leadership Enhanceof humor, ment Program, and the countless hours she has Carmen always spent helping organize Diversity Week events. is ready to When you invest as long of a time as Carmen offer a helping has in one place, you accumulate a few items. hand. A few Co-workers become friends, and abundant UCF words cannot paraphernalia, random trinkets, and ducks express the become part of the at home and at work décor. sentiment as to Yes, ducks. If you ever have stopped by our office how much she out in Research Park, you immediately would will be missed. recognize Carmen’s desk by the countless (25 plus) An old school Knightro figure keeps a watchful eye over a rubber duckies she has gathered since her start at portion of Carmen’s rubber duck collection. UCF. From Spirit Splash rubber ducks, to a Lady If we have not said it enough, thank you, Carmen, Liberty duck, the collection has kept growing. December will soon be rolling in and the rubber duckies for being a part of the ODI and UCF family. May your will be taking flight with Carmen. Of all the memorable retirement days fill you with the same enthusiasm that moments she has enjoyed over the years, some of the things filled your work days, and may you continue to find, and she’ll miss the most include working with the people she provide, smiles into every corner you turn.
Welcome Shainna Ali
Office of Diversity and Inclusion Graduate Research Assistant Shainna Ali is a doctoral candidate in the Counselor Education program at the University of Central Florida. She is passionate about diversity research, mental health, and best practices in counseling. She is the president of the Florida Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development, immediate past president of the UCF Counselor Education Doctoral Student Organization, and chair of the Association for LGBT Issues in Counseling’s social justice committee. During her undergraduate career, she was involved in a number of research endeavors including Honors in the Major and the Research and Mentoring Program. During this time, she also served as Global Perspectives Program 2
Fellow. Ali went on to pursue a degree in Mental Health Counseling. Today, Ali is focused on diversity research within the realms of diversity and counselor education. She is the 2015 Florida Statewide Graduate Research Symposium winner and the 2015 UCF Graduate Research Forum winner within the category of Education. Shainna will focus on collecting and disseminating data about the UCF community members, faculty, staff and students, making comparisons to UCF peers and national higher education trends, faculty diversity, and various other research projects for the office.
Fall 2015 Workshop and Training Schedule TO REGISTER: • Faculty and Staff ONLY, register online via your My UCF account at https://my.ucf.edu. • Students or OPS, please e-mail your name, phone number, and PID/employee I.D. number to diverse@ucf.edu. • For the Safe Zone LGBTQ+ 101 workshops, use http://safezone.sdes.ucf.edu/training. For detailed descriptions of the diversity workshops offered, visit www.diversity.ucf.edu. Other opportunities for diversity workshops may be scheduled by calling the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at (407) 823-6479, or by e-mailing diverse@ucf.edu. All workshops are FREE unless otherwise noted. Please note that LOCATIONS VARY.
ABCs OF DIVERSITY (DIV008) • MAIN CAMPUS Friday, September 11, 1:30 - 4:30 PM
Location: Research Pavilion, Suite 169 Facilitator: Barbara Thompson
• VALENCIA WEST
Monday, September 21, 3:00 - 5:00 PM Location: UCF Valencia West, Bldg. 11, RM. 106 Facilitator: Barbara Thompson
DIVERSITY CERTIFICATE SERIES
(Attend all four modules to receive completion certificate): MODULES 1 & 2 (DIV210) Monday, September 28, 1:00 - 5:00 PM MODULES 3 & 4 (DIV211) Monday, October 5, 1:00 - 5:00 PM Location: Research Pavilion, Suite 169 Facilitator: Barbara Thompson
EXAMINING THE REAL DISABILITY BARRIERS (DIV223) • Friday, October 16, 1:00 - 3:30 PM • Tuesday, November 17, 1:00 - 3:30 PM Location: TBA Facilitator: Student Accessibility Services Staff GENDER DIFFERENCES IN COMMUNICATION: THEORIES AND PERSPECTIVES(DIV071) • MAIN CAMPUS Monday, November 2, 2:30 - 4:30 PM Location: Research Pavilion, Suite 169 Facilitator: Barbara Thompson
• VALENCIA WEST
Wednesday, October 21, 4:00 - 6:00 PM Location: UCF Valencia West Bldg. 11, RM. 107 Facilitator: Barbara Thompson
INCLUSIVE COMMUNICATION (DIV053) Tuesday, December 8, 1:30 - 4:30 PM Location: Research Pavilion, Suite 169 Facilitator: Barbara Thompson
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LATINO AMERICANS
(Attend all three modules to receive completion certificate):
• MAIN CAMPUS
PART 1 (DIV236)
Wednesday, September 16, 1:30 - 4:30 PM
PART 2 (DIV237)
Wednesday, September 23, 1:30 - 4:30 PM
PART 3 (DIV238)
Wednesday, September 30, 1:30 - 4:30 PM Location: Research Pavilion, Suite 169 Facilitator: Barbara Thompson
Tuesday, September 15, 1:00 - 4:00 PM
Tuesday, September 22, 1:00 - 4:00 PM
Tuesday, September 29, 1:00 - 4:00 PM Location: UCF Valencia Osceola, Bldg. 4, RM. 105 Facilitator: Barbara Thompson
• OSCEOLA CAMPUS
PART 1 (DIV236)
PART 2 (DIV237) PART 3 (DIV238)
PEACE FILM SERIES - FOR LOVE OR COUNTRY: THE ARTURO SANDOVAL STORY (DIV119) VALENCIA WEST Tuesday, October 6, 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM Location: UCF Valencia West, Bldg. 11, RM. 107 Facilitator: Barbara Thompson
PEACE FILM SERIES - UNBROKEN (DIV154) • OSCEOLA CAMPUS
Tuesday, November 3, 9:00 AM - 12:00 Noon Location: UCF Valencia Osceola, Bldg. 4, RM. 308 Facilitator: Barbara Thompson
• VALENCIA WEST
Tuesday, November 10, 12:00 Noon - 3:00 PM Location: UCF Valencia West, Bldg. 11, RM. 107 Facilitator: Barbara Thompson
PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR UCF’S CULTURAL COMPETENCIES (DIV150) ONLINE
Visit: www.diversity.ucf.edu/online_workshops.asp, and follow the instructions. You must complete all three sections with a score of 75% or higher to receive credit. 3
12424 Research Parkway, Suite 169, Orlando, FL 32826 Ph: (407) 823-6479 F: (407) 823-6480 E: diverse@ucf.edu W: www.diversity.ucf.edu Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter: @UCFODI
Diversity Includes All of Us - - All the Time
UCF Welcomes U.S. State Department Emerging Leader from Mexico Four UCF departments – Diversity and Inclusion, Women’s Soccer, Global Perspectives, and the National Consortium for Academics and Sports - are collaborating to work with the U.S. State Department Global Sports Mentoring Program to host Cecilia Vales, Gonzo Soccer Executive Director for Mexico & Latin America. Ms. Vales will be in Washington D.C. and Orlando for several weeks this fall to learn about U.S. sports and law impacting girls and women and developing an action plan for her work in Mexico. The U.S. Department of State and espnW Global Sports Mentoring Program, the flagship component of the Empowering Women and
Girls through Sports Initiative, pairs emerging women leaders from around the world with top American female executives in the sports industry. This program develops new lasting relationships and a global network of women and girls who strive to create positive change in their home communities through sports. The U.S. Department of State’s Global Sports Mentoring Program builds on America’s global commitment to advance the rights and participation of women and girls around the world. Every year, emerging leaders from every corner of the world work sideby-side with top female executives in the American sports industry during their month in the United States.
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SAFE ZONE LGBTQ+ 101 (DIV033)
• Wednesday, September 9, 10:00 AM - 12:00 Noon • Tuesday, October 6, 10:00 AM - 12:00 Noon
Location: Student Health Services RM. 206 Location subject to change. Please visit http://safezone.sdes.ucf. edu/training to register and confirm location. Facilitator: TBD
SECULAR AND RELIGIOUS MINORITY AWARENESS (DIV224) • SOUTH LAKE CAMPUS
Friday, October 9, 9:00 AM - 12:00 Noon Location: UCF South Lake, Bldg. 2, Auditorium
• MAIN CAMPUS • Tuesday, October 13, 2:30 - 4:30 PM
UCF Student Union, Cape Florida 316CD
• Wednesday, November 4, 2:30 - 4:30 PM Location: Research Pavilion, Suite 169 Facilitator: Tee Rogers
ODI Services
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion is available for individual, group, or classroom meetings in the form of Consultations, Presentations, and Training. For more information visit www.diversity.ucf.edu. 4
Not only do these female emerging leaders gain valuable business and management skills through the program, but they construct strategic plans with their mentors. While their action plans specifically address different needs, they share the goal of creating sports opportunities for underserved women and girls back in their home communities. The result of the U.S. Department of State and espnW Global Sports Mentoring Program is a new global network of strong women leaders in sports devoted to spreading the messages of equality and opportunity to other women and girls around the globe.
Have You Applied? Diversity Activity Grants
The Diversity Activity Grants program is designed to help fund activities and/or speakers that will enhance the UCF goal “to become more inclusive and diverse.” Grants of up to $250* may be awarded. This program is limited to UCF registered student organizations and faculty and staff organizations. Please note: we only are accepting applications from organizations who have not received this grant within the past two years. You may download an application from our website, www.diversity.ucf.edu. *Your request may not be fully funded. DAG funds cannot be used for food or any other items restricted for purchase with E & G funds.
Diversity and Inclusion Staff Karen Morrison, J.D. Chief Diversity Officer Katie Pomp Administrative Assistant Dayanara Hudson Program Assistant
Barbara Thompson Associate Director
Carmen I. Afonso Executive Secretary Stefanie Campbell LEGACY Coordinator Anaelle Gelin Student Assistant