Unity Star
Distribution: All Without OPS and F
Fall 2013
Newsletter
Looking Forward
That is exactly what we are doing this 2013-2014 academic year. We start with 15 scheduled training workshops, featured on pages three and four, including a few returning ones, a couple of new ones, and a few with guest presenters. We are especially looking forward to this year’s 21st annual Diversity Week. We invite our UCF Family to add to the Diversity Week calendar by organizing events, presentations, or workshops from Monday, October 21 through Friday, October 25. Get in touch with us, and be a part of the 21st annual Diversity Week as we celebrate and embrace a new beginning.
A Diversity Week Welcome walk away with the abilOver the years, our ities to office has built relation• recognize corporate ships with exceptional Diversity & Inclusion individuals within the strategies that UCF community, and take into account across Central Florida. Workforce, Workplace One of these individuand Marketplace, als is passionate about • identify the topics the diversity around or themes prevalent us, and considers it her as key drivers in job to learn as much as Workforce Diversity & she can about different Inclusion, people. She is constant• understand the imly eager to learn more portance of multiculturabout the human expeal purchasing power and rience and an avid fan of Photo courtesy of Angela Gomez de Lagos the ways in which this learning from others. influences mainstream media and Angela Gomez de Lagos, Senior workforce initiatives, Manager, Diversity & Inclusion Universal Parks & Resorts, continues a relationship • appreciate “best in class” models of companies that are focused on with ODI that started in 2006. She changing demographics, and has participated, collaborated, and facilitated several presentations over • acknowlege Diversity Best Practices that focus on the 4Cs: Career, the years. Most recently, she was part Community, Commerce & Culture. of a panel presentation on Cultural We would like to thank Ms. Gomez Competencies during the Summer Faculty Development Conference, de Lagos for taking time from her alongside Zoraida Velasco, of Mayor busy schedule at Universal Parks and Jacobs’ office, and Dr. Lisa Barkley, of Resorts, and invite you to join us on Thursday, October 24, from 1-4PM. For the UCF College of Medicine. This fall we welcome Ms. Gomez de more information about the workshop, Lagos back as a facilitator for a Diver- please visit the Training section on our sity Week workshop, “Affinity Groups: website. Cultural Voices in Corporate America.” This workshop will allow participants to
Director’s Corner Educational Proficiency goes beyond the traditional three Rs. Rapidly changing demographics dictate understanding diversity and practicing the principles of inclusion as critical to the process of becoming educated. Our strategic goal of becoming more inclusive and diverse highlights the value UCF places on providing opportunities for members of our community to expand their diversity knowledge and skills. The Office of Diversity Initiatives is dedicated to providing information and strategies via our comprehensive training program, DiversiTea projects, and consultations for individuals and groups to enrich themselves while assisting the university in achieving this important educational goal. With one of the most outstanding diversity education and training programs in higher education, ODI encourages members of the UCF community to assume personal responsibility for generating and maintaining the ideals and behaviors that contribute MORE ON PAGE 2