DIVERSITY MATTERS
JANUARY – FEBRUARY 2019
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Stalking Awareness Month. . . . . . . . . . .1 2018 Campus Awards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Religious Holidays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Community Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Grand Rounds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Black History Month. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. . . . . . . . . 3 DCP Graduates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
OFFICE OF EQUITY AND DIVERSITY TEAM uthsc.edu/oed/staff Michael Alston, EdD, CCDP/AP Assistant Vice Chancellor Olivia Ralph, JD Sr. Compliance Consultant Lauren Rotonda, JD, MBA Sr. Inclusion Strategist Sophia Mosher, MPA Sr. Administrative Specialist, Strategic Programs Dominique Crockett, MHA Sr. Administrative Specialist, Compliance Assurance
NATIONAL STALKING AWARENESS MONTH In January 2004, the National Center for Victims of Crime launched National Stalking Awareness Month (NSAM) to increase the public’s understanding of the crime of stalking. NSAM emerged from the work of the Stalking Resource Center, a National Center program funded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice, to raise awareness about stalking and help develop and implement multidisciplinary responses to the crime. Stalking, defined as a pattern of behavior directed at a specific person that causes fear, impacts over one in six women and one in 17 men in the United States. Many stalking victims experience being followed, approached, monitored and/or threatened – including through various forms of technology. NSAM’s theme, “Stalking: Know It. Name It. Stop It,” is a call to action for everyone in the Memphis community and across the country. In observance of National Stalking Awareness Month, the Office of Equity and Diversity will offer two events: Meet the Chief and Stalking Isn’t Romantic. Meet the Chief is a partnership event with the Title IX Coordinator, Dr. Michael Alston, and Chief Anthony Berryhill, Campus Police, to promote awareness and public education about stalking and campus safety. Stalking Isn’t Romantic is a workshop focused on healthy relationships with Dr. Kimberly Williams Collins. Events are open to faculty, staff, residents, postdocs, and fellows. Know it. Name It. Stop It!
MEET THE CHIEF
Tuesday, January 8 | GEB Lobby 8:30 – 10:00 am
Kirsha Smith OED Assistant
STALKING ISN’T ROMANTIC
(Healthy Relationships Workshop) Tuesday, January 22 | Freeman Auditorium 2:00 – 3:30 pm
The University of Tennessee is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/ Section 504/ADA/ADEA/V institution in the provision of its education and employment programs and services.
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DIVERSITY MATTERS
JANUARY – FEBRUARY 2019
2018 CAMPUS AWARDS
RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS
January 1: Mary, Mother of God – Catholic Christian
Gantan-sai (New Years) – Shinto
Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus – Orthodox Christian
Jan. 5:
Twelfth Night - Christian
Guru Gobindh Singh birthday – Sikh
Jan. 6: Dia de los Reyes (Three Kings Day) – Christian
THOMAS C. LICHTERMAN OUTSTANDING EMPLOYEE WILLIE EARL MCKINNIE To honor the memory of Tommy Lichterman and in celebration of his dedicated and enthusiastic service to UT Health Science Center, the Lichterman family and many friends have established the Thomas Connell Lichterman Employee of the Year Award. This Award is presented annually to a non-exempt employee who demonstrates the high standards and positive characteristics exemplified by Tommy. The 2018 recipient is Willie Earl McKinnie, who works in the Grounds and Logistical Services Department within Facilities Administration.
CHANCELLOR’S EXEMPT STAFF AWARD DEMETRISS A. GILLIAM This award was created to recognize non-faculty exempt employees who have demonstrated outstanding service and/ or who have made significant contributions to the University community beyond that normally expected for their positions. Drs. Michael and Chandra Alston, co-chairs for non-exempt staff and non-faculty exempt staff groups during the Health Science Center Family Campaign, are the original donors behind this award. The 2018 recipient is Demetriss A. Gilliam, who serves as a compensation analyst in Human Resources.
Nativity of Christ – Armenian Orthodox
Jan. 13:
Maghi – Sikh
Jan. 18-25: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity – Christian Jan. 19:
Timkat – Ethiopian Orthodox Christian
Jan. 20:
World Religion Day – Baha'i
Jan. 20-21: Tu BiShavat* – Jewish Jan. 21:
Mahayana New Year** – Buddhist
Jan. 25:
Conversion of St. Paul – Christian
Feb. 2:
Candlemas – Presentation of Christ in the Temple - Christian
Imbolc - Lughassad* – Wicca/Pagan – Northern and Southern hemispheres
Saint Brighid of Kildare – Celtic Christian
Feb. 3:
St. Blaze Day – Christian
Setsebun-sai (beginning of Spring) – Shinto
Four Chaplains Sunday – Interfaith
Feb. 5:
Chinese New Year – Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist
Feb. 8:
Nirvana Day – Buddhism
Feb. 14:
St. Valentine's Day – Christian
Feb. 15:
Nirvana Day** – Buddhist – Jain
Feb. 26:
Intercalary Days begin – Baha'i
* Holy days usually begin at sundown the day before this date. ** Local or regional customs may use a variation of this date. 2
COMMUNITY EVENTS MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAYS OF SERVICE WITH VOLUNTEER MEMPHIS CLEAN UP MONDAY
COLLAGE DANCE COLLECTIVE Germantown Performing Arts Center Friday, February 22 at 7:30 PM
Volunteer Memphis is partnering with Clean Memphis and Memphis City Beautiful to host a citywide cleanup project. For more information, visit volunteermemphis.org/Pages/MLK-Daysof-Service-2018/3705.
RISE showcases the company's sheer athleticism and emotional conviction through powerful, historically inspired performances. The program includes Kevin Thomas' iconic Rise ballet alongside the premiere of In the Mirror of Her Mind choreographed by Christopher Huggins and audience favorites like Dying Swans. RISE also features the company's professional dancers performing alongside Collage's dance stars of tomorrow. For more information, visit gpacweb.com/event-list/2018/12/13/collage-dancecollective.
GRAND ROUNDS:
BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2019
Monday, January 21
DR. MICHAEL ALSTON DISCUSSES IMPLICIT BIAS On January 3, 2019, Michael Alston, EdD, CCDP-AP, CAHRI, Associate CIDP, assistant vice chancellor and Title IX coordinator, presented for Psychiatry Grand Rounds about implicit bias and the importance of addressing it in their medical practice. Implicit biases are stereotypes about certain groups of people that are formed outside an individual’s conscious awareness and are often contradictory to that individual’s conscious values. As the University of Tennessee Health Science Center works to address the social determinants of health and to foster and sustain a diverse and inclusive culture, it is important to be aware of implicit biases and the ways they may affect our interactions.
Each year, institutions around the country join in paying tribute to the generations of African Americans who struggled with adversity to achieve full citizenship in American society. The event was first celebrated during a week in February 1926 that encompassed the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The response was overwhelming: Black history clubs sprang up; teachers demanded materials to instruct their pupils; and progressive whites, not simply white scholars and philanthropists, stepped forward to endorse the effort. By 1950, Negro History Week had become a central part of African American life and substantial progress had been made in bringing more Americans to appreciate the celebration. At mid–century, mayors of cities nationwide issued proclamations noting Negro History Week. The celebration was expanded to a month in 1976, the nation’s bicentennial. President Gerald R. Ford urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” By this time, the entire nation had come to recognize the importance of Black history in the drama of the American story. Since then each American president has issued African American History Month proclamations. The Office of Equity and Diversity and the Office of Special Events will host a series of events during the month of February. Adapted from africanamericanhistorymonth.gov/about
DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY Monday in January, the MLK Day of Service is the only federal holiday observed as a national day of service – a "day on, not a day off." The MLK Day of Service is a part of Serve. gov, the President's national call to service initiative. It calls for Americans from all walks of life to work together to provide solutions to our most pressing national problems. The MLK Day of Service empowers individuals, strengthens communities, bridges barriers, creates solutions to social problems, and moves us closer to Dr. King's vision of a "Beloved Community."
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. federal holiday is a perfect opportunity for Americans to honor Dr. King’s legacy through service. After a long struggle, legislation was signed in 1983 creating a federal holiday marking the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1994, Congress designated the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday as a national day of service and charged the Corporation for National and Community Service with leading this effort. Taking place each year on the third 3
DIVERSITY MATTERS
JANUARY – FEBRUARY 2019
DIVERSITY CERTIFICATE PROGRAM GRADUATES 26 UTHSC PROFESSIONALS FROM ITS FALL 2018 COHORT Written by Amber Carter The Office of Equity and Diversity at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center Thursday graduated 26 faculty and staff members from the fall 2018 cohort of its Diversity Certificate Program (DCP).
backgrounds into UTHSC and lead to more-effective decision-making. Participants gain an understanding of the latest research and best practices in the fields of crosscultural competency and diversity.
Started in fall 2017, the program aims to develop a more knowledgeable workforce by enhancing competencies and capacity around diversity and inclusion, in order to leverage them toward achieving and sustaining campus-wide excellence. This initiative aligns with the chancellor’s strategic plan for diversity. To date, 78 UTHSC team members have completed the program.
“We attribute the growth of the DCP to employees being able to self-select their participation, in comparison to mandatory participation in diversity and inclusion training,” said Michael Alston, EdD, CCDP/AP, assistant vice chancellor for Equity and Diversity and Title IX Coordinator. “The DCP is about training, development, and education, and those are three critical keys for UTHSC in preparing managers, supervisors, and workers to affect organizational climate, while fulfilling the strategic plan.”
“What I enjoyed most about the Diversity Certificate Program is that it allowed me to come in contact with colleagues that I would have never had the space to meet and experience how they view the world,” said Justin Dodson, LPC-MHSP, counselor in Student Academic Support Services and Inclusion and new graduate of the program. “It was affirming in knowing that all behavior is purposeful and sometimes it’s worth taking a step back and identifying the cause of behavior and collaborating on how to have the best solution possible.”
The fall 2018 graduates of the Diversity Certificate Program received their certificates during a ceremony in the Hamilton Eye Institute’s Freeman Auditorium. This spring, OED is planning a conference-style program that will be held over two full days. This accelerated format will allow members of the campus community who have trouble with the traditional scheduling of the program to participate. Dates and application deadlines will be announced soon. The traditional schedule will resume in fall 2019.
The program demonstrates that embracing diversity and inclusion can bring a broader range of perspectives and 4
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR DIVERSITY CERTIFICATE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS!
Carriann Bingham, MBA Billing Manager College of Dentistry
Alisha Boone Sr. HR Consultant Human Resources
Tabatha Bortters Administrative Aide Center for Health in Justice Involved Youth
Trimika Bowdre, PhD, MPH DNP Coordinator College of Nursing
Sarah Cheon Sr. IT Technologist I Information Technology Services
Connie Childs, MA Director International Affairs
Alicia Clark, MA Sr. Research Assistant Center for Health in Justice Involved Youth
Justin Dodson, LPC-MHSP Counselor Student Academic Support Services and Inclusion
Jeffery Fields Superintendent Facilities Administration
Sheredith Fountain Administrative Assistant Plough Center
Charles Hicks Jr. Data Services Assistant UTHSC Library
Timothy Hottel, DDS, MS, MBA, DBA Director Health System Affairs
Edwin Jeffres Superintendent, Custodial Services Facilities Administrationy
Andrea Kolen Director Space Planning and Utilization
Rhalmil Mathews Sr. Administrative Services Assistant College of Medicine, Admissions
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DIVERSITY CERTIFICATE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS Continued
Jacqueline McManis Senior Print Specialist Printing and Copy Center
David Meyer Design Coordinator Communications and Marketing
Patricia Page Senior Program Manager Electronic Research Administration
Kiela Person Administrative Coordinator Academic, Faculty and Student Affairs
Christie Rakestraw Admissions Counselor, Nursing Student Affairs and Enrollment Services
Peggy Reisser Communications Manager Communications and Marketing
Delira Robbins, PhD Licensing Assistant UT Research Foundation, Technology Transfer
Robert St. Clair Graphic Designer Printing and Copy Center
Cynthina Starke-Cordero Administrative Coordinator Physician Assistant Studies
Kay Strahan, MSLIS Assistant Professor UTHSC Library
Valerie Wheeler Sr. Account Clerk Information Technology Services
For more information, please contact: Office of Equity and Diversity | 920 Madison Ave. | Suite 825 t 901.448.2112 | f 901.448.1120
uthsc.edu/oed 6