DIVERSITY MATTERS
JULY – AUGUST 2017
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Diversity Certificate Program. . . . . . . . 1 Women’s Equality Day. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Title IX and Retaliation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Commemorative Month Observances . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Thomas Lichterman "Employee of the Year" Award. . . . . 3 College of Dentistry Diversity Training. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2017 Chancellor's Exempt Staff Award. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 QEP: Cast Your Vote. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Religious Holidays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Community Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
OFFICE OF EQUITY AND DIVERSITY TEAM uthsc.edu/oed/staff
Michael Alston, EdD, CCDP/AP
DIVERSITY CERTIFICATE PROGRAM The Office of Equity and Diversity (OED) is excited to announce the Diversity Certificate Program. Increasingly, diversity and inclusion are becoming strategic business drivers that have a direct impact on organizational effectiveness and reputation. Investing in diversity and inclusion is paramount to improving employee engagement, serving students more effectively, increasing institutional innovation, and preparing more knowledgeable health care professionals. Participants in the certificate program will explore their own background, identities, and values; develop critical competencies relevant to a wide variety of disciplines; deepen their understanding of historical and institutionalized policies that continue to impact inequities for diverse and marginalized populations; and learn tools for decreasing bias and supporting a more inclusive climate for underrepresented minorities at UTHSC. The program will demonstrate that embracing diversity and inclusion can bring a broader range of perspectives and backgrounds into our organization, leading to more effective decision-making. With these tools, OED hopes that participants will gain a sound understanding of the latest research and best practices in the fields of cultural competency and diversity.
Assistant Vice Chancellor
Amber Carter
WOMEN’S EQUALITY DAY
Dustin Fulton, MS
“At the behest of Rep. Bella Abzug (D-NY), in 1971 the U.S. Congress designated August 26 as “Women’s Equality Day.”
Publications Editor, Diversity Matters Sr. Equity Assurance Administrator
Maggie Joyce, JD
Sr. OED Consultant
Lauren Rotonda, JD, MBA Sr. Inclusion Strategist
Sophia Mosher, MPA Administrative Aide
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.
The date was selected to commemorate the 1920 certification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote. This was the culmination of a massive, peaceful civil rights movement by women that had its formal beginnings in 1848 at the world’s first women’s rights convention, in Seneca Falls, New York. The observance of Women’s Equality Day not only commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment, but also calls attention to women’s continuing efforts toward full equality. Workplaces, libraries, organizations, and public facilities now participate with Women’s Equality Day programs, displays, video showings, or other activities.” nwhp.org/resources/commemorations/womens-equality-day 1