Hi everyone!
The IDEA committee has been busy this quarter.
- We launched the first of our mini guides series (on racial and cultural competency), and we have two more (on language barriers and pronoun usage) in the works which should be released with the next newsletter.
- We have several DEI related presentations for the conference planned, and we need your help to make one of them happen. Members of the IDEA committee have gotten together to find out what SUNY libraries and their campuses have built in terms of spaces focused on accommodating student mental health and sensory needs. We've put together a survey to see what people are doing, and we'd like to get a response from as many different schools as possible so we can report on trends, innovation, and methods. Here is the survey link:
https://forms.gle/sWpfhBKMnRaRiCeAA - Given the stressful state of things, we are forming a SUNYLA mutual support Discord server designed to be a hub for sharing resources, news, and compassion as it's desperately needed. More info to come soon, so keep an eye out.
- The committee is in the process of selecting a book for an upcoming book club in the fall. While we're back to the drawing board on selecting the specific title, we know the theme will be on burnout and emotional sustainability.
- Inspired by the TransAction conference at SUNY Cortland, we are in the (very) early stages of compiling a rough calendar of all the mini conferences, summits, and events held annually at different schools throughout the state. Hopefully this list can be used to encourage attendance, build stronger ties, and support DEI efforts. If you hold or know of any events that may fit into this theme, please let me know and I'll add it to the list!
As always, please email me at mcameron@mvcc.edu with any ideas, concerns, or news related to DEI. It's vital that we stay connected and aware of what is happening around us so that we can be strong as a collective.
