EDI Blog

Join us for this community-building event around the topic of mental health and wellbeing, marking World Mental Health Day on October 10th! This topic feels especially relevant in the changing climate of the COVID pandemic.

The Office for Institutional Equity is pleased to announce a series of new workshops designed to provide education and support on key issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. The workshops are open to the Duke community, in particular, to staff interested in increasing skill and workplace culture in their departments. See what's on offer. Registration is required for each session.

For International Overdose Awareness Day, join your colleagues and friends in community service to help save lives from overdose.

Ways to participate include: Assemble life-saving naloxone rescue kits, Send much needed supplies, Educate yourself and get naloxone, and/or Donate funds

Join us and the NC Harm Reduction Coalition (NCHRC) for a hands-on, interactive opportunity to assemble life-saving naloxone rescue kits, and learn how to identify an opioid overdose and administer naloxone in an emergency.

Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month is Sept 15 - Oct 15, and we encourage everyone to take time to celebrate. Read on to learn more about this event's history and local ways to celebrate. July, August, and September contain many Cultural holidays and celebrations, including Native American Day.  

SubCommittee 5 within the DPHS DEI Committee addresses the integration of DEI principals into teaching and learning at DPHS. This work includes: integrating DEI principals into the admissions committee process, establishing the BRIDGE Program to link students from marginalized groups with DPHS faculty and training programs, conducting a gap analysis of the first-year Master's program curriculum and implementing study findings, creating resource lists, and offering trainings/orientations for trainees. 

SubCommittee 2 within the DPHS DEI Committee addresses the lack of racial/ethnic diversity among faculty and staff, as well as a lack of trust and transparency in the process. This subcommittee has focused on the staff hiring process, recently launching the Staff Hiring Toolkit, and is now focusing on other facets of DEI work regarding hiring, promotion, and retention.

SubCommittee 4 within the DPHS DEI Committee clarifies the steps to report experiences or observations of microaggression or discrimination. This subcommittee has developed a Reporting Structures Infographic with live links to resources and a process to provide two-way feedback between supervisors and direct reports, faculty, and staff. This subcommittee has also started centralizing the DPHS DEI Committee's metrics and evaluation processes.

The DEI Committee will be hosting three Roundtable Discussion Events following the topics of three of the DEI Foundational Trainings. SubCommittee #3 has created LMS Courses for each of the trainings which can be references ahead of each of the discussions.

SubCommittee 3 within the DPHS DEI Committee addresses the lack of knowledge on foundational DEI principles. This subcommittee focuses on organizing DEI educational offerings, including the DEI Foundational Series.

SubCommittee 1 within the DPHS DEI Committee addresses an insufficient sense of community and a lack of trust in the department in relation to diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as insufficient safe spaces for all identities. This subcommittee organizes community-building-focused events on a quarterly basis and creates the quarterly DEI Newsletter. They are also pursuing setting up gender-neutral bathroom(s) and increasing office accessibility for differently-abled employees and visitors. Historically, SubCommittee 1 was two separate groups before SubCommittee 1 & 5 merged to better accomplish their goals SubCommittee 5 previously established a Wellness/Lactation Room within our building, presented to the department on Understanding Gender Pronouns and Gender Identities, and collaborated with SubCommittee 1 to host events that help create safe spaces.