Grady and her team will seek out those voices often structurally excluded and invite them to share their perspectives. Grady looks ahead to 2023, she’s focused on these three priorities: Representation in Decision-makingĬenter underrepresented minorities, specifically African American and Hispanic men, to ensure representation and voice in decision-making processes. You ask yourself how can I behave in this? How can I relate to the discourse?Īs Dr. The real work is noticing your discomfort and rather than protecting your work, ego, or opinion, you choose to stay in that conversation and listen. When we are growing and deepening our emotional intelligence, it requires self-reflection. “It means you’re seeking opportunities to understand, engage and learn. “We need to recognize that being uncomfortable is often a very good thing,” she says. It’s a more personal ask of college employees and students that beckons curiosity and appreciative inquiry.Īnd if it’s done right … there is plenty of discomfort. Rather than a band-aid approach or checking the boxes that quantitively tell the story, she is focused on a deeper level of transformation. Grady invites everyone to de-center themselves and their own experience, and instead, center the work and progress needed. Grady acknowledges the idea of doing equity work can feel amorphous and overwhelming. “We’re also discussing tough but necessary questions, like, how do we see college leaders modeling equity, inclusion, belonging and justice principles? And what does representation look like?”ĭr. “We’re working on real challenges, giving honest feedback and noticing where we’re recreating the wheel,” she explains. All of this, she says, is about trusting the process and each other. Grady is asking questions, identifying recurring issues and challenges while fostering a community for collaboration and ideas. Among this group of equity thought leaders is where Dr. Grady has “intentionally tapped”’ several employees to serve as champions of change. The focus is on self-inquiry and removing common barriers and intimidations to make way for deeper questions and learning. Her team has trained 104 equity coordinators at the college, all working on things like book clubs, discussions, programming, and workshops. Grady and her team, a priority has also been to create spaces for learning and conversation. But first we need a centralized vision.”įor Dr. We also need to personalize and localize our plan to support the various programs and campus locations. ![]() “When we elevate our best practices that serve and retain our most vulnerable students, it better ensures all students receive that high level of focus and attention. ![]() She adds the scalability and sustainability of the college’s DEI efforts will depend on this alignment. Then, together, we can expand upon what’s working and build from there.” Let’s quantify our bold statements, create the metrics and interrogate our current processes and systems. Let’s ask ourselves what’s working and why. “Let’s look at our plans and identify best practices, opportunities and things that are moving the needle within various departments and programs. Simplifying the message is even more crucial. She believes the path forward requires aggregating these plans and adopting a collective vision. And we can’t be concerned with who is doing it better or who is being recognized. “We don’t want plans unknowingly competing against each other or working in isolation. ![]() Grady sees this as a testament to the college’s commitment, but also, the challenge. “We have no shortage of DEI plans,” she says. She has spent much of her time listening, asking questions, uncovering the needs of each campus location, and doing a deep dive into the DEI culture and climate of the college. Since joining the college in May, Grady has been intentional with her role. For Damira Grady, Ph.D., Vice President of Equity, Inclusion and Community Relations at Madison College, progress starts with an invitation to collaborate and a desire for synergy.
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