FALL SEMESTER 2022
Welcome to Georgia State's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion newsletter,
highlighting activities and programs across the university.
NEWS • EVENTS • DIVERSITY DATABASE PROGRAMS • OPPORTUNITIES
RESOURCE LIBRARY • PREVIOUS NEWSLETTERS
2022 JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION (JEDI)
AWARD WINNERS
Congratulations to the winners of the 2022 Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Awards! The JEDI Awards acknowledge the exceptional commitment exhibited by individuals and academic units/departments who successfully promote social justice and equity, increasing access and participation, and working towards inclusive excellence at a university for all.
NEWS
Celebrating the Investiture of President M. Brian Blake
Georgia State University will hold the historic investiture ceremony of M. Brian Blake, officially inaugurating Dr. Blake as the university’s eighth president on Sept. 16. Learn more about the ceremony and a week of activities - Our Place, Our Time - including an opportunity for community service.
Final Report on the Initial Action Plan for the Recommendations of the Task Force for Racial Equality
Following the horrific events of mid-2020, where Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks and too many other Black Americans were killed at the hands of law enforcement, the university convened a Task Force for Racial Equality to examine how Georgia State could move needed conversations forward and take solid actions to affect diversity, equity and inclusion at the institution.
The Task Force’s recommendations during the fall 2020 semester led to a three-phase action plan to implement these recommendations and turned words into deeds. Though the work isn't done, Georgia State has made significant progress to share.
The Office of the Provost is pleased to share the final progress report: From Plans to Action: The Results of the Initial Action Plan. It’s available by visiting https://dei.gsu.edu/from-plans-to-action/.
It is a straightforward report, but it tells so much. Knowing that this work continues, more than 90 percent of the actions from the original plan have been completed or are in progress.
As the university moves forward during this strategic planning year, it’s vital to recognize the importance of inclusion in formulating the next plan. Indeed, one of the key pillars – Identity & Placemaking – has this tenet embedded in it.
Launching ADVANCE-IMPACT
Georgia State University has been awarded a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to launch a new initiative as part of its efforts to increase the recruitment, retention, engagement and support of women faculty in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, especially for women from underrepresented minority backgrounds.
Partnering with Florida International University (FIU), the new Georgia State initiative, ADVANCE-IMPACT (Intersectionality and Mentoring in the Professoriate for Advancement, Community and Transformation) is supported through NSF’s ADVANCE program to increase the representation and advancement of women in STEM careers and university leadership.
“As one of the most diverse universities in the country, Georgia State is working to support a faculty that reflects our institution’s wide diversity,” said Nicolle Parsons-Pollard, Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. “Through the generous support of the National Science Foundation, ADVANCE-IMPACT signifies our commitment to this transformational goal.”
“I’m delighted to have the opportunity to help champion Georgia State’s efforts to implement organizational changes aimed at mitigating many of the challenges faced by women in science today,” said Marise Parent, principal investigator (PI) on the NSF grant and Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at Georgia State. “ADVANCE-IMPACT will promote policies and practices that will allow current faculty and the next generation of women scholars to make important contributions to our academic and research missions in an environment that makes them feel welcomed and valued.”
Among its activities, ADVANCE-IMPACT will adapt and implement the Strategies and Tactics for Recruiting to Improve Diversity and Excellence (STRIDE) approach in collaboration with FIU. STRIDE is an empirically demonstrated approach to increase faculty diversity at many institutions through activities that institutionalize successful strategies, shown to improve diversity and excellence.
Other aims of ADVANCE-IMPACT include:
- Leadership training to help counter factors that detract from a fair, equitable and welcoming workplace;
- Offering a faculty mentoring program at all career levels promoting inclusivity, development, advancement and participation in leadership;
- Assisting in the review of policies that promote best practices in diversity, equity and inclusion at an institutional level.
In the larger picture at the university, ADVANCE-IMPACT represents a major effort alongside others at the institution that support and increase diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in faculty recruitment, retention, and engagement. This includes efforts through the Next Generation of Faculty initiative, the action plan on the recommendations of the university’s Task Force for Racial Equality, and actions through the Collaborative on Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) faculty satisfaction process.
“At Georgia State, we have taken great care to ensure that we are not only evaluating what we need to change, but that we are also taking concrete steps to fulfill our promises,” said Corrie Fountain, Interim Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs, a co-PI on the grant who will lead in the administration of the new NSF-supported initiative. “Through the use of proven strategies, ADVANCE-IMPACT will significantly boost our ability to reach our broad, ambitious goals of becoming a university for all.”
In addition to the diversification of the professoriate, ADVANCE-IMPACT will provide an important contribution to Georgia State’s greater spirit of encouraging student success and achievement, regardless of background.
“When students from underrepresented backgrounds see themselves in STEM fields and in leadership positions, it is a spark that can inspire the next generation of diverse leaders and innovators,” Parsons-Pollard said. “Through this grant to launch ADVANCE-IMPACT, Georgia State’s contributions to support women in STEM will be felt for years to come.”
For more information about ADVANCE-IMPACT, visit www.gsu.edu/advance/.
For more about the national effort, visit the National Science Foundation website at https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/advance/.
— Jeremy Craig, Communications Manager, Office of the Provost
Register for the Fall 2022 Diversity Dialogue on Wednesday, Sept. 21
Join Georgia State for the first Diversity Dialogue of the 2022-23 academic year on Wednesday, Sept. 21, from 12 to 1 p.m., with a panel discussion about the university community and diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at the institution.
The event will be livestreamed for Georgia State students, faculty and staff. To attend this virtual event, register by visiting https://dei.gsu.edu/diversity-dialogues/registration/.
This discussion will include members of the Georgia State Diversity Council to discuss plans and initiatives for the upcoming year. The council is a group of leaders in academic, student success, and administrative units, and they will provide their vision for diversity, equity and inclusion in their respective units.
Scheduled participants include:
- Karen Wheel Carter, Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives, Perimeter College
- Mark Crenshaw, Assistant Director, Center for Leadership in Disability
- Kelcey Roegiers, Sr. Associate Athletic Director & Chief Diversity Officer, Athletics
- Anthony Davis, Associate Vice President for Student Engagement and Dean of Students, Office of the Dean of Students
- Carlos Pavão, Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Clinical Associate Professor, School of Public Health
- Marian Higgins, Associate Dean for Culture, Equity and Inclusion, Robinson College of Business
- Curtis Byrd, Senior Director, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Office of Faculty Affairs
The Diversity Dialogues series began during the 2020-21 academic year as part of the action plan for the recommendations of the Task Force for Racial Equality, bringing together the university community to discuss ways to address racism and inequality.
The series this year continues to address these issues as well as diversity across multiple groups - and intersections between identities.
To view recordings of events from the previous two academic years, visit https://dei.gsu.edu/diversity-dialogues/.
Latinx Heritage Month & University Signature Heritage Months in 2022-23
Join Georgia State as we mark Latinx Heritage Month, also known as National Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions from those whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. One of the university's Signature Heritage Months, Latinx Heritage Month occurs Sept. 15 through Oct. 15.
Event highlights include the following:
- Civic Engagement Initiative: Food Drive through the end of September, Student Center East (SCE) Room 211
- Café con LASSO: Tuesday, Sept. 20, 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. SCE 211
- Orgullo Latinx: Thursday, Sept. 29, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Student Center East Ballroom
- Vamos a Bailar: Thursday, Oct. 6, 6 to 9 p.m., location to be announced
Additionally, the Latina/o/x, Chicana/o/x, Caribbean, Hispanic and Indigenous (LACCHI) Faculty Affinity group will host several events during Latinx Heritage Month. These events will be announced soon to the university community.
Are you a Georgia State faculty or staff member, or a registered student organization (RSO) leader with an event you'd like to share? Please click here to submit.
Heritage/History Months celebrate the customs, values, and traditions of different cultures, examining the issues and struggles of different communities as well as affirming their contributions to society. Heritage months are important in providing intentional space for teaching, learning and reflection. Each month, we celebrate the identities and histories of members of Georgia State’s global communities through vibrant performances, lectures, and activities that celebrate our rich cultural diversity and help us understand our shared history.
Signature Heritage Months at Georgia State
The Georgia State DEI website has established in partnership with Cultures, Communities & Inclusion in the Office of Student Engagement dedicated heritage/history month pages that include event listings and resources.
The months include:
- Latinx Heritage Month: Sept. 15-Oct. 15
- LGBTQ+ History Month: Oct. 1-31
- Native American/American Indian Heritage Month: Nov. 1-30
- Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration, January
- Black History Month, February
- Women's HERstory Month, March
- Asian-Pacific Islander-Desi American Heritage Month*: April
*Nationally, Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month is observed in May. Georgia State observes it in April so that all may participate before the end of spring semester.
Additionally, the DEI website includes Social Justice Summer, events that mark celebrations of our community's rich diversity in June and July, including but not limited to:
- Caribbean American Heritage Month
- Juneteenth
- Pride
To access the pages for each month, visit the second link in the blue buttons below. There's also a link to submit events to the calendar.
Equity Minded Faculty Workload
Based on data from the last COACHE Faculty Job Satisfaction Survey, Georgia State put forth action plans to address the balance between teaching, research/creative activities, and service. Over the summer and into the fall, the Office of Faculty Affairs has sponsored workshops to engage in discussions for department chairs and other academic administrators on how to best implement the elements of the COACHE Action Plan related to faculty workload:
Action Plan 3
Area: Nature of Work: Service
The Office of the Provost will identify best practices for allocating service assignments. In addition, all colleges will retrospectively review the apportionment of service tasks, engage in conversations with faculty members to determine the expected service load for a typical faculty member, and develop a policy for equitable distribution moving forward. Colleges will also be required to include a discussion of service, focusing on service rendered to the college or university in each annual review.
Action Plan 12
Area: Support for Research/Creative Work
The Office of the Provost will implement a Minimester pilot to explore, among other things, whether giving faculty members the option of more flexible teaching schedules may support them to develop more active research agendas.
Action Plan 13
Area: Support for Research/Creative Work
The Office of the Provost, in conjunction with the Faculty Senate, will examine the current Faculty Workload Policy and make changes where possible to support flexible teaching options, including course banking.
A major outcome of the workshops and discussions is a set of dashboard templates to assist chairs and colleges in calculating service activities, developing rubrics for service expectations, creating rotating service schedules, and other matters. They have been adapted specifically for Georgia State's context based off of dashboards by the American Council on Education.
Discussions on how to ensure equitable faculty workload continue during the fall semester, with part two of the workshop series taking place this October.
From the Faculty Affairs Website Document Library
COACHE
SREB Doctoral Scholars Program & Institute on Teaching and Mentoring, Oct. 27-30
Georgia State University’s Office of Faculty Affairs and the university’s colleges and schools are participating in the Southern Regional Education Board’s Institute on Teaching and Mentoring Oct. 27-30, at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis in downtown Atlanta.
The Institute will host nearly 1,500 students, with the majority of participants being doctoral students. The event is the largest gathering of underrepresented minority students in the nation. Georgia State is the only platinum sponsor for the event at which Dr. Nicolle Parsons-Pollard, Interim Provost, will serve as the keynote speaker.
University Launches Future Faculty Diversity Initiative (FFDI), Inaugural Event Oct. 26-27
As part of the recommendations of the Implementation Steering Committee on the Next Generation of Faculty and the Task Force for Racial Equality, the Office of Faculty Affairs is hosting its first Future Faculty Diversity Initiative (FFDI) event. FFDI is a two-day program Oct. 26-27 that brings senior doctoral candidates, newly minted Ph.D. and junior faculty members from all disciplines across the country to Georgia State University.
FFDI seeks to contribute to growing the number of faculty from traditionally underrepresented populations in the United States, particularly Black/African American, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC), as well as groups that have been underrepresented in certain academic fields, such as women in STEM fields and men in health sciences.
Invited scholars will have the opportunity to engage with Georgia State administrators, meet dynamic faculty, staff, and students, and have an opportunity to discuss their research and develop relationships with our academic departments.
For this inaugural FFDI event, Georgia State will work with the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Doctoral Scholars Program and the Institute on Teaching and Mentoring held in Atlanta Oct. 27-30.
Georgia State will bring 17 SREB Doctoral Scholars to campus in October to preview faculty opportunities, and provide face-to-face interaction with Georgia State administrators, representatives of departments and colleges, and to take a campus tour. Georgia State leaders will also share supportive resources, provide tips for completing Ph.D. programs, give insight into entering faculty positions, and discuss career development planning.
Join a Faculty Affinity Group of the Diverse Faculty Alliance
The Office of Faculty Affairs - Diversity, Equity and Inclusion area coordinates and sponsors eight active Faculty Affinity Groups and the Diverse Faculty Alliance (DFA), which supports them. Faculty who identify with any of the faculty affinity groups (listed here) are encouraged to join. These groups create a sense of belonging and community for our historically underrepresented groups and faculty, which have found an affinity to support one another.
These groups include:
- Faculty of the African Diaspora Association (FADA)
- LACCHI Faculty Affinity Group (Latina/o/x, Chicana/o/x, Caribbean, Hispanic and Indigenous)
- Asian/Asian American Faculty Identity Group (AAAFIG)
- PRISM* (Pride, Inclusion, Respect, Support and Movement) - LGBTQ+
- Women’s Faculty Identity Group (WFIG)
- GSUVETS* (Georgia State University Veteran Employees Team Support)
- GSU Chairs (university department chairs)
- Non-Tenure Track Faculty Group
*Note: At their discretion, faculty affinity groups can also open their membership to staff. PRISM and GSUVETS have elected to do so, and staff may also fill out the interest form at the link below.
Interested in joining? Click here to join a group. (Please note: you can participate in more than one group.)
Find & Join a Student Organization
Looking to get involved with a student organization? The Panther Involvement Network (PIN) is your source for searching among numerous student organizations of many kinds. Click the button below to access the PIN and organizations related to diversity and multicultural efforts.
Read more news at the DEI website news feed and at the main Georgia State News Hub at the links below.
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
A Note About Events Listed in This Edition
The Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Georgia State newsletter is being published once this fall, and once this spring, and many events are in the planning stages at the time of distribution during early September. But we want to make sure that you mark your calendar for some enriching and impactful events, and have increased the number of highlighted events!
Make sure to check back with the DEI calendar at https://dei.gsu.edu/calendar/ throughout the semester for updates!
Events and event dates are subject to change.
- Sept. 12: 2022 Lutzker Lecture with Dr. Iheoma Iruka
- Sept. 15, Oct. 7 & Nov. 3: The Shaping of Atlanta Walking Tour – How Women of Diverse Backgrounds Helped Shape the City
- Sept. 20: Café con LASSO
- Sept. 21 (online), Oct. 12 (in person) & 19 (online), Nov. 9 (in person) & Nov. 16 (online): Baldwin Book Club - Undocumented: A Dominican Boy's Odyssey from a Homeless Shelter to the Ivy League
- Sept. 30 (students only): LEAD on Wheels Atlanta Bike Tour: A Creative Spin on Civil Rights & Social Justice
- Sept. 30-Oct. 28 (apply by 9/16): Black Student Leadership Institute
- Oct. 20: Pride Prom, in collaboration with Georgia Tech
- Nov. 5: Path to the Professoriate (Information coming soon from The Graduate School & the Office of Faculty Affairs)
- Nov 7-11: Save the Date: International Education Week ‘22 (event listings coming soon)
Access the DEI Calendar & Submit Events
For more DEI events visit the events calendar on the DEI website here. For other events visits the Georgia State main calendar here.
If you have suggestions for additional diversity, equity, and inclusion related news stories, events, or observances to share with the Georgia State community, please complete the DEI events/news submission form here.
FALL SEMESTER HOLIDAYS
Members of Georgia State's diverse university population celebrate holidays of different communities and faith traditions through the year, including but definitely not limited to Rosh Hashana (Sept. 25-27) and Yom Kippur (Oct. 4-5), Eid-e-Milad un Nabi (Oct. 7-8), Diwali (Oct. 24), Hanukkah (Dec. 18-26), and Christmas Day in the Western (Dec. 25) and Orthodox & Coptic rites/traditions (Jan. 7, 2023).
For more information about the wide range of religious and other holidays, click here to visit the DEI Resource Library, where you can find the Dean of Students' Cultures, Communities & Inclusion initiative's Cultural Awareness Guide. It has a very comprehensive list of holidays, celebrations, and observances.
Additional Interfaith & Holiday Calendars
You can also find other holiday and observance listings at the following links:
- Diversity Holidays
- External Interfaith Calendars
OPPORTUNITIES
Faculty, Apply by Sept. 30: Engaged Research Competition
The Georgia Policy Labs invites proposals for its inaugural Engaged Research Competition, which will award up to $35,000 to support engaged research with public or non-profit partners. These funds are intended to remove structural barriers from conducting engaged research (e.g., the longer time to publication when answering questions of practice, complications setting up data-sharing agreements, and time spent building trust with a partner).
The Office of the Provost and the Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development are happy to share this new opportunity available to tenure-track assistant professors across all campuses at Georgia State University. Funding for this competition comes from the Office of the Provost, the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, and the Dan E. Sweat Endowment.
For more information and application details, please click the button below.
This is the first of four annual competitions to support engaged, partnership-based research at Georgia State with an award amount of up to $35,000 per year.
The application deadline is September 30, 2022. Funding will be awarded in October for use in January–June 2023.
Register: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Summit Supporting Entrepreneurs & Students from Underrepresented Backgrounds Oct. 13-14
In partnership with Zane Venture Fund, Georgia State University’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Institute (ENI) is pleased to announce an entrepreneurship and innovation summit that will take place on October 13 to 14 at Center Parc Stadium. Early-stage investors in companies founded by diverse entrepreneurs and students from across the state are invited to participate and hear from speakers during the two-day event.
Register through the link in the button below.
“This partnership is a great alignment of our collective missions to support early-stage diverse founders and historically excluded entrepreneurs such as women, veterans, minorities and first-generation college students and graduates,” said Jennifer Sherer, director of Georgia State’s ENI. “It’s beneficial for both students who are aspiring entrepreneurs and for companies that may be looking for capital now or somewhere in the near future.”
The first day of the summit will feature a Demo Day for Georgia State’s award-winning Main Street Entrepreneurs Seed Fund (MSESF) business accelerator program which supports historically excluded students, recent alumni, and Georgia State community entrepreneurs with seed funding and mentorship to start and grow new ventures. Demo Day gives participating entrepreneurs a chance to pitch their companies to investors, compete for awards, and network with potential funders. This cohort, the third one, is supported by donations from The Marcus Foundation, Bank of America, and Georgia State alumnus Ahmet Bozer (‘83), a retired executive vice president at Coca-Cola.
Day two is Zane Innovation Day which will feature a hackathon, keynote and featured speakers, breakout sessions on venture capital and entrepreneurship, a company showcase, and networking.
“This summit is a wonderful opportunity for investors, potential strategic partners, and community members to hear ideas from new companies and help them get to their next stage of development,” said Musaddeq (MK) Khan, director of the MSESF, about the summit which takes place October 13 to 14 at Center Parc Stadium.
For more information about the summit, visit https://eni.gsu.edu/msesf/.
Ford Foundation Fellowship Programs
Through its program of fellowships, the Ford Foundation seeks to increase the diversity of the nation’s college and university faculties by increasing their ethnic and racial diversity, maximize the educational benefits of diversity, and increase the number of professors who can and will use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students.
Predoctoral, dissertation, and postdoctoral fellowships are awarded in a national competition administered by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on behalf of the Ford Foundation.
Awards will be made for study in research-based Ph.D. or Sc.D. programs; practice oriented degree programs are not eligible for support (see eligible fields). Prospective applicants should carefully review the eligibility requirements, the terms of the fellowship awards, application instructions and other information pertaining to the individual fellowship (Predoctoral, Dissertation, or Postdoctoral) for which they are applying.
DEADLINES
Online Application Portal Opens: September 6, 2022
2023 Dissertation and Postdoctoral application deadlines
December 8, 2022
5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST)
2023 Predoctoral application deadline
December 15, 2022
5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST)
Supplementary Materials deadline for submitted applications
January 5, 2023
5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST)
Notification of 2023 awards:
TBD
FIND MORE OPPORTUNITIES
Visit https://dei.gsu.edu/opportunities/ for more workshops, fellowships, challenges, grants, and other information.
HIGHLIGHTED PROGRAMS FROM THE DIVERSITY DATABASE
Project ACHiEVE
This program with TRIO Student Support Services at the Decatur Campus provides support services to first-generation, low-income and/or students with disabilities. The goal is to increase the college retention and graduation rates of its participants and is based upon the belief that all students, regardless of age, family background, learning style, or presence of a disability, should have equal opportunity to reach their full personal, academic and career potential.
Humanities Inclusivity Program
This program with The Graduate School creates a pipeline and support network for undergraduate students from underrepresented groups to enter and succeed in doctoral programs in the humanities. This two-year program offers paid research assistantships for students paired with Georgia State faculty mentors to gain the research skills and experiences they need to be successful in graduate school.
CONTRIBUTE TO THE
DIVERSITY DATABASE
The Diversity Database brings together diversity, equity and inclusion-related initiatives, programming and policy from across Georgia State into one searchable information hub. Contribute to the database or change your existing entry here. Learn more about how to use the database through the video tutorial below.
FROM THE RESOURCE LIBRARY
2022-23 Cultural Awareness Guide
This Cultural Awareness Guide from Cultures, Communities & Inclusion in the Office of Student Engagement has been created to enhance awareness pertaining to diverse cultures and communities. The guide, updated for the new academic year, offers essential information about dates and practices that will be helpful to those planning activities, events, meetings, and co-curricular events that impact our campus community.
CONTRIBUTE TO THE RESOURCE LIBRARY
Visit https://dei.gsu.edu/resource-library/ to search for books, guides, manuals, policies, multimedia, maps, directories, and more. You can also suggest a resource to add to the library.
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