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Ubuntu
University Housing
Groups Served
Staff
Program Website
N/A
Contact Information
Brown, Ashley
abrown204@gsu.edu
Address
75 Piedmont Avenue
Atlanta, GA 30303
Building
Campus
Atlanta
Funding
Institutional Funding (e.g., President's Office, Provost Office, College or Academic Unit, Departmental Funding)
Overview
Ubuntu was designed with two primary goals in mind:
To help professional staff members improve their cross-cultural interaction skills with students and other staff members.
To increase staff members awareness of social justice issues within the department, university and the larger community.
Benefits
By participating in Ubuntu, staff members are able to experience an improved workplace climate, increase their awareness of staff members’ experiences based on their identities; and are better able to serve GSU’s diverse student body. Further, through the program staff members are able to build relationships with community organizations connected to the social identity of the year.
Supplemental Materials
Discipline Focus
Not discipline specific (University-Wide)
Diversity Group ( Social Identity)
Gender, Race/Ethnicity
Race/Ethnic Group
Does not provide racial/ethnic minority group specialized programming
Program, Initiative, Policy or Sponsored Award Category
Priority 2: Multicultural Programming
Established
07/11/2019
Number Served
51-100
Notable Leaders, Stakeholders, or Speakers
Research Routines, Responsibilities and Activities
Cultural competency training (workshop, certificate, course), Celebrations of diverse groups (e.g. Black history, Asian American/ Pacific Islander Heritage, etc.), Dissemination/communication of policy, newsletter, brief, common definitions, web-based diversity, equity and/or inclusion statements, Accommodations (disability)/assistance (employee, staff), Community outreach (e.g., townhall, alumni engagement, meetings to gauge community perception or campus constituents, movements), Practices & Procedures (e.g., accountability, recruitment, retention, hiring, promotion, tenure, compensation, guided pathways (leadership), financial aid, technology, land use and acknowledgement, vendor agreements, partnerships with educational, labor, government, business and community organizations)
Additional Research Components, Roles and Responsibilities
Ubuntu specifically focuses on helping University Housing professional staff members (inclusive of residence life, facilities and business services) improve their cross-cultural interaction skills and increase their awareness of social justice and liberatory practices. There is a total of seven 8hr sessions that the department participates in throughout the academic year. Last year, we focused on race as our social identity for the year; this year we are focused on gender. In each of the sessions, we offer information, celebrate marginalized identities, elevate the voices of staff and students with marginalized identities and connect staff with resources and relevant policies on campus. We select an organization within Georgia to ‘partner’ with each year that aligns with the social identity we are focused on that year. Last year we selected the King Center and this year we will be selecting TRANScending Barriers. The organization leader will visit and talk about their work.
Self-efficacy Emphasis
Not Applicable
Acknowledgement/Affirmation of Identity, Strengths, Needs
Ubuntu specifically focuses on helping University Housing professional staff members (inclusive of residence life, facilities and business services) improve their cross-cultural interaction skills and increase their awareness of social justice and liberatory practices. There is a total of seven 8hr sessions that the department participates in throughout the academic year. Last year, we focused on race as our social identity for the year; this year we are focused on gender. In each of the sessions, we offer information, celebrate marginalized identities, elevate the voices of staff and students with marginalized identities and connect staff with resources and relevant policies on campus. We select an organization within Georgia to ‘partner’ with each year that aligns with the social identity we are focused on that year. Last year we selected the King Center and this year we will be selecting TRANScending Barriers. The organization leader will visit and talk about their work.
Examples of Inclusionary Practices and Activities
Specialized Pedagogical practices (e.g. multicultural teaching practices; usage of gender pronouns)), Specialized Curricula/Workshops (e.g. training for participants, directors and/or faculty on imposter syndrome, implicit bias, microaggressions), Structured Dialogues and Interactions (e.g. lab discussions, one-on-one sessions, virtual dialogues), Orientation (e.g. reviewing norms, expectations, structures, goals and/or protocols)
Additional Information
Focus Groups; IDI Assessment
Participant Empowerment
None of the above
Mentoring Components
Mentoring is not used in our program
Opportunities to Privilege Voice
Each session allows for voice to be amplified through discussions, exploration of experiences, focus groups and participants with specialty on the topic on staff are invited to serve as a speaker.
Evaluation Methods
course/curricula content changes, annual performance report, program survey(s),other
Anticipated Participant Outcomes
Not Applicable
Outcome Milestones
I am currently collecting data from last year. I will have this complete in a few weeks.
Key Performance Indicators
We use the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) pre/post assessment as well as focus groups feedback and annual mix survey developed in-house to measure learning outcome achievement.
Program, Initiative, Policy or Sponsored Award Category
Priority 2: Multicultural Programming
Established
07/11/2019
Number Served
51-100
Notable Leaders, Stakeholders, or Speakers
Research Routines, Responsibilities and Activities
Cultural competency training (workshop, certificate, course), Celebrations of diverse groups (e.g. Black history, Asian American/ Pacific Islander Heritage, etc.), Dissemination/communication of policy, newsletter, brief, common definitions, web-based diversity, equity and/or inclusion statements, Accommodations (disability)/assistance (employee, staff), Community outreach (e.g., townhall, alumni engagement, meetings to gauge community perception or campus constituents, movements), Practices & Procedures (e.g., accountability, recruitment, retention, hiring, promotion, tenure, compensation, guided pathways (leadership), financial aid, technology, land use and acknowledgement, vendor agreements, partnerships with educational, labor, government, business and community organizations)
Additional Research Components, Roles and Responsibilities
Ubuntu specifically focuses on helping University Housing professional staff members (inclusive of residence life, facilities and business services) improve their cross-cultural interaction skills and increase their awareness of social justice and liberatory practices. There is a total of seven 8hr sessions that the department participates in throughout the academic year. Last year, we focused on race as our social identity for the year; this year we are focused on gender. In each of the sessions, we offer information, celebrate marginalized identities, elevate the voices of staff and students with marginalized identities and connect staff with resources and relevant policies on campus. We select an organization within Georgia to ‘partner’ with each year that aligns with the social identity we are focused on that year. Last year we selected the King Center and this year we will be selecting TRANScending Barriers. The organization leader will visit and talk about their work.
Please describe how your program addresses self-efficacy (one's beliefs in their own ability to execute behaviors necessary to perform) in its participants?
Not Applicable
How does your program acknowledge or affirm individuals’ different identities, strengths, or needs?
Ubuntu specifically focuses on helping University Housing professional staff members (inclusive of residence life, facilities and business services) improve their cross-cultural interaction skills and increase their awareness of social justice and liberatory practices. There is a total of seven 8hr sessions that the department participates in throughout the academic year. Last year, we focused on race as our social identity for the year; this year we are focused on gender. In each of the sessions, we offer information, celebrate marginalized identities, elevate the voices of staff and students with marginalized identities and connect staff with resources and relevant policies on campus. We select an organization within Georgia to ‘partner’ with each year that aligns with the social identity we are focused on that year. Last year we selected the King Center and this year we will be selecting TRANScending Barriers. The organization leader will visit and talk about their work.
Inclusionary practices/activities utilized in your program:
Specialized Pedagogical practices (e.g. multicultural teaching practices; usage of gender pronouns)), Specialized Curricula/Workshops (e.g. training for participants, directors and/or faculty on imposter syndrome, implicit bias, microaggressions), Structured Dialogues and Interactions (e.g. lab discussions, one-on-one sessions, virtual dialogues), Orientation (e.g. reviewing norms, expectations, structures, goals and/or protocols)
Additional Information
Focus Groups; IDI Assessment
Participant Empowerment
None of the above
Mentoring Components
Mentoring is not used in our program
Opportunities to Privilege Voice
Each session allows for voice to be amplified through discussions, exploration of experiences, focus groups and participants with specialty on the topic on staff are invited to serve as a speaker.
Evaluation methods are used to substantiate the program’s outcomes:
course/curricula content changes, annual performance report, program survey(s),other
Anticipated participant outcomes for your program:
Not Applicable