An Exposing Hidden Bias workshop will be introduced to Cal Poly employees for the first time this summer, according to an email sent to students, faculty and staff by President Jeffrey D. Armstrong.
The workshops, put together by Human Resources and the Office of University Diversity and Inclusion (OUDI), are to be introduced to help fulfill Cal Poly’s Vision 2022, which lists diversity and inclusion as a priority.
According to the email, the workshop will “bring attention to unconscious biases and provide some strategies for overcoming influence.”
“The university is offering these sessions and the president is recommending them to staff and faculty as part of Cal Poly’s overall ongoing effort to enhance inclusivity and create a more diverse, welcoming environment for all members of the campus community,” Cal Poly spokesperson Matt Lazier said.
The workshops are voluntary and also open to non-Cal Poly affiliated members, according to OUDI program director Kari Mansager. Based on previous participation in the UndocuAlly Trainings, Mansager foresees people outside of campus attending.
“Every now and then we get community members and we would never say no to someone curious about the content,” Mansager said.
Mansager said the OUDI will measure the effectiveness of the Exposing Hidden Bias workshops by accounting for participation and consistency in attendance of all three sessions.
The workshop comes as an extension of existing efforts to become more diverse with the adoption of the “Inclusion Starts with Me” campaign, UndocuAlly trainings and the New Employee Orientation. All of these programs have been introduced within the past two years.
The “Inclusion Starts With Me” campaign ran for the first time between Jan. 26 and Feb 2. this year. The primary goal was to raise awareness of differences and learn to embrace them. During the week, Cal Poly professors gave mini-lectures on social issues surrounding inclusivity and diversity.
The UndocuAlly trainings began two years ago, according to Mansager. The trainings occur during academic quarters, in which staff and faculty attend three separate training sessions of 1-2 hours. By the end of the sessions, they understand how to accommodate Cal Poly’s undocumented students’ needs.
“‘Inclusion Starts With Me'” was the theme that overarched this last year with different trainings and events,” Mansager said.
The Exposing Hidden Bias workshops will be offered at Cal Poly starting in July. If interested, you can register here.