March 2023 Newsletter

Dear Friends & Colleagues,

It’s been a busy start to the year, and the end of winter is in sight (sort of!). We have exciting updates to share about what the External Affairs DEI Steering Committee has been up to since we were last in touch, including the official launch of a beautiful website, listening sessions for new hires, and a renewed sense of focus.

The 2023 committee has been meeting every week since December, taking time to get to know each other, build trust, and move projects and priorities forward. Here’s what we’ve been up to so far:

Renewing our focus

To continue the momentum built up from last year, we will be focusing on Hiring, Retention, and Culture. We’ll collaborate with key stakeholders to explore and establish ways to attract wider groups of job applicants and foster a supportive and inclusive office culture, which we hope will keep people happily on the job and part of the team.

A new website

We are thrilled to announce that the EA DEI website is live! We invite you to visit it at www.bu.edu/external-affairs-dei/, where you will find information about the latest news and initiatives from the DEI committee, resources for employees, and upcoming events related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We hope that this website will serve as both a valuable tool for advancing DEI and a platform for community members in External Affairs to stay engaged in our continued growth and collaboration.

Thanks to Gemma Acheampong, Andrea Cacase, Meredith Mann, Erin Lee, Angela McKenzie, and the Interactive Design team for their hard work and continued support! They made this new website a reality.

If you have any questions, suggestions, or comments about the site, please contact us at eadei@bu.edu.

A visual reminder of the working agreements

Perhaps you’ve noticed the new posters displayed in this building, or you’ve already received a graphic cheat sheet that outlines how we should work together from your supervisor or coworker. These visual aids capture the fundamental tenets of the working agreements, a tool for individual and community growth that was implemented by the DEI Committee last fall.

Utilizing these materials as a visual reminder, we’re hoping to continue our learning and discussion on how to disrupt traditional power dynamics and inequities, support brave and respectful dialogues with colleagues, and give everyone a voice at the table.

We’ve connected with managers and previous committee members for their help with distributing these materials. You can also download the working agreements screensavers from our DEI website to set the mood for Zoom meetings. We encourage you to provide feedback to help us assess the success of working agreements and work towards our shared goals.

Meeting with Victoria Sahani

As part of our effort to build meaningful collaborations across campus, the committee members met with Victoria Sahani, the associate provost for Community & Inclusion, who provides leadership in implementing two essential pillars of BU’s 2030 Strategic Plan—Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Community, Big Yet Small—as the University works to enhance the environment and opportunities it affords all members of the community. Sahani summarized the Unversity’s DEI initiatives underway, talked about her short-term and long-term work priorities, and shared insights on how to better support faculty and staff members in the future. We look forward to more conversations with key stakeholders to nurture a collaborative culture.

Listening sessions for new hires

To continue assessing the current work environment, our analytics subcommittee, led by Meredith Mann, has offered two listening sessions for new hires (people hired within the last two years). The purpose of these listening sessions is to obtain more anecdotal information about the current hiring process and newly joined members’ feelings of inclusion and belonging at our workplace. The findings from these listening sessions will help the committee develop a more data-driven DEI strategy and generate recommendations to help new hires orient.

We hosted our first listening session on Tuesday, February 21. Our next listening session is scheduled at 4 PM, Wednesday, March 8th on Zoom.

A question for you

Have you filled out BU’s first-ever University-wide Belonging & Culture Survey? We encourage you to share your honest opinions about life at BU at www.bu.edu/belong/. Your voice will help guide the future of BU. Plus, you’ll get a chance to win one of 100 prizes, including a PlayStation 5, Oculus Rift, and Nintendo Switch.

(Reminder: You must submit your email at the end of the survey to be enrolled in the drawing.)

Take the Survey Here!

Resources

We want to keep you in the loop about DEI efforts and learning opportunities across BU and beyond. We encourage you to check out some of the events and resources below:

Happy Women’s History Month! Each year the National Women’s History Alliance announces a theme for the month. The 2023 Women’s History theme is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.” Learn more about the month: Women’s History Month 2023.

Implicit biases aren’t just related to race, gender, or class but can also stem from stereotypes regarding mental health. The Harvard Business Review recently published a great article on how managers can prevent their personal views on mental health from negatively affecting their employees.

BU Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) is offering Learning & Action workshops for spring 2023. These two-hour, stand-alone sessions support participants in examining the relationships between identity, culture, and power that organize our society and institutions. You can register for one or multiple sessions here. Consider subscribing to D&I’s online newsletter to stay current on news and events happening on our campus and elsewhere.

Member Spotlight

Thalia Plata

When did you start at BU?

September 2021.

Why did you join the DEI Committee?

I was a relatively new hire when I reached out to see if I could be on the committee. I’ve always been interested in DEI in and out of the workplace, so I thought it would be a great way to get more involved and help make positive changes. I’ve found it to be an experience that has helped me both learn more about what DEI truly means and slowly chip away at the DEI work in External Affairs.

What item would you hoard if you learned it was being discontinued?

Probably rice or pasta. I have a love/love relationship with carbs.

You can reach Thalia at tplata@bu.edu

Emily Burlij

When did you start at BU?

I started in April 2013—the day after the Marathon bombing, in fact. It was a surreal time to start.

Why did you join the DEI Committee?

I have been grappling with how I could have a tangible impact in improving diversity, equity, and inclusion issues ever since the racial reckoning began in 2020. With two little kids, a full-time job, and a spouse with a demanding and sensitive job, I was having a hard time finding ways to feel like I was making a difference beyond endlessly reading antiracist literature and donating to charitable causes. When the opportunity to join the DEI committee emerged, I realized this was a way to have an impact. It may not be on the grand level that I was imagining, but it is far more meaningful—smaller-scale change often has the most impact. It’s been truly invigorating and the highlight of my work hours since I’ve joined.

What item would you hoard if you learned it was being discontinued?

Peanut butter. Preferably natural, but I’ll take whatever I can get.

You can reach Emily at eaburlij@bu.edu

Until next time, be well,

Members of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Steering Committee at External Affairs