DEI Minute

Accessibility within digital materials - beginner basics — Oct. 31, 2024

Susan Glairon — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 18:55:36 +0000

Accessibility within digital materials - beginner basics — Oct. 31, 2024 Susan Glairon Thu, 10/31/2024 - 12:55

What do you consider when you create a digital material or a piece of computer information? Have you thought about the challenges that different people may have in accessing digital media and information?

With how frequently we communicate and obtain information on the internet, it is important to acknowledge that not everyone has equitable digital accessibility. In their article, Chris Mays defined digital accessibility as “the practice of designing digital content and technologies in a way that they can be accessed, understood, and used by as many people as possible, including those with disabilities.” Digital accessibility includes thoughtfulness on how an individual can navigate digital content if visually impaired, see contrasting colors if color blind, and understand video and audio content if deaf or hard of hearing.

Digital accessibility is not limited to social media platforms. Educators and researchers also have to be considerate of individuals’ abilities to access, obtain, and digest information from a digital platform. To allow all individuals to access your digital content for your classroom or research dissemination, consider the following suggestions:

Use large font sizes and readable font styles throughout.
Provide alternate text and image descriptions for figures and images.
Add captions and transcripts for video and audio media. Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint have functions to turn captions on while teaching.
Use colorblind friendly color palettes and color contrast in text and images.
Ask students if they’d prefer printed or digital copies of homeworks and other assignments.
When you have the means, publish your articles open-access, to make research results freely accessible to all.

For more information, see the following resources:

��ƷSM��ӰƬ Resources on Digital Accessibility

Mays’ article in Userway. Link.

Pembleton’s article on digital accessibility in the classroom. Link.

Bong & Chen’s review article on increasing faculty’s digital accessibility awareness. Link.

Lazar’s article on digital accessibility during the pandemic and beyond. Link.

Color contrast and palette checkers for figure publications. Online and built-in soft proofing options

Financial support from CU libraries for open access publishing. Link.

Best regards,

The CEAE JEDI Committee

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Resources & Updates — Oct. 17, 2024

Susan Glairon — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 17:21:08 +0000

Resources & Updates — Oct. 17, 2024 Susan Glairon Thu, 10/24/2024 - 11:21

Belated welcome to the 2024-2025 school year! The DEI Minute is a bi-weekly department newsletter distributed by the CEAE JEDI Committee with the goal of educating our readers on topics related to justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. Our committee is tasked with working on projects to foster inclusive excellence in our department. Some reminders & updates for the new year:

We encourage you to review our committee’s current initiatives, accomplishments, and membership here.
We have an anonymous feedback form. Upon submission, this form will be routed directly to the department chair and chair of the CEAE JEDI committee. This form is intended for anonymous feedback related to your experience in the Department. It is intended to address issues of department culture, leadership, and policy. It is not intended to report an emergency or critical situation. For concerns involving discrimination, ethics, or unwanted sexual behavior, you can report these through the ��ƷSM��ӰƬ Don't Ignore It site.
We have a robust Inclusive Pedagogy resource document for department reference. This is a living document that can be updated at any time as resources and information evolve.
If you are interested in joining the CEAE JEDI Committee or if you want to nominate a student to join this committee, please email shideh.dashti@colorado.edu. This semester, we meet virtually every other Tuesday from 1 pm - 2 pm MT.
Some upcoming events include:
- Join Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations Oct. 14 and 16, co-sponsored by CEAS
- October 25: JEDIA Scholar Learning Community hosts Creating a Broader Impact Plan
- Special Event: October 28th CMCI Speaker Series to Feature International bestselling author, Naomi Klein, talking about “Doppelganger: Why Everything Feels Wrong These Days and How to Get Back to Stable Ground”. Registration Required.

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Mental Health & DEI — April 24, 2024

Anonymous — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 21:41:05 +0000

Mental Health & DEI — April 24, 2024 Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 04/25/2024 - 15:41

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and it is important to discuss the connection between Mental Health and DEI.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), one in five adults in the U.S. have a mental illness. While the statistics show that these rates are similar across racial/ethnic boundaries, factors such as race, gender, age, orientation, disability and socioeconomic status influence who will receive the mental health services they need. Racial and ethnic minorities, those with lower socioeconomic status, and those in rural communities are less likely to seek or receive mental health care. For example, in 2018, Asian Americans were 60 percent less likely and Hispanic populations were 50 percent less likely to access mental health treatment compared to white populations.

This often stems from the stigma surrounding mental illness, which is felt differently across racial, gender, and socioeconomic boundaries. Some communities, especially older generations, still see mental illness as something to be dealt with alone, or see those with mental illness as less than, which they are not. Consciously including mental health in DEI discussions can help destigmatize mental illness and enable people to seek the treatment they need. Access to mental healthcare is also a struggle for many minority groups, including fear of racism and lack of medical professionals with similar cultural backgrounds.

For ��ƷSM��ӰƬ students, Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) provides a range of mental health services, including free one-on-one therapy sessions and psychiatric services. They also provide workshops on topics such as combatting anxiety and skill-based therapy groups that can help develop self-acceptance and communication skills.

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/director/messages/2018/mental-health-research-diversity-matters

https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2020/08/13/higher-ed-should-lead-way-ensuring-mental-health-integral-part-diversity-equity-and

https://theorendaco.com/2023/05/intersection-of-dei-and-mental-health

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National Autism Acceptance Month — April 10, 2024

Anonymous — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 20:42:18 +0000

National Autism Acceptance Month — April 10, 2024 Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 04/10/2024 - 14:42

April is National Autism Acceptance Month. By definition, students with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have some problems which may interfere with receptive or expressive communication. Some of these differences are very subtle and can be misinterpreted as volitional acts on the part of the student. It’s important to understand that some students with an autism spectrum disorder may be very articulate and have a large vocabulary which may “hide” their communication challenges.

Students with ASD are considered “neurodivergent.” Neurodivergent describes, in short, someone who processes information differently than what is typical within their culture. Unfortunately, many assume that most people they interact with are neurotypical, meaning they tend to learn skills and reach developmental milestones around the same time as their peers. This is frequently the case in many academic classrooms and labs where faculty fail to solicit feedback from students on how to improve their teaching or advising methods and provide accommodations to students on the spectrum. Autistic students will most likely not have the communicative confidence to express their needs upfront. Some examples of ways we can create a more welcoming academic environment include:

Communication skills: Those with ASD have difficulty understanding sarcasm, jokes, or idioms. Be literal in your expectations.
Social skills: Those with ASD experience higher levels of social anxiety and stress and appreciate their alone time. Faculty should be cognizant of group discussion and group project requirements and the additional stress this can cause some students.
Sensory differences: Allowing hats, sunglasses, headphones, and other sensory items can bring students comfort.
Learning styles: Students with ASD may have a non-conventional, complex, or an uneven learning profile. For example, they may need more visual imagery when learning, such as videos and pictures.
Technology: Allowing computers and using classroom capture so students can re-watch content can be very helpful for our neurotypical students.
Coping skills: If a student discloses that they have ASD, consider agreeing upon a signal to know when the student is overwhelmed. This could be particularly helpful for students attending social/networking events and conferences.

By spreading awareness and increasing our understanding, we can help create a more welcoming and comfortable environment for our neurodivergent students, staff, and faculty!

Best,

CEAE JEDI Committee

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Imposter Syndrome in Academia | Celebration of Ramadan — March 13, 2024

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 14:48:48 +0000

Imposter Syndrome in Academia | Celebration of Ramadan — March 13, 2024 Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 03/13/2024 - 08:48

Happy Ramadan: This year, Ramadan is from March 10 - April 9 with Eid-al-Fitr taking place on April 10. We are re-sharing correspondence sent to our faculty and staff earlier this week (below).

Imposter Syndrome

Have you ever felt like you’re not good enough for academia?

Do you ever feel like you’re a fraud, and that others will eventually realize that you don’t deserve to be in your role within CU?

You’re not alone! This is called imposter syndrome and commonly impacts people in all ranks within academia.

Imposter syndrome can affect anyone – especially high-functioning and high-achieving individuals, and it can have a disproportionately negative impact on marginalized and underrepresented groups due to the scarcity of representation and systemic barriers. The absence of relatable role models can intensify feelings of isolation and inadequacy, as individuals struggle to envision themselves succeeding in an environment where they often are made to feel like outsiders. Systemic biases and unconscious prejudices further contribute to this phenomenon, creating a culture that reinforces imposter syndrome, especially among marginalized individuals - issues that the CEAE department is seeking to change.

As a department, we can also break down imposter syndrome by sharing our common but under-discussed experiences with challenges in academia (a rejected paper, failed exam, declined research proposal), and how you may have experienced and ultimately survived a similar situation. You can help others to see that they are not alone, and help them see this short-term hurdle as a bump on the road that ultimately leads to success!

Best,
CEAE JEDI Committee

Ramadan, March 10 - April 9

We are sharing a reminder that Ramadan starts this week and provide additional information about this religious observance and considerations to help support our Muslim students. This year, Ramadan is from March 10 - April 9 with Eid-al-Fitr taking place on April 10. Students observing Ramadan will be fasting (will not consume any food or water) from sunrise to sunset every day.

Please be mindful of fasting. Fasting during Ramadan can be physically and emotionally demanding. You may notice your Muslim students experiencing tiredness, low energy levels, and difficulty focusing. Consider providing more flexible office hours, assignments, or exams to accommodate their religious practice and support their success.

If you have midterms or other class activities in the 5-8p.m. range, this tends to be the hardest time of day for students who are fasting. Here are a few accommodations that you might consider regarding exams:

If food and drink are generally discouraged during your exams, you might consider making an exception for students who are fasting so that they can eat at sunset.
If you already have students with extended time accommodations for midterms, that could be an opportunity to allow students observing Ramadan to flex their exam time so that they can either start the exam late or finish early. For example, starting a 7-9p.m. midterm an hour late so that it starts after sunset and runs from 8-10p.m.
Offer additional testing times if possible, preferably in the morning as students will begin fasting pre-dawn. Offering students additional testing times without having them ask first removes the barrier that comes from having to request an accommodation.
Acknowledge the upcoming religious observance through an announcement in class and encourage students to plan ahead and inform you if any accommodation would be helpful during this month.

More information is available at: ing.org/resources/for-all-groups/calendar-of-important-islamic-dates/ramadan-information-sheet/.

Thank you for supporting our students!

CEAE JEDI Committee

This email is adapted from an announcement by ME's JEDI Committee.

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Belonging or Mattering? — Feb. 28, 2024

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 17:22:29 +0000

Belonging or Mattering? — Feb. 28, 2024 Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 02/28/2024 - 10:22

What is the difference between belonging and mattering? And how can this inform our work around DEI efforts? In the 2023 book Academic Belonging in Higher Education, authors Cook-Sather, Felten, Stewart & Weston write, “The rhetoric of belonging can be alienating to students, particularly students with historically marginalized identities, who wonder whether they do – or want to – fit into a community. Scholarship on belonging may misinterpret feelings of marginalization among some students, miss opportunities to support their thriving, and limit student agency. Mattering, a concept related to but distinct from belonging, focuses on people feeling valued by others in a shared context.”

In a presentation from Elon University, the following is what students said made them feel that they matter:

● Someone takes me seriously.

● I have a voice.

● Someone is invested in me.

In September 2023 on Northern Public Radio, Suzanne Degges-White shared these thoughts, “Belonging and mattering are two different things. Think about how we use the word, belonging. My possessions are my belongings, but not all of my possessions really matter to me. I belong to the team, but do my contributions really matter? Mattering is nurtured in settings in which personal well-being, relational well-being, and communal well-being are all valued equally. Mattering is the product of two distinct processes at play: feeling valued by others and feeling that you add value to the group. It’s where accountability arises because we know our contributions to the group make a difference.”

What do you think about belonging compared to mattering? How can we foster opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to feel valued, invested in, and have a voice - or in short, to matter?

Best,
CEAE JEDI Committee

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How did Black History Month come to be? — Feb. 14, 2024

Anonymous — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 19:05:59 +0000

How did Black History Month come to be? — Feb. 14, 2024 Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 02/19/2024 - 12:05

Every February, we celebrate Black History Month by recognizing the contributions and sacrifices of our Black and African American community. Before there was a month, there was “Negro History Week,” established in 1926 by U.S. historian Carter G. Woodson who became known as the “father of Black History.” Woodson envisioned a weeklong celebration to encourage the coordinated teaching of Black history in public schools (Britannica). By the 1960s, this weeklong celebration evolved into a month-long celebration and in 1976, President Gerald R. Ford officially recognized Black History Month during the country's 1976 bicentennial. February was chosen primarily because the second week of the month coincides with the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Lincoln was influential in the emancipation of slaves and Douglass was a former slave and a prominent leader in the abolitionist movement (NPR). The Association for the Study of African American Life & History (ASALH) establishes a theme for Black History Month each year, a tradition initiated by Woodson. The theme for 2024 is “African Americans & the Arts.” Read more about this year’s theme on the ASALH website.

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Spring Semester Updates — Feb. 1, 2024

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 17:11:33 +0000

Spring Semester Updates — Feb. 1, 2024 Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 02/01/2024 - 10:11

Spring Semester Updates

Welcome to the spring 2024 semester! Every two weeks, the CEAE JEDI Committee sends this brief email (designed to be read in one minute or less) to the department’s students, staff, research faculty, and faculty on DEI topics. Today’s email is meant to share some reminders and updates as we begin a new semester:

· We encourage you to explore our Inclusive Excellence page, which is full of amazing resources.

· You can view our current initiatives and accomplishments as well as our current members on our committee page.

· We have an Anonymous Feedback Form that is open to all members of the CEAE department. Feedback may include input related to enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion; suggestions on improving classroom experience; or ideas for department events to enhance our knowledge and/or sense of community.

· Join our committee! We invite all students, research faculty, staff, and faculty to be members of our committee. We meet bi-weekly on Thursdays from 2:15-3:15p.m. on Zoom. Email ceae-jedi@colorado.edu if interested.

Today’s Guest Speaker
A reminder that we are hosting a Lunch & Learn today at 12:15 p.m. in ECCE 1B41 and Zoom. Dr. Tanya Ennis, the Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Research, Creative Work and Innovation, will be presenting the findings from her dissertation: Yearning to Learn: A Qualitative Comparative Analysis of Black Engineering Students Deciding to Stay or Leave Engineering Majors (biography & abstract attached). We will hear about the impact of a racialized environment and the intertwining of social and academic support through friendship on engineering students’ experiences. All members of the CEAE department are invited to attend and lunch will be provided for in-person attendees.

Best,

CEAE JEDI Committee

Current Members: Aditi Bhaskar (Co Chair), Madison Lane (Co Chair), Karl Linden, Kathy Stutzman, Shideh Dashti, Steve Ayer, Jennifer Scheib, Akash Bhat, Emi Szabo

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Signs of Microaggressions — Dec. 13, 2023

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 17:39:30 +0000

Signs of Microaggressions — Dec. 13, 2023 Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 12/13/2023 - 10:39

Microaggressions are brief, behavioral, verbal, and environmental insensitivities by potentially well-meaning individuals that convey insults to individuals of marginalized groups. It is different from everyday rudeness or incivility because they tend to be constant and are reminders that the person’s status is equivalent to that of a second-class individual. Typically, the perpetrator is unaware that they engaged in threatening and demeaning behavior, though lack of awareness is not an excuse for harm.

Here are the different types of microaggressions and examples:

Type	Definition	Example
Microinsult	Subtle remarks about a marginalized group that are insensitive and demeaning made by a perpetrator.	Assuming a student’s acceptance into the school is based on their background rather than their academic ability (i.e. assuming the student got into this university because of athletics rather than academics).
Microinvalidation	An act that discredits a marginalized group’s reality.	Excluding or dismissing a racial, ethnic, or cultural experience (i.e. ignoring a holiday or belittling a trauma).
Microassault	Explicitly demeaning remarks made by a perpetrator. The perpetrator may not realize the gravity of their word choice or actions, but the behavior was intended.	Intentional abusive language. Clutching a purse or bag intentionally when you’re around certain people. Posting offensive signs or pictures intentionally.

To address other microaggressions, it is best to have a positive approach since it is likely that the perpetrator is unaware of their behavior. While the perpetrator may be unaware, their microaggressions are still unacceptable. If you witness a microaggression occur to someone, provide affirmation to that individual to show them that they are heard and valued.

Those who are experiencing microaggressions are encouraged to speak with a party with whom they feel comfortable and safe. This could include: an Academic Advisor, Faculty Advisor, supervisor, Human Resources representative, or Student Support & Case Management (SSCM). As a reminder, the CEAE JEDI Committee has an anonymous feedback form on our Inclusive Excellence page. Submissions are sent directly to the department Chair and the JEDI Committee Co-Chairs.

Additional Resources and Information:

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Role of Gender in Seeking Knowledge — Nov. 29, 2023

Anonymous — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 16:32:19 +0000

Role of Gender in Seeking Knowledge — Nov. 29, 2023 Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 11/29/2023 - 09:32

Within the academic realm, the influence of gender on knowledge-seeking is a dynamic interplay shaped by historical legacies, societal expectations, and ongoing initiatives for inclusivity. Traditionally, gender norms have guided the access to education, influencing the perceived suitability of specific fields of study for individuals of different genders. However, in the contemporary university setting, the endeavor to address gender disparities goes beyond the mere facilitation of educational access. It encompasses various dimensions of knowledge acquisition and professional development across a diverse array of academic areas.

These different dimensions of knowledge acquisition include not only the diversity of subjects studied but also the methodologies employed in the learning process. Students and faculty engage with knowledge through varied lenses, methodologies, and approaches, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of their respective fields. Furthermore, the availability of resources, equitable access to mentorship and networking opportunities is crucial for fostering an environment where individuals of all genders can actively participate in and contribute to a rich tapestry of knowledge within their academic spheres.

In the pursuit of inclusivity, challenging stereotypes becomes essential in creating an environment that actively promotes diversity of thought and perspectives. Beyond formal education, the elimination of biases is crucial in day-to-day academic interactions and professional opportunities. Recognizing and dismantling gender-related barriers at the institutional level involves not only acknowledging historical disparities but also proactively creating an atmosphere where different dimensions of knowledge acquisition are celebrated and nurtured. This transformative ethos not only fosters a culture of academic excellence but also paves the way for inclusivity to resonate across diverse academic domains.

Further reading and CU organizations:
National Academies Committee on Women in Science, Engineering and Medicine
CU Society for Women Engineers
CU Women in Science and Engineering Graduate Student Group

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