Recognizing pioneers, new leaders for Women鈥檚 History Month
March is Women鈥檚 History Month, and the campus continues to offer a rich array of resources in recognition of the university鈥檚 pioneers and new leaders.
The College of Engineering and Applied Science is highlighting the contributions of women in engineering through visual and digital storytelling, and The BOLD Center is sharing more information about its programs and events to recognize the contributions of women studying and working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics or STEM fields.
University Libraries is sharing media recommendations from staff and other members of the campus community to recognize the viewpoints of women leaders and storytellers听 throughout history, and the Department of History is highlighting recommended readings by current and emerita CU Boulder faculty.
Colorado Arts and Sciences Magazine is featuring a story about alumna Lucile Berkeley Buchanan, a lifelong educator who was the first African American woman to graduate from CU Boulder, which prohibited her from walking the Macky stage in 1918 to accept her degree.
The magazine is also recognizing the life and times of Mary Rippon, the university鈥檚 first female faculty member and the first woman in the United States to teach at a state university.
Since 1939, the eponymous has stood as a tribute to Rippon鈥檚 legacy. In 1944, a production of Romeo and Juliet at the outdoor theater established the tradition that is now the internationally celebrated .
5 goals for building a more inclusive campus community
Campus leaders will begin to develop action plans this spring and summer with the intention of addressing inequities and institutional barriers impeding the university鈥檚 ability to create and sustain an inclusive environment for everyone at CU Boulder.
Guiding them will be the five DEI goals inspired by the IDEA Plan, which will serve as a working framework for improving or establishing programs and services that support the academic and career success of current and future CU Boulder students, staff and faculty.
As they engage in this process, leadership in the university鈥檚 schools, colleges and administrative units will use the results of the recent Campus Culture Survey and other resources and initiatives to guide these efforts.
Leaders will collaborate with diversity, equity and inclusion consultants from the office of Senior Vice Chancellor for DEI Sonia DeLuca Fern谩ndez to identify strategies, apply for grants and locate resources to support their action planning for the 2022鈥�23 academic year.
CU Boulder receives federal funding for lab updates, pre-college outreach programs
With the help of a new round of federal omnibus funding for the 2022 fiscal year, CU Boulder will be able to expand its outreach to Colorado students who want to attend college and update physics labs to sustain the university鈥檚 research endeavors.
Earlier this month, Congress passed a $1.5 trillion federal appropriations omnibus bill that includes $275,000 in funding for the Office of Precollege Outreach and Engagement and $950,000 in funding for (formerly the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics), a partnership between CU Boulder and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
The campus鈥檚 pre-college and outreach program in the Office of Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement partners with Colorado communities to provide some 1,800 first-generation and low-income students and their families with comprehensive college preparation and development programs.
JILA is a world leader in quantum sensing research, workforce training and industry engagement, and its scientists have developed space technology and, among other endeavors, are exploring how to use lasers to diagnose respiratory illnesses.
The new federal funding will support an additional 160 students in pre-college programs in Morgan County and in the San Luis Valley and pay for much-needed research equipment in JILA鈥檚 instrument and electronics shops and clean room facility.
Under the funding bill, Pell Grants will increase to $6,895, a $400 increase above the 2021 fiscal year cap, providing additional aid to low-income college students.
Learn more about the bill and additional funding that will benefit CU Boulder and its student support and research efforts.
Resources and expertise for inclusive staff searches available to campus hiring managers
Hiring processes and practices are key to ensuring the university hires exceptional staff while adding to the diversity of the CU Boulder campus.
In every staff search process, the Human Resources talent acquisition team provides resources and expertise for conducting inclusive staff searches, according to Interim Chief Human Resources Officer Merna Jacobsen.
For example, the HR talent acquisition team provides a designated professional recruiter trained in inclusive and research-based practices designed to diversify the applicant pool and hire highly qualified staff members. Recruiters provide hiring managers with training and guidance about inclusive search methods throughout the recruitment cycle.
In addition, hiring managers can complete a self-paced Skillsoft course called , which provides a comprehensive overview of the search and hiring process and key concepts related to inclusive searches, strategies for diversifying applicant pools, mitigating bias in the search and hiring process, and legal guidelines related to the process.
Finally, hiring managers can schedule a live training on inclusive search processes with members of the HR talent acquisition team. For additional information, email recruiting@colorado.edu.
UndocuAlly sessions continue this spring
The Center for Inclusion and Social Change invites faculty, staff and graduate students to attend a monthly UndocuAlly session during the spring semester.
The center鈥檚 final two-hour session is on and will provide resources to those who want to show their support for undocumented students and other members of the CU Boulder community.
Students who wish to explore similar opportunities and academic and administrative units that would like to schedule separate sessions can submit a request.
Access more information about resources for undocumented students and employees.
Sustaining our practice of inclusion
Campus efforts and investments to address pressing and painful inequities at CU Boulder are only a beginning. Creating a culture of belonging will take each member of our community practicing sustained personal work to truly embrace and support diverse perspectives and identities in our community.
This year, Chancellor Philip DiStefano and other campus leaders urge every member of our community to join in learning more about diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism and to work continuously together to address these challenges more actively and in ways that can help authentically transform our campus culture in the coming year.
In Case You Missed It
听Campus resources
- Center for African and African American Studies (CAAAS): Provides a focal point for Black community and culture at CU Boulder and a multipurpose space where scholars, students, artists, activists and allies come together to study Africa, African Americans, and the African diaspora. to learn more.
- Center for Asian Studies: Strives to be a space of community, curiosity and respectful engagement with Asia, views the area studies endeavor as a necessary yet distinct complement to disciplinary knowledge, and recognizes the historic and geographic centrality that Asia has and continues to play in the human venture.
- Center for Native American and Indigenous Studies (CNAIS): Promotes collaborative research focusing on local and global Indigenous knowledge and fosters projects that aspire to open conversations in Colorado and the world.
- Center for Teaching and Learning: Offers programs focused on creating inclusive classrooms and supports CU鈥檚 community of educators through free consultations, teaching resources, programs, seminars, workshops and other events.
- Colorado History Project: Seeks to share CU Boulder鈥檚 history based on intersectional perspectives to demonstrate our commitment to inclusive excellence and to deepen our institutional memory.
- Latin American Studies Center: Provides an institutional space for research, teaching and discussion on Latin America and Latinx/Latina/Latino studies.
- Office of Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement: Supports programming, events and campuswide initiatives for students, faculty and staff that promote diversity, equity and inclusion. Subscribe to the office鈥檚 newsletter to learn more.
- Research and Innovation Office (RIO): Offers resources focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion in research and innovation.
- : Provides a rich assortment of diverse reading materials and other resources, events and initiatives for students, faculty, staff, alumni and Colorado residents.
- Wrap-up of the campus鈥檚 2020-21 DEI initiatives is available online and includes additional campus resources.