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Department of Counseling Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion statement

To support this ideal, the department has developed Realizing Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (R.I.D.E.) goals and strategies to implement these goals. A selection of these are shared below.

  • Dedicate time at the faculty/staff retreat to discuss the mentorship program and assign individuals to mutual mentorship pairs.
  • Remind colleagues of expectations for mentorship.
  • Provide mentorship resources.
  • Conduct DEI Call to Conversation events on topics such as inclusive teaching in an election climate.
  • Consult and plan with the Associate Dean for Faculty Recruitment, Diversity, and Inclusion and DEI Committee

Continue graduate representative program.

  • Initiate call for applications for graduate representative at the end of the spring semester.
  • Select two graduate students (one student from the online program and one student from the campus program) to serve on the department’s DEI committee in order to ensure the students’ voice and leadership in initiatives pursued by this committee.
  • Onboard the graduate representatives including students viewing the “Getting Ready to R.I.D.E.” video to learn about WFU’s RIDE framework for inclusive excellence.
  • Ensure the graduate representatives are involved in one or more committee initiatives and attend DEI committee meetings.

Develop a resource page on the department’s Instructor Resource Center to support permanent and adjunct faculty members with inclusive teaching.

  • Coordinate with instructional designers to add an inclusive teaching resource page in the Instructor Resource Center.

Develop processes to reach underrepresented and diverse prospective students for the M.A. in Counseling Program.

  • Online program director and co-graduate program directors will develop and implement strategies to market the program to underrepresented and diverse communities.
  • Strategies and interventions will be implemented for the next admission cycle.

Provide DEI announcements in the Chi Sigma Iota (international honors society in counseling) newsletter.

  • The DEI committee will submit announcements to CSI.

Provide podcasts and webinars tailored to students on DEI topics.

  • The DEI committee will work with the faculty member in charge of department podcasts to develop the DEI podcasts.

Develop a page on our counseling department’s website for sharing the department’s R.I.D.E. plan and resources.

  • Work with department administrators to create this page for the department website. Add the R.I.D.E. plan as well as activities and information related to R.I.D.E., such as the department climate survey and upcoming events.