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Office of Equality and Diversity Resources for Diversity and Inclusion

July 30, 2015

Drexel University is committed to providing a welcoming, inclusive and respectful environment for students, faculty and professional staff. Diversity and inclusion are at the foundation of Drexel’s success and are integrated into the fabric of the University – its curricular and co-curricular offerings, policies, programs and practices. The University continues to enhance its commitment and in doing so has established resources to build community and foster awareness and respect for diversity. 

At the helm of these offerings is the Office of Equality and Diversity (OED). This department is committed to providing tools to sustain an environment where all members of the Drexel community feel valued through the facilitation of workshops, programs and discussions. OED oversees the University’s Equality and Non-Discrimination policy and is a resource providing conflict coaching and meditation to address complaints of discrimination, harassment and retaliation. 

Some of the resources offered by the OED to help implement a strong, diverse and inclusive organization include:
• Colleague Resource Groups consisting of 10 or more employees working together to promote awareness and understanding of issues important to traditionally underrepresented groups and their allies. Membership is open to all faculty and professional staff, and each Colleague Resource Group offers at least one annual program for underrepresented students. Current Colleague Resource Groups are Bienvenidos, Black Faculty and Professional Staff Association, LGBTQA + Professional Staff and Faculty Network, Veterans, and Women’s Finance, whose mission is to provide a safe space for women to share their financial knowledge, research topics of interest, set financial goals and become financially well-informed. 
• The Employee Ambassador Program, which is an informal program connecting new employees with current employees. These connections can be a simple phone call, an email or a meeting over a complimentary cup of coffee or dessert, but they have a big impact in establishing a welcoming and inclusive work environment.
• The Book Circle at the James E. Marks Intercultural Center provides faculty, students and professional staff with a place to engage in a facilitated dialogue about topics that are important to understanding diversity, intercultural and identity issues in an environment that encourages openness and humility. The Book Circle meets four times a year from 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. over complimentary lunch on both the Center City and University City campuses. A limited number of complimentary books will be available on a first-come-first-served basis at the Office of Equality & Diversity one month prior to the scheduled Book Circle. Copies of the books may also be available at Hagerty Library, Barnes and Noble Drexel and at the Free Library of Philadelphia.
• WIRED Training is provided by the OED. This culturally-relevant training is tailored to the specific needs of participants and is designed to meet the needs of the Drexel community.  

If you would like more information about any of these programs, to share information or to suggest a book, or if you need support addressing an instance of discrimination, harassment and retaliation, please contact Michelle Rovinsky-Mayer, JD, Associate Vice President of the Office of Equality and Diversity at 215.895.1403 or mrovinsky@drexel.edu.