Diversity and Community Engagement
The University of Mississippi

Outreach and Strategic Initiatives

As an integral part of the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, Outreach and Strategic Initiatives advances the efforts of the Division to empower individuals with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to foster a sense of belonging and promote access at the University of Mississippi through educational interventions [learning and development opportunities, coaching] and through consulting, resource development, and strategic planning.

Contact Us

Lamar Hall, 3rd Floor, Suite A

Email: DCEOutreach@olemiss.edu

Services

Learning and Development Opportunities

We develop, implement, and assess university-wide learning and development opportunities. Our development efforts are intentionally designed to empower individuals with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to foster a climate of inclusion and equity at the University of Mississippi. Our trainings are research and evidence informed, skill building focused, and application based.

Consultation

We offer individual and group consultations. These consultations are designed to support with specific efforts related to creating and sustaining accessible and engaged programs, workplaces, and classrooms. Instead of diagnosing issues and prescribing solutions, the goal of a consultation is to engage in a facilitated conversation to help you uncover root issues, identify solutions, implement action plans, establish success measures, and sustain positive change.

Please use this Coaching and Consultation Request Form to request a consultation.

Coaching

We offer on request 1:1 diversity, equity, and inclusion related coaching sessions. These coaching sessions are designed to facilitate self-reflection, setting personal goals for improving awareness, knowledge, and skill building, debriefing and synthesizing training information, problem-solving specific issues at interpersonal level.

Please use this Coaching and Consultation Request Form to request a coaching session.

Strategic Planning

We support campus-wide equity and inclusion related strategic planning efforts. This includes support for the development and implementation of Pathways to Equity goals, consultations to and support for academic and administrative Diversity Liaisons in advancing strategic priorities, support for assessing campus climate, and support with the design and implementation of academic scorecard.

Grants

We facilitate grants that support access and engagement related work at the University of Mississippi. We also offer grants to support faculty and staff professional development efforts.

Achieving Equity Grant

Faculty Development Grant

Resource Development

We create and provide resources for self-learning, continued learning, and strategic planning. We also collaborate with campus partners to office service to community members.

Standalone Trainings

Search Committee Trainings

Inclusive and Equitable Hiring Processes: Faculty/Staff Searches training is open to all University of Mississippi faculty and staff. Training spots are available on first-come-first basis. If trainings are full, please sign-up for the next session. This training is offered every month. Weekdays and hours are taken into consideration during scheduling to offer multiple engagement opportunities.

Please Note:

  • Participants are required to attend the training in its entirety to receive credit. Training completion credit will not be issued if you arrive late or leave early.
  • To sign-up: myolemiss.edu -> Employee -> Tools and Resources -> Training Workshops -> Inclusive and Equitable Hiring Processes: Faculty and Staff Searches
  • Please make sure all three fields in the filter are set to “All” for trainings to be displayed.

Training Completion Verification

In an effort to empower departments to do their own verification, we have taken the following actions. We are no longer maintaining attendance records manually or verifying training certifications.

  • Email notices stating certification and validations dates were sent to individuals who have completed the search committee training prior to September 2021. This email notice is to be used as proof of completion – this verbiage is included in the notice.
  • For anyone trained on or after September 2021, they can print their training records from myOleMiss portal as proof of completion. This training certification is valid for 3 years from the date of training. Below are the instructions:
    • Log into the my.olemiss.edu website -> Employee -> Tools and Resources -> Training Workshops -> My Workshops -> Attended
  • Starting September 2021, training attendance is being marked in MyOleMiss portal within 48-hours of training. We are no longer maintaining training records manually.

Click Here to Read the Search Committee Policy

Inclusive and Equitable Teaching Practices Workshop

Offered in collaboration with the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

Inclusive and equitable teaching practices are designed to create welcoming learning environments and to mitigate structural barriers in higher education. As such, this kind of pedagogy is important for student success at the University of Mississippi. In this interactive workshop, participants will establish the relevance and need for inclusive and equitable teaching at the University of Mississippi. They will explore strategies to foster an inclusive and equitable learning environment. Finally, participants will analyze a course syllabus to make course design and instruction more inclusive and equitable.

Please Note:

  • Participants are required to bring a syllabus for a course they are teaching or have taught to the session for a syllabus review activity.
  • This workshop is open to all University of Mississippi employees who teach an academic course at the University.
  • Faculty can include this training completion in their annual faculty report.
  • Participants are required to attend trainings in their entirety to receive credit. Training completion credit will not be issued if you arrive late or leave early.
  • To Sign-Up: Log into the my.olemiss.edu website -> Employee -> Tools and Resources -> Training Workshops -> Inclusive and Equitable Teaching Practices -> Register
  • Please make sure all three fields in the filter are set to “All” for trainings to be displayed.

Understanding Sex, Gender, and Sexuality to Foster Inclusive and Equitable Spaces

Offered in collaboration with the Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement

In this interactive workshop, participants will conceptualize sex, gender, and sexuality. They will Analyze the systems that hold and perpetuate the marginalization of communities based on sex, gender, and sexuality. They will identify strategies that support LGBTQIA+ individuals. Finally, participants will identify campus resources to foster inclusive and equitable spaces for the LGBTQIA+ Community.

Please Note:

  • Participants are required to attend the entire session to receive credit. Training completion credit will not be issued if you arrive late or leave early
  • Participants may request a LGBTQ+ Allies Placard after completing this training
  • To Sign-Up: Log into the my.olemiss.edu website -> Employee -> Tools and Resources -> Training Workshops -> Understanding Sex, Gender and Sexuality -> Register
  • Please make sure all three fields in the filter are set to “All” for trainings to be displayed

Disability Awareness

In this interactive workshop, participants will develop an appreciation for disability history and the disability civil rights movement. They will explore the scope of disability and analyze the impacts. They will recognize the shame, stigma, and discrimination faced by people with disabilities and identify measures that can be taken to improve the experience of people with disabilities. Finally, participants will explore campus resources and strategies in order to help proactively and reactively address needs on campus.

Please Note:

  • Participants are required to attend the entire session to receive credit. Training completion credit will not be issued if you arrive late or leave early
  • To Sign-Up: Log into the my.olemiss.edu website -> Employee -> Tools and Resources -> Training Workshops -> Disability Awareness -> Register
  • Please make sure all three fields in the filter are set to “All” for trainings to be displayed

Training Requests

We provide customized and by request trainings. Please use this Training Request Form to request a training for your department.

Please Note:

  • Minimum audience of a group of 15 individuals is preferred for a training.
  • Training requests are reviewed every Monday with a response time of 1 week. Please plan your training requests accordingly.
  • Minimum time needed to facilitate a training is 1 hour and 30 minutes and might range to 2 or 3 hours depending on the nature of the training.