Yale Department of Psychiatry: Presentation by Committee on Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

December 15, 2020

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December 15, 2020: The Yale Department of Psychiatry hosts a presentation by Secretary and Vice President for University Life Kimberly Goff-Crews and Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Diversity Gary Desir, MD, who discussed university initiatives on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.

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00:00In the Chair for Diversity,
00:02Equity and Inclusion here in the
00:04Department of Psychiatry and I'm really
00:07pleased to introduce the secretary and
00:10vice president for University Life,
00:12Kim Golf Cruise and the Vice Provost
00:15for Faculty Development and diversity.
00:18Doctor Gary Dizzier, who will discuss
00:20University initiatives on diversity,
00:22equity, inclusion, and belonging.
00:24They were Co chairs of President
00:26Solidays Committee on Diversity,
00:28Inclusion, and belonging.
00:30And I've asked them to come today
00:33to talk about these initiatives,
00:35but also to talk about
00:38recommendations from this committee.
00:39And you have a link to the written report
00:43in the many emails that I sent out
00:46reminding you about this presentation.
00:49Today we have a very active
00:51and engaged community in our
00:53Department related to diversity,
00:55equity and inclusion,
00:57and I just want to thank everyone
01:00for all of their efforts.
01:02From the training programs
01:04to research divisions, too,
01:06bearish units and affiliated institutions,
01:08I think we're very active and engaged in
01:11passionate community around these topics.
01:13Ann and I thought it would just be
01:16really helpful to hear the university's
01:19vision an recommendations and so that
01:22maybe it can influence our work,
01:24but also our work can influence what
01:27happens at the University level as well.
01:30So with that, I'm going to turn it over to.
01:35Kim and to Gary,
01:36thank you so much for being here.
01:39So first of all, thank you for for
01:42inviting us to talk to you about this
01:44whole process of of creating belonging.
01:47Yeah, which sending your introduction is
01:49really powerful because the reality is
01:52this is a University wide initiative,
01:54but it happens both centrally and locally,
01:56and so we were talking about will talk
01:59about some of the bigger pictures items
02:01of what we're what we're thinking about.
02:04But but the work is gonna be done
02:07in departments and grassroots.
02:09I can't see all of you.
02:11I see this wonderful city of names.
02:13I would I wish to go yes.
02:14Then you can record if you'd like.
02:16That's fine speaking record.
02:17Yes, we can record that's fine.
02:19I wish I could see you in person.
02:21I recognize some of the names,
02:23but I'd love to eventually meet you.
02:25So when we're in real in real life
02:27I have to come back and see you.
02:29At some point I thought what I would do
02:31is start with what is belonging at Yale.
02:34So if you had to define it in nutshell,
02:36what is this?
02:37And I would say that you know both Gary
02:40and I have spent so much time thinking about.
02:44This is it's basically a set of
02:46actions and initiatives that are both
02:49University wide and also Department
02:50specific that are designed to build
02:53the best environment for excellence.
02:55I think that's one way to look at it,
02:58and so there's it's not one thing.
03:00It's a collection of things that are
03:03coordinated but are deeply meaningful.
03:05Both University wide and also
03:07within the context of specific.
03:08Units, so it's an umbrella we talk about.
03:11Belonging else being an umbrella term
03:13that talks about our presentation
03:15or application amplification of
03:17the work that we're already doing.
03:19Its belonging itself has a very
03:21specific definition for us,
03:23and I'll talk about that in a little later.
03:26But we we see the impact as being
03:29one where every person,
03:31no matter where they are,
03:33where they sit in the University,
03:35feel that they are engaged.
03:37They are valued and they are connected.
03:40And so at the end of the day,
03:42that's really what we want to have come
03:44out of this particular set of initiative,
03:46and it's exciting right now about
03:48this current phase of the word,
03:50because in some ways we've been doing
03:51this work at the University for many,
03:54many years.
03:54But this phase is a little
03:56bit different than will,
03:57and I think you'll see why
03:59when Gary like describe it,
04:00because it involves not
04:01only faculty and students,
04:02which is where we used to have these
04:05conversations around belonging,
04:06but also staff animals,
04:07and also most importantly, alumni.
04:08So we're one of the few universities.
04:10If any that we know of that is
04:13actually actively in incorporating
04:14the work of alumni and are reaching
04:16out to alumni into how we think
04:19about building this initiative.
04:20So I think that's really important,
04:22so we're going to describe
04:23a little bit about our
04:25thinking that went into the recommendations,
04:27which I hope many of you had a chance to
04:30read because we want you to understand
04:32what underlines some of the things
04:35we're going to be talking about.
04:37We're going to talk about
04:39about the next steps.
04:40That we're going through the action
04:42plan and also just delve into a
04:44little bit so few of the initiatives
04:46of the President salary announced
04:47a couple of a couple of weeks ago,
04:49so I'm going to ask Gary to talk start
04:52about talking bout the report and
04:54some of the things that we really want
04:56to pay attention to as you read it,
04:58and then we'll go back into the action plan.
05:01So I'm going to
05:02turn this over to you.
05:03Thanks very much so thank you Cindy
05:05for inviting me and and I I know many
05:07of the folks in your Department.
05:09I'm happy to see many of the names.
05:12And it's really a pleasure to be here.
05:15The the so sort of president salary.
05:17Ask US Kim and I to chair the new
05:20expanded version of what was called
05:22the President's Committee on DI
05:24and that had been meeting for a
05:27couple of years prior to that.
05:29So inject on in January.
05:30This past January,
05:32the president ask us to to actually
05:34look at the work that was being
05:37done at year and come up with a
05:39vision and a plan for implementation
05:41and and so that's what we did.
05:43So and the idea was then to offer.
05:46Vision where in and then to develop
05:49high level goals on how to achieve
05:51that vision and then to outline
05:53some strategies and then to provide
05:56some initial recommendations to
05:58the President for implementation.
05:59So this was done by a committee
06:02Ann and Blake.
06:03Perhaps you can share the I don't
06:06do this slide or do you have them?
06:13OK, so so this is I just want you to
06:16see who the committee members were.
06:19So we're joined by 16.
06:23Faculty member and staff
06:24and not just go through.
06:26You can see on this is Kim.
06:29This is Karen Anderson who
06:31is in the post office.
06:34Charles Bailyn was a physicist
06:36sent a car with their lawyer.
06:39Where did Chang, who is direct Deal
06:41Alumni Association Jen Frederick,
06:43through many of you know,
06:45Larry Gladney was at FS.
06:48And Sharon Cougar, Chaplain,
06:50and Kurt was the Dean of the
06:53School of Nursing, Darren,
06:55or, you know,
06:56Katie Lofton was at FAS Pillow
06:59Montalvo from the president's office.
07:02Vicki Nolan from the School of Drama.
07:06Melinda Pettigrew School of
07:08Public Health Steven Spangler,
07:10David Stanley from the from HR and
07:12then Tom Tyler from the law school.
07:15And so this is the group of faculty
07:18and staff and administrators who met
07:21over the next six months to actually
07:24figure out what division would be
07:27and how would we implement it.
07:29So hold on a second so so
07:33so I think the committee,
07:35the members of the Committee were
07:38chosen because of their experience,
07:41their passion for diversity and they
07:44were experts in intersectionality on
07:46drivers of organizational change.
07:48For instance,
07:49Tom Tyler does work there and in
07:52the work was also subdivided into
07:55subcommittees and we we we could
07:58have members from the entire campus.
08:01And bought for them to sub
08:03committees to study the past.
08:04University reports that you available
08:06data and we have activities of peer
08:08universities to look for best practices.
08:10So,
08:10for instance,
08:11Cindy was a member of the Subcommittee
08:14on faculty and I would like to
08:15ask her to share her experience
08:17on how that work with and what
08:19what she was she gained from it,
08:21and what she learned.
08:23Cindy,
08:23if you please could please go ahead
08:25and tell us your experience at the
08:27subcommittee member for faculty.
08:29Sure, thanks Gary.
08:30I joined sometime in the spring
08:32of this year and it, you know,
08:35for me it was just nice too.
08:38Be connected to other people
08:40from across the University.
08:41I feel like I know pretty well what's
08:44happening in the medical school,
08:46but some of the other professional
08:48schools and certainly undergraduates.
08:49I don't know as much of
08:51what what's happening.
08:52So DI Field is a rapidly changing
08:55field from terminology to concepts,
08:56and so for me I felt like I
08:59I learned a lot in terms of,
09:02you know what people are currently
09:04thinking about in in the field.
09:06Ann and how I might be able
09:08to think about that.
09:10So the Department at the same
09:11time I hope that I brought things
09:14that we have been thinking about
09:16doing in the Department to other
09:18folks across the campus,
09:19so I think it was just really
09:21helpful to have that knowledge.
09:23Sharing it was really rapid turn around.
09:26So of course our committee wanted
09:27a lot more time to talk about
09:29these issues and think through
09:31them and provide recommendations.
09:33But it was a really rapid turn around,
09:35but I think in the end really
09:38helpful to know and to meet.
09:40Other people from across the
09:42University and share best practices
09:45and concepts and ideas so.
09:48Thank you Cindy so so the committee
09:51was in parallel in early January
09:53and the pace we had fourth
09:55didn't take into account covid,
09:57so we actually had to had to.
10:00Here's how we work and we we had
10:03a retreat which was done on Zoom,
10:06which actually worked out pretty well,
10:08but it would, you know,
10:10get together and get the work done,
10:13which was really great.
10:14And we also spoke with many members of the
10:17community who shared their time and insights.
10:20For instance,
10:21Professor Ferguson so spoke to
10:23us about intersectionality and
10:25expanded our views and ideas of
10:27how that concept concept could fit
10:29into an institutional framework.
10:31And how no one thinks of
10:33individual holistically,
10:34you know their identity's and that
10:36informs us on how we approach a way of
10:39creating a community of the logging
10:41the there were several important
10:44ideas that I just want to highlight
10:46when you read the the report,
10:49you'll see that one is that excellence is
10:51really the ultimate reason for that work.
10:54And we believe that you should
10:56Excel in every area.
10:58And the committee really fundamentally
11:00believe that our focus on diversity,
11:02equity, inclusion.
11:03Was an essential part of maintaining
11:06what we've had excellence today
11:08and excellence for for the future.
11:10And so came out.
11:12Stop here for a second and I
11:14ask you to continue.
11:16Right, can you take a slide down for
11:19just a second so I could see everybody?
11:22I thought the other two definitions,
11:24which we we really honed in on that
11:26I want you to be conscious up or
11:29what's the definition of belonging?
11:31What does it actually mean to belong?
11:34And we actually did some research.
11:36There are faculty members on our own
11:38in our own psychology Department and
11:40also some researchers in corporations,
11:42one being Howard Ross wrote a book
11:45called Our Search for Belonging.
11:47And some professors at Harvard that
11:49we read which actually identified
11:51the components of what it means
11:53for a person to belong.
11:55And they say, and we have adopted
11:56as a as a definition that belonging,
11:59means that the person can be themselves.
12:02They believe that they can be themselves.
12:04They can take part in teams
12:06with different types of people.
12:08Um, but work toward the same goals and
12:11have the same values that worked with
12:13the same goals in the same values,
12:16but they know that people's talents
12:18and perspectives, including their own,
12:19will be recognized and respected,
12:21and that's how those are.
12:22The schools basically points about what
12:24people need to feel that they belong,
12:27so we actually broke those down
12:28into four or five components.
12:30And that's what we're trying to make
12:33sure that we're covering as we do.
12:35Some of these initiatives.
12:36The other thing I want you to to.
12:39Be clear about is our system
12:42definition of diversity.
12:43We are in a moment in our country
12:45where we are very focused on anti
12:48black racism and on what's happening
12:50with black and Brown bodies.
12:52Given what happened with George
12:54Floyd in the middle of our of
12:56our conversation as a committee.
12:58But when you talk about diversity
13:00we also talked about a broader
13:02range of diverse diversity.
13:04So things like certainly race,
13:05nationality, ability,
13:06gender or socioeconomic diversity.
13:07And because we're a University
13:09also perspectives.
13:10So once you just keep that in mind that that.
13:13Actually,
13:14something that we're focused on as
13:15we build something to initiatives.
13:17Although you'll see for the next few years,
13:19we're going to be very,
13:20very focused on race given where
13:22we are as a country and some other
13:25things that we think we are poised
13:27to to deepen in our work. So we have.
13:32I want to talk a little bit about
13:33the action plan.
13:34I know some of you have read,
13:36report and want to give you a
13:37sense of the action plan won't go
13:39through the whole thing.
13:40'cause it's very comprehensive,
13:41but we happen to have a
13:42visual of an action plan.
13:43So I'm going to have someone put that up.
13:45I think Ryan's gonna put that up for
13:47us and then I'm going to plant some
13:50things in their specific things that
13:51we just want to pay attention to.
13:53We haven't posted this yet.
13:54Will get a version of this post
13:56that's going to be a little bit more.
13:58Acceptable for some summer colleagues, but.
14:01I have a pile of jewels.
14:03I like to have. This is a way of
14:06thinking about the action plan,
14:08so I want to remember that one of the things
14:10that committee wrote is that this is a.
14:12This is a marathon.
14:13This is not a Sprint will be
14:15working on this for years to come,
14:17although we want to take it in
14:19five year increments in terms of
14:21how we want to be coordinated,
14:22we want to focus on and so the
14:24president did ask us for an
14:26action plan in addition to some
14:27of the people in the more larger
14:30conversations and larger principles
14:31that he wanted us to identify.
14:32This action plan is for the next five years.
14:35And you'll notice on the top or a set of.
14:40Objectives or goals that we have
14:42for the next five years that are
14:45that are really inspired by the
14:47report and then you'll see that the
14:50colors very specifically the purple,
14:52are those priorities of the
14:53President mentioned in his.
14:57In his memo to the entire
14:59community a few weeks ago,
15:01and there, other colors are
15:02really not not specific,
15:04but purple is definitely about
15:06the president's priorities,
15:07and these are not written
15:08in any particular order.
15:12So there's no order of hierarchy,
15:14but I want to mention a couple of things.
15:17One is we know Gary.
15:19I'm going to talk a little bit
15:23about present priorities around.
15:25Diversity in particular,
15:26but we know that there are a lot
15:28of schools and administrative
15:29units like yours who have actually
15:31been working on diversity.
15:33So, for example, Betty,
15:35which is the faculty Excellence inverse
15:37initiative that many of you might know about.
15:401st Five years schools have brought
15:42at least 101 excellent back of the
15:45campus using that particular program,
15:46and we know that our staff
15:49affinity groups which.
15:50Our continuing continuing
15:51to grow our diversifying,
15:52our manager and professional staff
15:54which of which have doubled diversity,
15:56is doubled in last decade.
15:57So we've increased as we always as we know,
16:00the number of students from low
16:02income backgrounds in the College of
16:04particular working on that through
16:05and some of the other schools as well.
16:08And we're beginning to focus a little
16:10bit more deliberately on connecting
16:11with our diverse alumni body.
16:13One of the things we discovered
16:15as a as a as a committee was that
16:18when you look out over the next
16:20last 10 years to the 12 years of.
16:23Students across the University
16:24have graduated,
16:25but there is a real diversity of
16:27real demographic shift and the
16:29diversity of the alumni body.
16:31They are eager to engage and
16:33learn about the issues.
16:34They are a little bit different
16:36from those who came before them or
16:38beginning to think more strategically
16:40about how to engage with these alumni.
16:42So with that in mind,
16:43but where we're starting from,
16:45we're just going to highlight
16:46again on this particular.
16:47Using this as a as a as a template.
16:50Some of the things that the President
16:53talked about some things will be doing.
16:55So a couple of things.
16:57One is,
16:58if you look at acknowledgement,
17:00recognition and respect,
17:02remember going back to our conversation
17:04that that is really important for
17:06people to feel like they belong.
17:09One of the things the president
17:11is focused on is understanding the
17:13US history and he has charged they
17:17light who is professor and has a
17:19lot of deep knowledge of slavery.
17:23Running the Gilder Center on slavery
17:25to create a committee to actually
17:28look at yells history of slavery
17:30and professors already.
17:31I think that that that study
17:33is already launched.
17:35There is a committee that has been
17:37created and there are already
17:39students who are in the archives
17:42looking at our own history so that
17:44we'll be able to have report fairly
17:46soon about where we were in that
17:49much more deeply about where we were
17:52as University involved in slavery.
17:54Ross looking at assessing campus
17:56culture and the effectiveness
17:57of ongoing initiatives.
17:58One of the things we discovered as
18:00a committee is that we don't have
18:02a very good sense of accountability
18:04and assessment of what is going
18:06on in the unit and what will be
18:09going on as we move forward.
18:10It's probably the biggest
18:12change from previous reports,
18:13and so we're actually. Wiring.
18:20Require unit plans and assessment
18:22protocols to be in place.
18:24Boston University's huge effort on
18:25our part and we think something
18:27that will least track what we're
18:29doing as we move forward so that
18:32everybody can learn from what
18:33we're doing across the University.
18:35The other thing I want to mention
18:38before I turn it over to Gary.
18:41I'm going to go over to the
18:43diversity of the Yelp community.
18:45That second bucket there is that we
18:47are really very committed to showing
18:49up financial aid for all students.
18:52We tend to focus on the college.
18:55But we are actually much more
18:57focus on trying to make sure that
18:59students across our University
19:01are getting enough financial aid,
19:03particularly those special schools
19:04where the students want might not make
19:07a lot of money when they graduate,
19:09and so we're going to be working on a
19:11plan to support that effort as well.
19:14So there are other things I want to
19:17mention how to move around this?
19:19Yeah, so yes.
19:20So let me let me focus on two things.
19:23So if you look at under
19:25scholarship and teaching.
19:27It says investment coordinating
19:28Centers for research and scholarship
19:31so so there are many servers already
19:34existing at Yale and there are
19:36some newsletters that are coming up
19:38that will be funded by the press.
19:41That one is is issues about
19:44prison population, for instance,
19:45and one of the goals is to really
19:48coordinate the work of said was working
19:51on transit transnational migration,
19:53racism in the Genetti, Ann and.
19:56Try to develop an environment where
19:59people are interested in this.
20:01Issues can come for advice or wet
20:03funding or or or power projects,
20:05so that's one one part of the work.
20:08I think very important part of
20:10the work is on the second column
20:13called diversity of the Yellow
20:15Community and it says investing,
20:17Bipap faculty and postdoc mentoring.
20:18So let me talk about diversity
20:21of the faculty,
20:22so when the committee looked at the
20:24impact of ferry over the past five
20:27years on on recruitment and retention,
20:29so in terms of recruitment,
20:31Kim mentioned that.
20:32Fetty over the past five years
20:34had allowed the recruitment of 101
20:36underrepresented faculty ideal,
20:38and then we look at the overall impact
20:41fairly on on diversity across University,
20:43and it was mixed so some
20:46some schools did find some,
20:48others didn't do well.
20:49But overall, the net increase on on on
20:53the diverse faculty was very small.
20:55So the question is, should we?
20:57We could more,
20:59more faculty,
20:59or should we make an attempt
21:02to retain more faculty?
21:04So the committee actually be focused
21:06on the fact that maybe we could do
21:08a better job on retention and in the
21:10equities you intention is that so
21:12some people think about retention
21:14with somebody, wants to leave,
21:15and then we're trying to retain them at yeah,
21:18but the committee is you is is it
21:20was a bit more broad than that.
21:22They viewed retention as how you on
21:25the first date a person comes to you.
21:27How do you welcome them?
21:29How do you Orient them?
21:30What resources do give them?
21:32And then how do you help them in
21:34developing their career academic career?
21:36Yeah,
21:36and that's that's what we think
21:38about retention,
21:39and I think there was a lot of progress.
21:42Who could make there?
21:43And the committee is recommended many,
21:45many, many areas of improvement
21:47in terms of retention.
21:48I think that's not easy.
21:50That's a that's not an easy thing to do,
21:53but we believe that it will really make the
21:56culture of belonging at deal much better.
21:59The there was also an issue of of
22:02increasing student diversity in the
22:04end with pipeline programs and and
22:06financially now you know diversity
22:08doesn't always mean the same thing
22:10for all particular programs.
22:12Some programs might have many
22:13more women than men,
22:15so you may want to increase the
22:17number of women and vice versa.
22:19So we the committee took off early.
22:24Broadview of whatever City would look like.
22:29One other thing I wanted to mention is the
22:31issue of public safety and and policing.
22:34And and Kim may want to talk to about that no
22:38more later but but there is an initiative to.
22:41Look at what the police is doing right
22:44now and and and and change it in the
22:47way that that improves the trust in
22:50policing and the safety of students,
22:53faculty and staff at the University.
22:57I'll believe is also that that progress will
22:59be made if you we could do right leaders
23:03an increasing the diversity among staff,
23:05top staff leaders and preparing
23:07staff for service in senior position
23:09is a really important thing to do.
23:12The we work closely with Willie
23:14Chiang on alumni and the alumni are
23:16very passionate about diversity.
23:18So I think there is a there is a
23:21an opportunity there to leverage
23:23the passion of the alumni in there.
23:26Connections in know how improving
23:28diversity at Yale and then finally,
23:31since the University is within New Haven,
23:33we believe that it is important for
23:36the University to focus on increasing
23:38diversity for contractors,
23:40vendors and business professionals.
23:41Very often that may mean slightly
23:44changing business practices that don't,
23:46that this disenfranchised.
23:47Small businesses, for instance.
23:48And now I want to say that there is a
23:52lot of work that's already been done
23:54and I will ask him to highlight some
23:57of the work that's been done that
23:59we can leverage for future success.
24:01Kim so you
24:02know, part of what I think is I
24:05just want to make a distinction,
24:07but I'm going to go to inclusive
24:09practice analysis on the green personal,
24:11personal and professional.
24:13Development because of practice,
24:15we know that there's a lot of education
24:17and training on a number of these issues
24:19that's already going on in different units,
24:21and I know that you've been doing a
24:24lot of having a lot of speaker series.
24:27To talk about social justice and
24:29HealthEquity which which I really
24:30applaud you for and I know that many
24:32of us are are trying to do some of
24:35that across the University as well.
24:36One of the things we think is
24:38really important about inclusion,
24:39and we distinguish that from belonging.
24:41Is that all of us,
24:43particularly those of us in
24:45leadership positions?
24:45Have some sense of what it means to
24:47create an inclusive environment,
24:49and so one of the things you're going
24:51to see is our efforts to build upon some
24:54of the work that you've been doing.
24:57Bringing in speakers,
24:58having really interesting conversations
24:59about some of the issues that are being
25:02raised in the country in our internal campus,
25:04and in our in our in our professional work,
25:07and making sure that people understand
25:09how to create an inclusive environment,
25:11because, again, belonging.
25:12Is more about the intervals perspective?
25:14Do they belong to an into
25:15an environment inclusion?
25:16We just.
25:17We distinguish inclusion as being our
25:19ability to create the environment where
25:21people feel that they belong and so
25:23part of what you're going to be seeing us do.
25:25Is across the University is to create.
25:30Programming a professional development
25:31opportunities for the professionals and
25:33others creating the opportunity for people.
25:35Have and learn how to have difficult
25:37conversations so that it becomes a
25:39lot easier to be in this environment
25:42to give the best that you can.
25:43And so again,
25:44I applaud you for the work that you're
25:47already doing for your anti racism.
25:49I think curriculum is what I heard
25:51and hope that you will continue to do
25:53that because that is exactly where the
25:56rest of the University will be going.
25:58As we move forward.
25:59Gary won't talk a little bit about
26:02the unit plans because that is
26:04a huge piece of the warp.
26:05Asking everybody to do,
26:07and so people should probably
26:08understand what it is and then we will
26:10will get ready to take questions.
26:12Yes, yes. So so very briefly,
26:14and I think we've gotten a lot of
26:16questions about the DIA unit plans and,
26:18and I think that. So.
26:21The the plan is to ask to roll up.
26:26Programs and Department
26:27plans to the school plan,
26:28and then it gets it,
26:30gets submitted as a single plan to
26:32the to the Post office into into
26:35Kim's office so that we think.
26:37We probably have fewer than
26:3925 or 30 plans to look at,
26:41so so the question then is going to be,
26:44how does a Department or sectional
26:46program participate in the in
26:47the in the planning process?
26:49And I think this is going to
26:51be determined by each school.
26:53But but the idea would be to to
26:57understand the local context and to
27:00understand what the issues are belonging.
27:03And and and look at what one can do
27:06to improve retention and recruitment.
27:10So one might have to reorganize.
27:14Standard operating procedures
27:16for recruiting faculty or you
27:19might want to implement.
27:21Mentoring programs so,
27:22and that's going to be that's
27:24going to vary from group to group,
27:27but but I think for for for the plans
27:29to there's a there's a need for a
27:32place to be aligned with your friends.
27:35That's overall goals,
27:36and I think it's best done through
27:38by aligning them through by this
27:40through the school to routines.
27:42So I think each unit can work on trying
27:45to figure out their own local environment,
27:48and that that those insights should be.
27:51Coordinated by the Deans Office
27:53and I think by embracing common
27:55goals in a common framework,
27:57but being very flexible in implementation,
27:59you can allow our institutional
28:01goals to be applied in ways that
28:03makes sense for local cultures.
28:05So I think,
28:06and I think there are a lot
28:08of questions about those.
28:10More specific guidance will be provided soon.
28:12Kim and I and and are working
28:14on such guidance,
28:15and that that that will be forthcoming,
28:17but that's the way I would
28:18think about what we called.
28:20The unique players came back to you.
28:22Alright,
28:22so I think
28:23we're we are going to turn it over to
28:26questions and wanted to make sure we had
28:28enough time to answer your questions.
28:30'cause this is a lot of
28:32information that we're giving you,
28:33but I encourage you.
28:35To go back to the site,
28:38the Blind Yell site because it
28:39will have a lot of information
28:41and just to the president's
28:43announcement and the report itself,
28:46we will continually up upload information,
28:48including the University speaker series.
28:50I don't know any of you.
28:52We had the opportunity to go to
28:54participate in the series where
28:56we had we featured Abraham Candy.
28:58I think it was last week about
29:021100 University citizens.
29:04Being able to not participate
29:05at least have understand the
29:07conversation that he was having
29:08with one of our faculty members,
29:10which was really great.
29:11We have it.
29:12We have it posted for the next 10
29:14days or so and we also have Dolly
29:16Chugh who is a really wonderful.
29:21Professor from and why you talking
29:23about what it means to you know to
29:25really be in this fight and how,
29:27how you can how you can be
29:29not just an anti racist,
29:31but a good pretty good ISH person
29:33I think is what she would say.
29:35So please make sure that you you
29:38continue to look at the site.
29:39I would say that we we started
29:41this work in January.
29:43It has been tough on one acknowledge it has
29:46been very tough to be doing this work now,
29:49particularly starting in the fall.
29:502015 the University has been a long
29:53trajectory around quickly race,
29:54but it just got even tougher
29:56with a gorgeous Floyd death.
29:58I know a lot of people were.
30:01Impacted by that.
30:02But there is.
30:03I think there is a sense right now
30:05and Gary might speak to this that
30:08from a University perspective,
30:10all of us are breaking through to
30:12this next iteration of what it
30:15means to do the work across campus.
30:17That everybody is is is being
30:19asked to to step up and I think
30:22what we're what we're seeing.
30:24Pretty pretty regularly in our
30:26conversations with other your cause.
30:28Cross Institution is embracing of this this.
30:30Initiative and some pretty interesting
30:32innovative ideas happening at the
30:35ground level and also centrally,
30:36so we're looking forward to
30:38having a conversation with you.
30:40But Gary,
30:41do you
30:42want to switch over?
30:43Yeah I would. I would second that.
30:46What's been really encouraging to
30:48us as we've spoken with faculty
30:50vice presidents, the Corporation,
30:52because that is that there is tremendous
30:55passion and commitment for the work
30:57to be successful and at all levels.
31:00And many groups already.
31:01Devising what the plan would looks like.
31:04The beginning really difficult and but
31:06but engaging important conversations
31:08about race and and diversity,
31:10and I think that's that's what
31:12we make the work successful.
31:14It is not.
31:15It's not a sort of it takes a while.
31:18It is a long term proposition,
31:21but I think I I I,
31:23I sense no significant and long
31:25standing commitment to work,
31:27so I'm very encouraged and I'm
31:29very encouraged that we can
31:31work together to make it happen.
31:33So.
31:35So I'll stop here and then will
31:37welcome questions given I can
31:39try to answer them.
31:46So folks can just jump right in or type it.
31:49In the chat. We also had two
31:50questions that came in earlier.
31:52So wait a second, see if anyone
31:53else has questions first.
31:56So far currents can hear me. Yes yes.
32:00Good afternoon I. Really, this
32:04is kind of rumor, but perfect colleagues and
32:08other than the medical school.
32:13That students are. Someone
32:15can be somewhat impatient.
32:17For changes in the language and
32:20curricula. And and in lectures,
32:24for example regarding gender and race too.
32:29I just bring more current.
32:33Language to bear on
32:35the discussions anatomy came
32:37to mind, for example,
32:39so I didn't see anything in the
32:42plan that specifically referenced
32:44kind of support for faculty.
32:47In in their efforts to.
32:51Kind of adjust their curricula.
32:54Her motive, maybe even you
32:56know their curriculum.
32:57Basically teaching that we do.
33:00And trying to support faculty
33:02because as Ken you said.
33:06You know it,
33:07it's a. It's
33:08a marathon, not a Sprint, and that
33:11students may think the time is
33:13now or it's long past time.
33:16To make changes so any
33:18any comments on that?
33:19Sure Gary, do you wanna start?
33:21Would you like me to?
33:23I think I can start Bob. Good to see you.
33:26I haven't seen you in a long time.
33:28Yeah, I I think that.
33:31I, I think what you may be asking about
33:34are there are there are several resources
33:36that can help with trying to figure out
33:39certain things that one needs to think
33:41about when you giving a course it out.
33:43And I think for instance there is there is
33:46a teaching center at the medical school.
33:49There's a teaching center at the
33:50University called before Cetera,
33:52so so I think that as you,
33:54as one is designing curriculum once
33:56to think about when one needs to think
33:59about these things and ask for help.
34:01But I agree with you that very
34:03often we fall into, you know,
34:05we we are well meaning,
34:07but we say things that don't quite
34:08fit the Times Now and encourage
34:10faculty who interviews sooner.
34:12So actually think about that
34:14and and ask for help.
34:15There are centers that can
34:17help you with that.
34:19So yeah, we we.
34:20We do have centers because again,
34:22that's on there that we would call
34:24that the scholarship and teaching
34:26prong of this of this work.
34:27And so in the curriculum space.
34:29That's exactly what we want to do.
34:31You go to the public center or the
34:33center that's in the medical school.
34:35But we're also mean faculty are are
34:37people outside of their professions,
34:39and so part of what we've been
34:41really focusing on is making sure
34:42that we're bringing speakers to
34:44campus with these larger events so
34:46that faculty might be interested in.
34:48Also going to those.
34:49As well, so the Ibram Kendi
34:50event had about 1100 people,
34:52I think 2 or 302 hundred of them
34:54or something with faculty members.
34:55We can actually track where they were,
34:57so we're trying to make sure that we are.
35:00We are supporting you not only in
35:01your curriculum and your resource,
35:03but also just in your own understanding.
35:05Some of the ideas that are going on so
35:07that so that you have what you need
35:09to be able to interact with students,
35:11but also just with all learners,
35:13were all learning this stuff.
35:15Trying to be conscious of that as well.
35:18So
35:18several years ago, Willie and I
35:20Co chaired a committee for the Med
35:23school when they were working on
35:25the redesign of the curriculum,
35:27and one of the things that we had
35:30proposed was the development of
35:32multicultural Education Resource
35:33Center at Yale or we called Mercy Ann.
35:36I just wonder if there was
35:39any consideration of that.
35:40Just again, this central place
35:42where people could come for just
35:44this very thing that Bob Kearns
35:47was talking about where you can.
35:49Uh, if that's research that that's teaching,
35:51but this center that would allow for.
35:55Took the provision of resources.
35:57You know,
35:57it's
35:57interesting we talked about
35:58this about creating a poor root
36:00Center for inclusive practice,
36:01like we could we build a center
36:04that would actually we could just
36:05go to one place and you can get
36:08all of all of this in one place.
36:10And that's still sort of in the back of
36:12our mind, something we might work Tord.
36:16We're focusing on now is trying to
36:18figure out what what kind of skills
36:20says people need across the board.
36:21Back with the students,
36:23staff and alumni and then trying
36:24to fill in the blanks about what
36:26we can do immediately and then
36:27develop a long term strategy.
36:29But we have talked about
36:30trying to just have one.
36:32I don't know if we call it
36:34mercy actually like that.
36:36But we have talked about
36:37having just one place.
36:38It might be easier,
36:39but I think that might should be two or
36:42three years out before we can actually
36:44figure out what that would look like.
36:46Short term trading.
36:47Long term
36:48strategy. I think that I think Cindy
36:50there there was some benefits of
36:53centralizing the source of resources.
36:55Yeah, good example is when there was
36:58the national slowdown of work across
37:00universities for I think they also.
37:03The question was then what do people do
37:05in doing that day and the focus error
37:09actually developed some some studies,
37:11then courses short courses
37:12for that specific day.
37:14So so I think if you have a centralized.
37:18Unit you can actually have it
37:19respond to things fairly quickly,
37:21but also it's a.
37:22It's a place where people know they can
37:25go to get help and maybe at the Med school.
37:28For instance,
37:29maybe putting it in Darren's
37:31office might be a good idea.
37:35I appreciate that the strategy
37:36and all the suggestions around
37:38better to be proactive and
37:40seek out resources to help you.
37:43Do your best as a as a faculty
37:46in educational context.
37:47I also think that it's important that
37:50faculty that slip know that they're
37:52going to be supported by the leadership.
37:57You know, I think many of
37:58us feel a certain. You know,
38:00I'm a white man.
38:03You know on edge about in my some of my
38:06interactions and that I might
38:07say the wrong thing or somebody
38:09might take something that I say the wrong
38:11way and I'd want to know that people
38:13to know that I'm trying to do my best.
38:15But also if I do slip up and somebody
38:17is accusing me of something that
38:19I have support of leadership.
38:22Yeah yeah, one of the things
38:24that one of the reasons why we brought Dolly
38:27Chuggin first is because he talks about.
38:30The growth mindset right so that we are
38:32most of us were doing this work in no
38:35matter where we are and it have a growth
38:37mindset and I think that what we want to do
38:40is start to articulate for our community
38:42in particular students that you know.
38:45This is an art.
38:46Not only is an ongoing issue,
38:47but there are ways in which we're
38:49going to be learning things.
38:51Different ways of being different ways
38:52of doing different ways of speaking.
38:54We're all going to have to continually,
38:56you know, bro.
38:57And so part of what we want to do,
38:59and hopefully you'll see that is create
39:01a state of grace for people who are
39:03who are growing at different rates.
39:06Really important for us to all be successful?
39:09We want to be galvanized bar students.
39:11They're they're young,
39:12they know they have new ideas.
39:14But we also want to make sure,
39:16because interface that makes sense for them.
39:20So I'll work on that as well.
39:28So so, um, I'm curious about.
39:32Resources that might be available
39:35either within departments or within
39:38schools to develop mentoring programs.
39:41To address the distinctive
39:44needs of of the of diverse.
39:51New faculty hires an.
39:56Whether there is a plan for that?
40:02So. I, I think that.
40:07I think I think the my my sense.
40:11That's my sense.
40:12The mentoring programs will have to be
40:15tailored to the specific schools or
40:17departments or programs, the So what
40:20works on medicine may not work for.
40:23I don't know neurobiology. So so I so I.
40:27So I think that if you asking are
40:30there people who done it before and
40:32can advise one on how to do one?
40:34I think yes.
40:35Now I don't know there's going to
40:37be a central central resources.
40:39Let's say from the focus Officer
40:41presence office for mentoring specifically.
40:44Probably not.
40:44But this is something that can be
40:47negotiated at the school level for sure,
40:50and you probably know John that that
40:53Patrick O'Connor has a mentoring
40:54program for actually mental,
40:56so he teaches mentors or two
40:58how to be mentors,
40:59and it's been working pretty well.
41:02So it's something we fund
41:03from the Department,
41:04but it might make sense to
41:07fund it for more central.
41:10Position that remains to be determined,
41:12but I,
41:13but I think you're being
41:14a really important point.
41:16I think the issue of mentoring when
41:18we've asked faculty it's something
41:20that's at the top top of mind all
41:22the time for all junior faculty,
41:24and that's something that people
41:26feel they will get enough of.
41:30The other the other question,
41:32and I maybe this was alluded to
41:35in some ways earlier is that. That
41:41the need for potentially a small
41:44grant program to either help faculty
41:48get on back on track or two. 22
41:54kind of kickstart things.
41:58I think that that would be really helpful.
42:01I think particularly it would be.
42:04It might be worthwhile to look at
42:07the startup packages that diverse
42:09populations of faculty get when they
42:12joined the faculty and and this would
42:16be particularly valuable to have
42:18a small grants program targeting.
42:21Diverse faculty populations,
42:23if it could be shown that.
42:25They were disadvantaged at the
42:27outset when they joined the faculty.
42:29Yeah, right, that's a good point.
42:32So yeah, good point.
42:34So my comments about mentoring
42:36actually relate to all faculty,
42:38but I think underrepresented factors.
42:40You feel the burden not known.
42:42Men know mentoring more,
42:44but this is something that
42:46everyone complaints about.
42:49Yeah. I think there was a question
42:52submitted around if the history
42:54of indigenous peoples and their current
42:56roles inside would be considered by Yale
42:58as we are looking at our initiatives.
43:00So I see that as one of the questions that
43:03was submitted an one of the things we are,
43:06the committee has recommended in his report.
43:10But is it in the five year plan?
43:12Is that we not only look at the
43:14history of Yale and slavery,
43:16but right right after that?
43:18Look at the history of yellow
43:19with indigenous peoples so that we
43:21have some sense of our own history
43:23and so that so once we finish
43:25the conversation around slavery,
43:26there are our next goal would be
43:28to try to try to understand our
43:30relationship to Indigenous people so
43:32we can have that conversation too.
43:34And I think that part of what we
43:36we are definitely looking at and
43:38we expected my unit plans.
43:39Our conversations with.
43:40The Native American Cultural
43:42Center are Native Americans,
43:44faculty and staff about what some
43:45of the needs are and what sort of
43:48research is so that that would
43:49be incorporated into the some of
43:51the larger plans as well.
43:53But a lot of that's probably going
43:55to level within the research
43:56communities and some of the College
43:58in particular thinking of.
43:59But yes,
44:00we definitely intend to again look
44:02at that population as well.
44:04Yeah,
44:04and there was a question also
44:07about equity, so resources.
44:08So for instance you know many,
44:10many of the schools are working on
44:13equity and salary, and I think we've
44:15made significant progress on trying to
44:17make salary compensation, equitable.
44:19And the question is, is resources
44:21allocation equitable across the board?
44:23For instance,
44:24when your new faculty is being recruited,
44:26do they get the same sort of package?
44:29The same lab space or whatever
44:31they might need for their work?
44:34And and I think that's that is something
44:37we definitely want to focus on.
44:40And we believe that it has a
44:42large impact on on retention.
44:44So for instance,
44:45if somebody gets a lot more starter
44:48package and one other another,
44:50it is possible that the person who
44:53gets less will be less successful.
44:58And as a as an attempt to
45:00jump start the process,
45:02what we're going to focus on when we
45:05provide federal funding is to actually
45:07require that the the Department or
45:10the OR the chair submits a mentoring
45:12plan for the person to tell us
45:15what is going to be happening.
45:17Once you get fairly funding for
45:19the person and will try to get
45:22a sense of what resources are
45:24available and how does it compare to.
45:27With others working recruited so
45:28it is not an easy thing to do
45:30because all these discussions
45:32are usually private discussions.
45:33There is no standard equipment package,
45:35but we will try our best to try to
45:38figure out what the plan for the person
45:41will recruit using federal funding.
45:43For instance,
45:44something we have some control
45:46over for that person going forward.
45:48And we recognize that there
45:51are often inequities.
45:53For whatever reason,
45:54how people get set up at the
45:56beginning and the initial conditions
45:58are really important in how you,
46:00whether or not you are successful.
46:07If I may, I think it's that that's critical.
46:09Setting people up to starting from
46:11the same initial conditions into
46:13combat in equities and startup.
46:16But because faculty from traditionally
46:19underrepresented backgrounds
46:20and disadvantaged backgrounds
46:21are also swimming upstream.
46:24Against Univair against minority
46:26tax and against micro aggression
46:27against other cultural.
46:28Things that may make their lives and
46:31their success more difficult even
46:32if they're starting from the same
46:34starting point in terms of resources,
46:36I think it's critical to recognize
46:38that there may be necessary necessity.
46:40They may hit bumps in the road,
46:42and there may be a necessity
46:44for support along the way.
46:46That's acknowledged.
46:47Certainly in the emphasis that
46:48you've made on Mentor ship,
46:50but that's going to that may require
46:52at times access to resources as well.
46:55Bridge funding and other things.
46:56And so I think it's important to not
46:59have the discussion of resources
47:01and equity of resources focused too
47:03much on equity because the fact is
47:06it may take a little more resources
47:08to help someone be successful
47:10if they are disadvantaged in
47:11other non financial ways.
47:13And it's necessary to make sure
47:15discussion of resources isn't just about
47:17equity and startup but also about
47:19the potential necessary necessity
47:20to help along the way in order to
47:23combat the non fiscal structural.
47:25Impediments that people may be
47:27pushing against in order to. I agree.
47:29I mean, I think I think that equity
47:31doesn't mean the resources are equal.
47:34I think equity means the resources that you
47:36needed to be successful or given to you.
47:39So depends on what you're doing and
47:41depends on what your current situation is.
47:44So we are aware of this distinction
47:46and will try to. Figure it out,
47:49but this is this is really a team work.
47:52It can't be run by the president's
47:54office or by the Post office.
47:56This is really at the level of the
47:58section 'cause all the appointments
47:59are made by section or program
48:01leaders or or Department chairs.
48:03And that's and I think this is
48:05where the emphasis will be.
48:10Other questions.
48:17Um? Let's see in the
48:20chat. Yeah, mandatory sexual
48:22harassment training is an effective
48:24way to teach employees. Right,
48:26so you're asking if there's going to
48:28be training around race and racism.
48:30Yeah, so part of what we're looking
48:32at is what training is going on
48:34and what orientations are going on.
48:36We're doing. Analysis will be doing
48:38that and figure out where we where.
48:40We might have gaps so.
48:43So stay tuned for that.
48:44We were going to do some don't
48:46know if it's gonna be training.
48:47Education will figure out what it
48:49means to be doing what what we need.
48:51But they need people need to
48:52know about our initiatives,
48:53our expectations and we need
48:54to be consistent in what we're
48:56saying across the board.
48:57So we will do that.
48:58I don't know what's going to be mandatory.
49:00Haven't figured that out yet.
49:03Because some actually some of our
49:04psychology faculty told us that
49:05sometimes management doesn't work
49:06for when you talk about race.
49:08So we have to figure out with them and
49:10made with you what you would recommend.
49:12But we do know we have to do a lot
49:14of education and training around this
49:16issue for everybody across the board.
49:18So, so if I may ask the
49:20whole group of questions.
49:21So what do you think about
49:22mandatory versus number?
49:28I think mandatory is is good
49:31for your universal exposure,
49:32but no single event training is
49:35going to accomplish the objective of
49:37culture change that we want to see.
49:40And so I think if you combine it
49:42with other things and recognize
49:45that a mandatory training is the
49:47beginning of a discussion and that
49:50the discussion needs to take place,
49:52then
49:53it's not so bad. We gotta do something
49:57plus plus mandatory training. Yeah yeah
50:00I think. Thinking about it as.
50:04No professional development two
50:051.0 two .0 three point 4 point so
50:07that you could continue to grow and
50:09continue to have conversations in
50:10different ways at different times.
50:12This has to be so,
50:13so we I think we're using your
50:15assumption to build out the
50:17program that we will see,
50:18but we won't see it for a year 'cause
50:20we have to actually figure out what
50:22the baseline is now who's doing what,
50:24what it looks like is it being effective?
50:27But John,
50:28you're going to say something else.
50:29You're going
50:30to. Yeah, I was going to say one other thing,
50:32which is that I I see the role of
50:34the mandatory training is giving
50:36the people the vocabulary to
50:38participate in the discussion.
50:40If you were going to have a
50:43program on French literature,
50:45you'd have a mandatory entry course
50:48on French, because otherwise they
50:51couldn't participate in.
50:52And maybe this discussion of racism should
50:56be approached similarly with the good
50:58news is we just hired.
51:02Name Elizabeth Conklin.
51:03She started in September and she is
51:05overseeing all of our discrimination,
51:07harassment policies,
51:08procedures are in our all of our
51:10Accessibility programs as well,
51:12and she's actually doing the first
51:14look at what we have available.
51:16So can standpoint of just you know
51:18your entry and what we actually have
51:20to require for compliance purposes.
51:22She will be looking at that and so
51:25we'll have some recommendations
51:26for her at least a month or so.
51:29So start with.
51:30But again, I,
51:31I think that we have adopted your.
51:34Comment John to think that you
51:35can't just do one thing and
51:37expect people to feel like they
51:39know what they're doing.
51:40So we've got to figure out a way
51:42to sort of layer our conversations
51:44in different ways for different
51:46different audiences.
51:48I think the challenges we don't from
51:50the field have a lot of effective
51:53interventions around training.
51:55There are some and one person is coming,
51:58Patricia Divine in a couple of weeks,
52:00but I think that's the challenge.
52:03What happens if you're implementing
52:05training that's not affect effective?
52:07Or has bacha genic effects and so?
52:09I think that's what you have to
52:12really think about as well what?
52:15What's the evidence behind the training?
52:18And I think there's evidence to show
52:20that mandating does not necessarily work
52:22to change in the ways that you want.
52:24So I think it really has to depend
52:27on the quality of that training.
52:30Yeah, and that's part of why we're really,
52:32really focused on the assessment piece
52:34of trying to set everything that we're
52:36doing so we can make course corrections.
52:38We can abandon something that just
52:40doesn't seem to be working well.
52:42You know we have all these faculty,
52:44wonderful faculty members.
52:45We want to be able to to use
52:48their wisdom and an there,
52:49and your sense of research to
52:51figure out what we're doing.
52:52We're not going well and build.
52:54Build some something that we can
52:56improve is working for ourselves
52:58and for our communities and for the
53:01higher education in general so.
53:02So you're right,
53:03that's what we got to sort of look at.
53:06What we know now what we want
53:07now in the future.
53:13Any other questions or comments?
53:16I hope I didn't miss anything in the chat.
53:24How? Alright, well thank you
53:27both so much. I know is incredibly
53:29challenging to schedule given
53:31everyones busy busy schedule.
53:33So I really appreciate you being
53:35here and hopefully we can have you
53:38back for updates periodically and
53:40also where you can learn about what
53:42we're doing in in the Department.
53:44We have a lot going on here as well,
53:48so thank you all for joining
53:50this afternoon and definitely
53:51conversations to be continued.