Faculty/Staff Training and Resources

Making Diversity personal requires that each one of us accepts the responsibility for our workplace culture and the educational climate at Western Carolina University. The Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity Programs (EODP) offers training and compiles resources, published here, for all members of our WCU community.

Training Offered

Listed below are diversity-centered trainings offered by various units on-campus.

Diversity Resources

WCU Resources/Groups

• LGBTQ Working Group - The mission of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Working Employee Resource Group is to facilitate conversations and actions that increase and sustain an affirming campus climate for individuals and groups from a diversity of gender expressions and sexual orientations. Further, we promote dialogue around gender and sexuality that are supportive and educational in support of the University mission and values.
• Intercultural Dialogue Group - The We Walk Together Intercultural Dialogue Group has monthly gatherings, which either involve a potluck meal and culture presentation on campus or a shared service project. An added benefit of this group is WCU students can earn DegreePlus Cultural Responsiveness points and WCU staff can use their Community Service Hours.
• International Faculty and Staff Council - A group of international faculty and staff at WCU, to promote diversity and inclusion at WCU and the local community. The Council consists of faculty and staff with international heritage as well as faculty and staff who are interested in promoting international cultural understanding on WCU campus and in the communities of western North Carolina.

External Resources Supporting Diversity in Higher Education

• The National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest professional employee organization, is committed to advancing the cause of public education.
• The American Council on Education provides a compilation of resources for leadership development in higher education.
• The Access and Diversity Collaborative (ADC) provides guidance to colleges, universities, and state systems of higher education in developing and implementing their access- and diversity-related policies.
• Diversity Digest is a quarterly newsletter published by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU).
• The Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT) has compiled a list of resources for responding to difficult discussions in the classroom.
• Learn More about the Annual National Conference for Race & Ethnicity in American Higher Education (NCORE^®) to address the resurgence of racist incidents in higher education.
• The NASPA Foundation is the leading association for the advancement, health, and sustainability of the student affairs profession and promotes diversity in these areas.
• The American Association of University Professors has a longstanding commitment to increasing diversity in higher education.
• This toolkit will serve as a foundation for a national effort that will enhance diversity, inclusion, and cultural and linguistic competence; cultivate partnerships; respond to increasingly diverse communities across the country, and develop strategies for continuing efforts to better serve diverse populations.

Conferences on Diversity

• Camp Pride Summer LGBTQ Leadership Academy
• Native American Student Advocacy Institute (NASAI)
• Prepárate: Educating Latinos for the Future of America
• A Dream Deferred™: The Future of African American Education
• National Chinese Language Conference