Professional Development Opportunities

April

Friday, April 5, 12noon EST
Creative Inclusive Spaces for LGBTQ+ Student Success
Emily Olson, Associate Director, Gender and Sexuality Resource Center & OEI Program Associate, SUNY Oneonta

Part of the Free Empowering Every Voice University Life Webinar Series

Friday, April 19, 12noon EST
Nurturing Mental Health in Higher Education
Presenter: TBA

Readings & Books

The following list was shared with the SUNY Chief Diversity Officer Listserv in November 2023.

Most titles are available at the Resnick Library for loan.  

"The Inclusive Language Handbook: A Guide to Better Communication and Transformational Leadership” by Roxanne Bellamy and Jackie Ferguson"

Summary: This book is a testament to how much easier and more fruitful conversations can be when we’re intentional with language. As communication styles and diction become increasingly nuanced, you’re going to want to ensure you’re speaking with purpose as a DEI leader. “The Inclusive Language Handbook” can help you get there.

“Carry Strong: An Empowered Approach to Navigating Pregnancy and Work” by Stephanie Kramer

Summary: Stephanie Kramer expertly combines her research with firsthand accounts from women who have deftly maneuvered pregnancy and working to offer a handbook for organizational leadership to better support women and caregivers. She also outlines career considerations mothers may need to make along every step of their pregnancy.

“Self-Care for Black Women: 150 Ways to Radically Accept & Prioritize Your Mind, Body, & Soul” by Oludara Adeeyo

Summary: “Self-Care for Black Women” provides 150 exercises complete with prompts that give you the space to prioritize yourself and your well-being. This book is the proverbial oxygen mask you’re told put on before you can fully show up to help others.

“The Inclusive Language Field Guide: 6 Simple Principles for Avoiding Painful Mistakes and Communicating Respectfully” by Suzanne Wertheim

Summary: Suzanne Wertheim applies her background as a linguistic anthropologist to outline six principles that will help you effectively communicate with anyone, whether it be written or verbal. The six pillars of the book that will help you get there are: reflect reality, show respect, draw people in, incorporate other perspectives, prevent erasure, and recognize pain points.

“Reconstructing DEI: A Practitioner’s Workbook” by Lily Zheng

Summary: In Lily Zheng’s third book, and the follow-up to “DEI Deconstructed: Your No-Nonsense Guide to Doing the Work and Doing It Right,” which was featured in our 2023 DEI books list, they offer original exercises that will help DEI practitioners create last impacts within their organizations. You can pre-order the book now — it’s slated to publish on November 14.

“Inclusify: The Power of Uniqueness and Belonging to Build Innovative Teams” by Dr. Stefanie K. Johnson

Summary: Dr. Stefanie K. Johnson’s definition of an inclusive workplace isn’t one where everyone acts and thinks the same. An inclusive workplace is one whose leaders are “inclusifying,” or encouraging everyone to be themselves, to share their ideas, and to collaborate. Johnson outlines how employers can be better at welcoming their employees’ differences and why it’s important.

“How to Be an Ally: Actions You Can Take for a Stronger, Happier Workplace” by Melinda Briana Epler

Summary: In this easy-to-follow book, Melina Briana Epler, CEO of learning and development platform Empovia, shares five key takeaways to becoming a better, more reliable ally. She emphasizes the importance of empathy, gives an overview of how different implicit biases show up in the workplace, and lists examples of how to initiate covert cultural change if your company’s C-suite isn’t backing your DEI efforts. 

“Reimagine Inclusion: Debunking 13 Myths To Transform Your Workplace” by Mita Mallick

Summary: On the other side of your fear is a synergetic workforce composed of even-handed managers and supportive executives. As the DEI leader at your company, you’re responsible for understanding what’s holding you back from achieving equity and inclusion in your workplace. Mita Mallick, a journalist and the head of inclusion, equity, and impact at Carta, helps you jump-start this journey to understanding.

“Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Third Edition” by Emily Gregory, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Kerry Patterson, and Al Switzler

Summary: Communication is one of the hardest skills to learn, and necessary if you want to be influential in your work. While some individuals are inherently better at communicating than others, the beauty of the skill is that it’s one anyone can learn and master. “Crucial Conversations” gives you the resources to get there.

 
“The Inclusive Organization: Real Solutions, Impactful Change, and Meaningful Diversity” by Netta Jenkins

Summary: In her debut novel, Netta Jenkins, the CEO of Aerodei, VP of global inclusion at Unqork, and founding member of the DEI Think Tank, creates a model for DEI practitioners to use to define and scale their DEI strategy at any organization. Jenkins draws on firsthand experiences and business cases to bring her ideas to life in a digestible, handy format.

“Revolution to Evolution: The Story of the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity at the University of Washington” by Emile Pitre

Summary: Emile Pitre was a founding member of the Black Student Union at the University of Washington in the 1960s. This group led to the university becoming the first to ever hire a dedicated DEI practitioner. Pitre, through primary resources including interviews and letters, illustrates how the university’s Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity came to life.

“The Wake Up: Closing the Gap Between Good Intentions and Real Change” by Michelle MiJung Kim

Summary: Michelle MiJung Kim, CEO of Awaken, a DEI training platform she co-founded with Beatrice Kim in 2017, pulls from her background as a queer immigrant Korean American woman and activist to outline how DEI practitioners can better understand their employees as they heal and thrive together. The book is divided into four parts: identifying your unique story to propel you along your social justice journey, understanding how white supremacy got us here, learning how you can show up for diverse communities, and succeeding with a people-centric culture.

“Race, Work, and Leadership: New Perspectives on the Black Experience” by Laura Morgan Roberts, Anthony J. Mayo, and David A. Thomas

Summary: Since “Race, Work, and Leadership,” was published in 2019, the collection of essays has served as a vade mecum for DEI practitioners working to understand African Americans’ experience in today’s workplace. Not only do the authors, three wildly successful leaders in academia, extensively recount what the barriers to inclusivity look like but also how you can move them aside now that you know what you’re looking at.

“Subtle Acts of Exclusion: How to Understand, Identify, and Stop Microaggressions” by Dr. Tiffany Jana and Dr. Michael Baran

Summary: This book is for anyone who doesn’t understand why their well-intentioned compliment offended the receiver. The titular title is a term coined by the authors, Dr. Tiffany Jana and Dr. Michael Baran, that encapsulates the harmful effects of microaggressions in the workplace.

“The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business” by Erin Meyer

Summary: Your guide through this subtle, sometimes treacherous terrain in which people from starkly different backgrounds are expected to work harmoniously together. She provides a field-tested model for decoding how cultural differences impact international business, and combines a smart analytical framework with practical, actionable advice.

“Transgender Inclusion: All the Things You Want to Ask Your Transgender Coworker but Shouldn’t” By A.C. Fowlkes

Summary: A LinkedIn Top Voice and CEO of Fowlkes Consulting, an LGBTQ+ sensitivity and inclusion consulting firm, author A.C. Fowlkes writes about the workplace experiences of trans people and how readers can better support these employees. Fowlkes explains the medical, social, and legal experiences that transgender employees go through. You can pre-order the book now — it’s slated to publish on January 18.

“Inclusive Leadership: Equity and Belonging in Our Communities" By Joanne Barnes, Michael J. Stevens, Bjørn Zakarias Ekelund, and Karen Perham-Lippman

Summary: Karen Perham-Lippman is one of four editors who brought “Inclusive Leadership” to life. The book is divided into four parts: understanding DEIB, education and DEIB, practicing DEIB, and a community and global perspective of DEIB. Chapters range in topics from inclusive leadership for social justice to how to influence employee engagement, offering perspectives from practitioners and academics.