Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

11. Developing Cultural Competency Workshops

This initiative involves not only the development of cultural competency workshops but also establishing the mechanism to both offer the workshops and track their mandatory completion by faculty and staff.

Status: Launched

4/1/22 - Launched:
After reviewing best practices and research alternatives the workgroup has concluded that Cultural Competency is best implemented in a top-down model incorporating resources from outside expertise to bring fresh perspectives to the table. To this end, we are launching a Cultural Competency Workshop program that begins with Cabinet and Dean level administration participating in the Kansas Cross Cultural Collaborative’s Diversity Development Certificate Program for Executives.

To support these efforts at other levels throughout the University, we have also partnered with EI Games to bring their award winning Diversity, Inclusion and Equity Game to the university as a professional development tool for faculty and staff to participate in to increase their cultural confidence in a fun and effective way.

These implementations are expected to launch fall 2022.

4/26/21 Update:

  • A plan is under development for a multi-faceted program to offer employees options for fulfilling the mandatory requirement to participate in cultural competency workshops and learning opportunities.
    • Individual workshops centered around the employee’s work responsibilities and/or personal interests.
    • University common read program with reading communities and dialogues facilitated by selected faculty and staff.
    • An Intercultural Competence Certificate (requirements to be determined)
  • Key components of the certification program have been identified, including topics to be covered.
  • The structure for the university common read program connected to the certificate is being created.
  • Identifying facilitators for workshops is currently in progress.

Timeline and Milestones

The timeline and milestones for this initiative are currently under development by the action team.

Accountable Administrators and Action Team

This initiative is led by a core leadership team. The lead administrator identified below is responsible for initiating and reporting on the progress of the initiative overall.

Core leadership team

  • Be Stoney, Interim Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, lead administrator
  • Jay Stephens, Vice President for Human Capital Services
  • Tanya Gonzalez, Interim Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness
  • Beverley Earles, PCRSND Chair
  • Debra Wilcox, PCSW Chair
  • Sara Thurston, Director for International Student and Scholar Services
  • Socorro Herrera, Executive Director, Center for Intercultural and Multilingual Advocacy
  • Rebeca Paz, Office of First-generation Students
  • Shawna Jordan, DPP College of Health and Human Sciences
  • Callie Rost, DPP College of Veterinary Medicine
  • Debra Marseline, DPP K-State Polytechnic
  • Linda Craghead, Director, Facilities Services
  • Debra Bolton, The Indigenous Faculty and Staff Alliance
  • Zelia Wiley, Assistant Dean of Diversity Programs, College of Agriculture
  • Stefan Yates, Special Assistant to the CDIO