Chief Diversity Officer Roundtable: A Cohort-Based Series for Diversity Leaders

Chief Diversity Officer Roundtable: A Cohort-Based Series for Diversity Leaders

January 13 - April 21, 2023 (Virtual sessions)

Meet a cohort of other Chief Diversity Officers to build your network, unpack common issues you face, share practices that are working, and build your leadership capacity.

Overview

Over the last several years, most colleges and universities have established offices of diversity and inclusion, headed by a cabinet-level official. These Chief Diversity Officers are often given a broad mandate to improve equity and inclusion across the institution but often with limited staff and resources. The CDO is expected to “fix” climate issues and address deeply-rooted inequities, often without clear or full support from the institution's leadership, resources, integration into the strategic plan, or buy-in from key stakeholders, and the access to integrate equity and inclusion philosophies within established systems, processes, and policies.

Compounding these challenges are the high stakes. Missteps are visible and costly and can often inflict more harm on a community. Without adequate support and a strategic vision, these challenges can paralyze or hinder efforts. Enter our CDO roundtable, which is designed to create a cohort of peers engaged in similar work to:

  • Share best practices and avoid pitfalls
  • Improve DEI strategy and decision making
  • Exchange ideas and co-create new approaches
  • Help CDOs stay current on trends, issues, and events
  • Assess campus climate dynamics
  • Build DEI institutional capacity
  • Develop strategies to accelerate the infusion of DEI practices throughout your Institution
  • Operationalize the work; take theories and ideas and help put them into practice

To preserve an intimate and productive experience, each roundtable will be capped at 12 attendees.

Can’t attend all sessions?

No problem. However, we recommend attending at least six virtual sessions to get the most value out of the experience.

 

Who Should Attend

This group engagement is specifically designed for the senior-most diversity officer of a campus, who has both oversight and accountability for campus-wide diversity and inclusion efforts.

We welcome Chief Diversity Officers from both public and private institutions across all Carnegie levels.

The roundtable will be the most beneficial to CDOs who have been in their roles for two to five years.

 

How Roundtables Work

The goal of our Roundtables is to bring together a small cohort of peers for a comprehensive learning and networking experience. Through short, regular live meetings, you will come together with a maximum of nine other peers and our two experts to:

  • Build strong connections and expand your network
  • Try new tactics and approaches to improve your leadership
  • Share your own best practices and hear others’
  • Carve out time for self-reflection
  • Be part of a cohort-based support community
  • Contribute to the conversation with your own thought leadership

AGENDAS

January 13 - April 21, 2023

Virtual Sessions

Virtual Kickoff: Friday, January 13, 2023
  • 12:00 –2:00 p.m. ET
Virtual Sessions | 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. ET
  • Session 2 (Virtual): January 27, 2023
  • Session 3 (Virtual): February 10, 2023
  • Session 4 (Virtual): February 24, 2023
  • Session 5 (Virtual): March 10, 2023
  • Session 6 (Virtual): March 24, 2023
  • Session 7 (Virtual): April 7, 2023
  • Session 8 (Virtual): April 21, 2023

To preserve an intimate and productive experience, each roundtable will be capped at 12 attendees.

Sample Topic Items

Each roundtable will be a customized experience with the agenda driven by the participants. Sample topics and issues that could arise include:

Understanding and Developing your Inclusive Excellence Ecosystem
  • Develop an inclusive approach
  • Strategic planning and partnerships
  • Introduce new initiatives
  • Establish a centralized and decentralized approach
  • Align within ethos of your campus

 


 

Inclusive Leadership
  • Maximize contribution of stakeholders (both internal and external)
  • High visibility and seen as a valued contributor
  • Responsibility for contributions
  • Unification of human capital and coalition building strategies
  • Inspire new ideas and innovative strategies from others

 


 

Increase your Institution’s Cultural Intelligence
  • Promote community respect – everyone belongs here
  • Create an environment of support where all can thrive
  • Advocate of mechanisms to increase cultural intelligence of campus community
  • Reinforce inclusive excellence model

 


 

Culturally-Responsive Teaching
  • Establish the intellectual engine to support the success of all students
  • Maintain collaborative partnerships with faculty
  • Introduction to five culturally responsive teaching strategies
  • Integrate culturally responsive teaching in research, course development, classroom engagement, and instructional delivery
Affinity Groups
  • Define affinity groups and how to utilize them effectively
  • Provide advocacy and support for affinity groups
  • Improve campus climate through faculty/staff engagement
  • Leverage faculty/staff support to recruit and retain diverse talent
  • Empower faculty/staff and improve morale
  • Collect insights into diverse areas

 


 

Faculty and Staff Recruitment
  • Correlate to student performance and sense of belonging
  • Increase opportunities for all students to engage with diverse faculty
  • Promote experiences of diverse curriculum and programs
  • Develop strategic initiatives to attract excellent faculty and staff
  • Establish equity in the search process

 


 

Faculty and Staff Retention
  • Consider mentorship among students and faculty and staff
  • Provide varied curriculum and programs
  • Promote of an inclusive campus community
  • Consider strategies to retain faculty and staff (I.e., mentorship, awards, professional development, and campus climate)

FACILITATORS

Professional portrait of Sandra Miles

Sandra Miles, PhD

Sandra Miles, Head of Practice for Diversity/Equity/Inclusion, Academic Impressions

Sandra has spent most of the last two decades serving as a leader and administrator in higher education. Specifically, she has had extensive experience in managing crisis, strategic planning, developing leadership programs, working with persons with disabilities, mediating disputes, and serving as a Dean of Students, Chief Student Affairs Officer, Chief Diversity Officer, and Deputy Title IX Coordinator. In 2022, Sandra joined Academic Impressions full-time as the Head of Practice for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, due to her experience with the organization as a subject-matter expert who facilitated trainings and workshops in higher-ed, as well as to her passion for making DEI concepts resonate for individuals from all walks of life.

Read Sandra's Full Bio.

PRICING

JANUARY 13 - APRIL 21, 2023

$3,500

per person

Questions About the Event?

Rabia-1-23

Rabia Khan Harvey
Senior Learning & Development Manager, Academic Impressions