Microaggressions don’t necessarily reflect bad intent but can still be very damaging. Therefore, it is important to proactively identify and address microaggressions within your department and your institution before they become a problem. Learning to properly spot and address these statements can improve your campus climate while reducing absenteeism, turnover, and employee complaints.

This toolkit provides a foundational understanding of microaggressions and how to combat them. The first lesson will define microaggressions and bring awareness to how prevalent they are in our daily conversations. The second lesson will build on that understanding and explain why microaggressions happen, consciously and unconsciously. The final lesson will provide guidance and tools to help you address microaggressions when they occur.

Warm-Up Activity

Before diving into the course please complete the Implicit Associations Activity, which will prime you for learning about microaggressions by demonstrating how common workings of the brain can make it easy for any of us to commit a microaggression.

Implicit Associations Activity