The fourth annual Diversity Summit was held Aug. 13 in the Latham Ballroom at the Inn at Virginia Tech.   

The summit is an InclusiveVT critical touchpoint event sponsored by the Office for Inclusion and Diversity. The one-day summit gathered more than 300 representatives campus-wide to reinvigorate collective efforts toward diversity strategic goals.

Michele Deramo, assistant provost of diversity education and programs, and Menah Pratt-Clarke, vice president for strategic affairs and diversity, opened with a warm welcome on leveraging the InclusiveVT structure and diversity strategic plans.

The summit topics included:

  • Integrating the Diversity Strategic Plan with the University Strategic Plan
  • Reviewing the Strategic Plan Implementation Process
    Meeting the Goal 1 milestones of increasing representational diversity
  • Setting the context for Goals 2 & 3: Cultural Competency and Critical Societal Issues

A key focus of the summit was the conversation on the Ut Prosim difference, which is about the ways in which Virginia Tech distinguishes and differentiates itself through its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve). It also provided insight on the power of difference and the opportunity for diverse views, ideas, and perspectives to enhance and promote excellence.

“The Diversity Summit is an opportunity to bring together stakeholders across campus in order to set our common objectives for the year ahead,” Deramo said.

Loading player for https://video.vt.edu/media/Michele+Deramo+plans+events+on+top+of+day-to-day+responsibilities+for+the+Office+for+Inclusion+and+Diversity/1_8lifci74...

During the summit, a new strategic diversity education initiative was announced, InclusiveVT Insights, a micro-learning approach to diversity education. Each video addresses a single diversity question and emphasizes words and tools to respond inclusively in a variety of situations. InclusiveVT Insights is a “just in time” resource — meaning the Virginia Tech community can access the videos whenever and wherever they are needed. Insights videos are short — about 3 to 8 minutes in length — which makes them flexible to use as a centerpiece of a workshop on a particular topic, or as a component of a broader staff or faculty meeting. To learn more, click here.

To receive information from any of the Diversity Summit sessions, please contact Michele Deramo.

To learn more about the Office for Inclusion and Diversity and its upcoming programs, please visit https://www.inclusive.vt.edu/, or call 540-231-7500.

 

Share this story