The Office of the Vice Chancellor has a deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, specifically to “build and maintain a community and culture that celebrates and values diverse backgrounds, identities, and perspectives.”
Local, national, and global events consistently challenge us to address issues of culture, race, class, gender, sexuality, nationality, ability, and belief through the lens of MIT’s values. Our efforts are part of a broader initiative to bring these values to fruition through the DEI@MIT Strategic Action Plan and the work of the Institute Community & Equity Office (ICEO), as well as the community at-large.
With that context in mind, the OVC Council on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion supports staff by:
- Offering tools and opportunities for engagement and understanding (e.g., Setting expectations with new employees during onboarding; providing training / refresh opportunities for new and existing managers, including train the trainer)
- Advocating for the ubiquity and importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion through leadership priorities and communication (e.g. ensuring diverse news items & mention of opportunities in OVC newsletter)
- Sharing best practices across the organization, which may include hiring practices, proactive office culture, and advancing professional development
- Creating shared equitable ownership and responsibility for diversity, equity, and inclusion, with the goal that every OVC employee understands how these concepts are important for their work; may include periodic check-ins with member offices that have specific diversity initiatives
- Integrating efforts with other MIT organizations (e.g. the Institute Community and Equity Office (ICEO), the Council of Staff Diversity and Inclusion, the Employee Resource Group (ERG), Council on Race and Diversity (CRD), the C-Board in the Division of Student Life, LGBTQ+ Services)
Since its inception, CDEI has held or sponsored many informative and creative workshops and events, including a Staff Story Telling event to deepen our collective awareness and perspectives.
We welcome your input!
Please submit your ideas for workshops and events, tools and best practices, or any other suggestions on our OVC CDEI Feedback form, or feel free to reach out to us directly.
OVC CDEI Leadership
Co-chairs
- Piero Chacon, Registrar’s Office
- Amanda Pickett, Career Advising & Professional Development
Ex Officio
- Sharon Bridburg, OVC HQ
- DiOnetta Jones Crayton, OME
Members
- Philip Caudillo, Registrar’s Office
- Julia Davis, Admissions
- Terre Dilworth, Desktop Support
- Ari Epstein, Terrascope
- Libby Hsu, D-Lab
- Ameer Phillips, Admissions
- Linda Rabieh, Concourse
- Alex Roy, SFS
- Tom Scahill, Registrar’s Office
- Fatima Smith, OME
- Tavi Sookhoo, CAPD
- Kate Weishaar, OVC HQ