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Encountering differences with other people is a part of daily life. How we relate to one another when navigating our differences either builds or erodes trust and affects the quality of our work.

“CU Boulder is an R1 flagship university. We have a responsibility to ensure our work contributes to the public good,” said Anthony Siracusa, senior director of inclusive culture and initiatives. “Everyone’s scholarship (research, teaching or creative work) has implications for people, no matter the discipline. So, how do we grapple with those implications? And, with community-engaged work, knowing how to operationalize diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) principles—how to navigate differences skillfully—is part of our professional responsibility.”

To that end, Siracusa and Montez Butts, director of inclusive culture and outreach, will facilitate a three-part Journey to Inclusive Culture (JIC) Workshop Series, especially for outreach and engagement professionals.

“Members of CU Boulder’s Outreach and Engagement Professionals Network (OEPN) answered in our survey that they want and need this type of skills-building training. The Inclusive Culture Team is a great ongoing resource for CU Boulder’s community-engaged scholars and outreach and engagement practitioners. I hope faculty and staff members will prioritize this workshop,” said Katie Kleinhesselink, community program manager with the Office for Outreach and Engagement.

Butts describes the series’ curriculum as foundational.

“I think DEI work can be very complex with a host of individuals from different backgrounds. This can be exciting or intimidating or daunting. The JIC series intends to challenge people in a safe space and a brave space. Anthony and I invite people to share, push and grow. We want to provide resources and tools to help people get started.”

Siracusa and Butts view DEI skill-building as a mindfulness practice that requires daily attention. Mistakes are inevitable for everyone—no matter a person’s background, level of privilege, consciousness about personal biases or years committed to creating more diverse, inclusive and equitable systems.

“Everyone in the modern U.S. has a cultural context and group identities with historical tendrils. So, when scholars think about engaging with external communities, we have to know about these histories and their contemporary valances. Why? Because we must build trust to do our work. Depending on who we are, we have different levels of work to establish that trust. Any of us might say something that creates a barrier for someone else or causes someone to feel like they don’t belong. The workshop can help individuals identify what we don’t know about ourselves and help groups practice collaboration and a willingness to give and receive feedback,” said Siracusa.  

Workshop participants will be asked to self-reflect during the first two sessions to understand their personal privileges, biases and roles within a larger context. Participants will explore how they impact one another and the structures and systems of which we are all a part. During the third session, participants will practice techniques for establishing partnerships and projects possessing open feedback cultures.     

“Community-based work always encounters the need to build relationships. It involves encountering differences, whether from a marginalized or privileged background. Colleges and universities, despite efforts, continue to be engines of inequality. People who work at CU Boulder will encounter differences with external communities,” said Siracusa. “No matter your background, you need to be prepared to navigate differences, and that is DEI work.

“And,” added Butts, “we need to be able to help individuals be prepared to work across differences and deal with conflict.”

Siracusa and Butts stress that it’s not about having all the answers but about recognizing that we all live in the same system, have something at stake and carry a responsibility to impact that system positively.

“We won’t get into the political during the workshop, but there is a divisive human experience in this country,” said Butts. “DEI work has always been around in some shape or form. So, I say, if not you, then who? If not now, then when? If you can’t see yourself in the struggle, it’s time to start. This workshop can create a space for us to work together. It can motivate people, and it can reinspire people.”

If you are a faculty or staff member involved in community-engaged scholarship or other outreach and engagement work, please see here to learn more about the upcoming Journey to Inclusive Culture Workshop hosted by the Office for Outreach and Engagement. 

Any unit on campus may request a Journey to Inclusive Culture workshop through the Inclusive Culture Team (inclusiveculture@colorado.edu).