Editor’s note: This is part of a series of updates on campuswide diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that will continue throughout the year.
In this month's issue, read about the Oct. 25 DEI Impact Grant Summit and other campus events happening in October.
Grant recipients to share experiences with campus community
An inaugural DEI Impact Grant Summit taking place this week will enable 2023–24 grant recipients to share their success stories and challenges as they prepare for the next funding year—and for prospective grantees and others on campus to learn more about the application and review cycle process.
Faculty and staff interested in submitting grant proposals for the next funding cycle are encouraged to sign up in advance to attend the summit scheduled for Oct. 25, 1:30–3:30 p.m., in CASE E422.
Sponsored by the Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the DEI Impact Grant program debuted this year, awarding grants to five summer 2023 recipients and 17 recipients for the 2023–24 academic year. The program is the outcome of a recommendation from the Inclusion, Diversity and Excellence in Academics (IDEA) Plan.
Broadly, proposals that received grants during the 2023–24 grant cycle focus on student, staff and faculty academic and career success. Grant-funded initiatives include peer and other mentorship opportunities, summer bridge programs, undergraduate research, support for students with disabilities, inclusive STEM programs, access to space-related research, professional development opportunities, community-based internships, learning communities, inclusive classrooms, and learning and language skills for employees.
Lynda Duran, diversity, equity and inclusion program and assessment manager, leads the grant program, providing guidance on how faculty and staff can navigate the grant application process and design equity-minded assessments.
Lynda Duran
Earlier this year, she led a group of 40 faculty, staff and administrators from 20 campus units through a review of proposals submitted during the 2023–24 grant cycle.
“We asked for grant proposals to support and highlight programs and initiatives clearly outlining how to operationalize and enhance the capacity of academic and administrative planning units to deepen their progress on CU Boulder’s five DEI goals,” she said. “We were not disappointed. The quality of funded proposals is outstanding, and we look forward to assessing the impact they have in academic and administrative units across the campus.”
The five DEI goals, inspired by the IDEA Plan, focus on employee skills and development, student achievement outcomes, community building, employee recruitment outcomes, and preparing students to participate in a diverse democracy.
More information about the DEI Impact Grant Summit and how to apply for the grants is available at the DEI Resource Hub, including how the Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion can support faculty and staff through the proposal and grant process.
Read more about DEI Impact Grants in CU Boulder Today.
Upcoming events
- Oct. 25: DEI Impact Grant Summit
- Oct. 25: “Surviving and Thriving Post 303 Creative”
- Oct. 27: Inspired Dreamers Kickoff, noon–1:30 p.m., C4C Abrams Lounge
In case you missed it
- How social movements have influenced Latina legislative leadership in Colorado
- Preserving culture by learning an endangered language
- The how and what of the latest Israel-Hamas war
- How Hamas got around Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system
- Post-Roe, contraception could be next
- Center of the American West charts a path to the future
- November is National Native American Heritage Month
- Resources to learn more about Indigenous ways of knowing
Sustaining our practice of inclusion
Campus efforts and investments to address pressing and painful inequities at CU Boulder are only a beginning. Creating a culture of belonging will take each member of our community practicing sustained personal work to truly embrace and support diverse perspectives and intersectional identities in our community.
Chancellor Philip DiStefano and other campus leaders urge every member of our community to join in learning more about diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism, and to work continuously together to address these challenges more actively and in ways that can help authentically transform our campus culture.
Campus resources
- CU Boulder Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Website: Find more information about the campus’s work to create and sustain a more inclusive campus community and explore the results of the 2021 Campus Culture Survey.
- Center for African and African American Studies (CAAAS): Provides a focal point for Black community and culture at CU Boulder and a multipurpose space where scholars, students, artists, activists and allies come together to study Africa, African Americans and the African diaspora.
- Center for Asian Studies (CAS): Strives to be a space of community, curiosity and respectful engagement with Asia, views the area studies endeavor as a necessary yet distinct complement to disciplinary knowledge, and recognizes the historic and geographic centrality that Asia has and continues to play in the human venture.
- Center for Native American and Indigenous Studies (CNAIS): Promotes collaborative research focusing on local and global Indigenous knowledge and fosters projects that aspire to open conversations in Colorado and the world.
- Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL): Offers programs focused on creating inclusive classrooms and supports CU’s community of educators through free consultations, teaching resources, programs, seminars, workshops and other events.
- CU Boulder History Project: Seeks to share CU Boulder’s history based on intersectional perspectives to demonstrate our commitment to inclusive excellence and to deepen our institutional memory.
- Latin American and Latinx Studies Center (LALSC): Provides an institutional space for research, teaching and discussion on Latin America and Latinx/Latina/Latino studies.
- Research and Innovation Office (RIO): Offers resources focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion in research and innovation.
- University Libraries: Provides a rich assortment of diverse reading materials and other resources, events and initiatives for students, faculty, staff, alumni and Colorado residents.
