Graduate Studies

Program Administration

Diversity and Inclusion

The College of Arts and Sciences has hosted several workshops that focus on topics related to diversity and inclusion. We would like to devote some space in the internal college website to host the recordings and slides from these presentations when they are available. If you have additional resources or suggestions to add, please contact Assistant Dean, Brian Orefice (orefice.1@osu.edu).

Creating a More Inclusive Environment for Underrepresented Groups through Allyship

Date: Monday, October 16, 2017

Presenters

  • Dr. Steve Spencer, Professor, Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University
  • Dr. India Johnson, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Elon University
  • Dr. Eva Pietri, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis

Lecture Video Recording


Description

Despite efforts to recruit and retain more women, underrepresented minorities, and first-generation students into academia, stark disparities remain. This persistent underrepresentation speaks to the importance of developing innovative and effective interventions to help create more welcoming surroundings in universities. During this workshop, research demonstrating why universities may be threatening for groups that traditionally have been underrepresented in higher education will be presented.

The workshop will outline how students from these groups may experience social identity threat in college, or the fear that they will be devalued due to their stigmatized identity, which can hinder their academic performance. To address this problematic concern, the presenters propose changing the environment to clearly indicate that underrepresented groups are valued and belong. Specifically, they suggest that having professors act as allies for these groups will help create a more welcoming college atmosphere. Next, they will present new research demonstrating the importance of allyship, and how allyship can be effectively conveyed. Finally, the presenters will outline their plans for a new training to help professors become better allies for women, underrepresented minorities, and first-generation students.

Mental Health and Wellness

We have become increasingly aware of the high incidence of mental health issues among our graduate student, postdoctoral scholars and faculty populations. We would like to devote some space in the internal college website to articles and resources that departments and programs can access when they have questions about this topic. If you have additional resources or suggestions to add, please contact Assistant Dean, Brian Orefice (orefice.1@osu.edu).

Professional Organizations and Resources

There are several professional organizations that provide resources, conferences, and networking opportunities for faculty and staff that support graduate students. Below are some of the key organizations with links to their home page, and when appropriate, links to specific initiatives that might be of particular salience. If you have additional resources or suggestions to add, please contact Assistant Dean, Brian Orefice (orefice.1@osu.edu).