What type of activities or events are suitable?
We would like to encourage people to move from activities that are "show and tell", to those that have some substantive and potentially longer-term impact. And, we would very much encourage academic staff to engage their students; after all developing understanding of equity and diversity among our students is directly related to the University's graduate outcomes.
A Diversity Week activity may be a lecture for students that challenges their thinking about stereotypes or which introduces an equity/diversity element into a subject that might not normally be considered. It might utilise curriculum material from outside the usual mainstream of discipline authorities, such as looking at Indigenous knowledge in the area. It may mean discussing the personal background of a leader in the field to foreground their non-mainstream status.
Ask students what they think might be possible? Discuss with colleagues where diverse perspectives might be incorporated.
A suitable low-key activity could be ascertaining the workplace climate of an area, undertaking a workplace equity audit and deciding on strategies to improve this. It might involve an awareness raising exercise or staff development, holding a staff meeting with a focus on equity and diversity issues, making the front counter more welcoming to visitors from diverse backgrounds. It might be setting up a training session for all staff in the area, or inviting a guest speaker to talk about a topic of interest, such as workplace bullying, or work-life balance.
It really is up to you to choose an activity that is relevant and interesting and which relates to the objectives of Diversity Week.
