Nearly 100 events mark USC Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Week

USC is marking Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Week with nearly 100 events across all areas of the university.

“As a university whose student body mirrors the diversity of the global community it serves,” USC Provost Michael Quick said, “we should be a model for how to foster an open and inclusive campus climate that ensures broad access and opportunity for all members of our academic community.” Those efforts, he said, are regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender identity, national origin, race, religious affiliation, sexual orientation or veteran status.

Running Jan. 14-18, USC Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Week events include panel discussions and workshops, presentations, film screenings, social events and more. Some are intended specifically for students, faculty or staff; others are designed for a mix of those groups; registration is required for all events and can be done online.

Broad range to topics at USC Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Week

Topics range from sexual harassment in the workplace and finding academic mentors to money issues for first generation students and students of color and the struggle for LGBTQI right around the world.

A “allyship” series focuses on building supportive relationships among different racial groups, undocumented immigrant students, transgender and gender nonconforming students, student military veterans and others.

On the Health Sciences Campus, programs at the Keck School of Medicine of USC cover topics ranging from racial and ethnic health disparities to the role of men in women’s health and navigating cultural biases in disaster settings.

Film screenings, many with panel discussions, include:

• Hailing Cesar, about the journey of Cesar Chavez’s grandson in understanding the legacy of his grandfather.

• And Then They Came for Us, about the forced incarceration of 120,000 Japanese-Americans during World War II.

• Half the Picture, about the groundbreaking work of female film directors and the systemic discrimination that has denied opportunities for women in Hollywood.

• I Learn America, the story of five immigrant teenagers striving to master English and adapt to families they haven’t seen in years.

USC Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Week events with faculty focus

Faculty-focused programs range from successful inclusion and teaching of students with autism spectrum disorder to practical ways to successfully highlight diversity and inclusion in course materials.

Among the most important challenges facing higher education is addressing historic, systemic inequities as we work to build more diverse and inclusive university communities.

Michael Quick

“Among the most important challenges facing higher education is addressing historic, systemic inequities as we work to build more diverse and inclusive university communities,” Quick wrote the USC faculty in a November memo on fostering our diverse community.

“Prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion are — and have been — among my main goals as provost, and I am proud that we are firmly committed to this.”

The complete list of USC Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Week events is available online.