Announcing UWHR’s
diversity, equity and inclusion project
Virginia Frausto, Diversity Specialist
As Black Lives Matter and social justice protests surged over the spring and summer, UWHR experienced an increase in requests from across the University for diversity, equity and inclusion training and resources, and we intensified our efforts to support the UW in becoming an anti-racist institution. We launched a DEI site in July to connect leaders and staff with pertinent and timely information, and now the newly formed diversity, equity and inclusion project has embarked upon a year-long initiative to further this work within UWHR and across the University.
I form part of the project team along with Ebonee Anderson, whose role has been expanded from diversity recruiter to diversity consultant, and Kavir Ortega, a UW student and diversity intern. Project oversight and direction is being provided by Ujima Donalson, assistant vice president of Total Talent Management and inclusion strategist for UWHR. Our team will be operating within Professional & Organizational Development and will be receiving support with communications and administration from our POD colleagues.
We might have crossed paths in my recent role as the assistant to the assistant vice president of UWHR Labor Relations. I completed my Master’s in Public Administration at Seattle University earlier this year, so the stars truly aligned for me with the timing of this new initiative. I’ve always been passionate about DEI work and have carried that interest with me throughout my career. In my new role, I look forward to applying my experience from working with Centro de la Raza, Casa Latina, United Way and the UWHR Diversity Committee as well as my deep commitment to diversity, access and social justice.
In one early example of the products this team will produce, Ebonee and I have been developing an implicit bias training that meets the Washington state directive for those involved in the hiring process. This online training, which is set to launch before the end of the year, will serve as a resource for hiring managers University-wide and will also freely be available to all UW leaders and staff through UWHR’s DEI site.
We are currently immersed in researching successful DEI efforts at peer institutions and have begun work on a rubric that can be applied to policy review and development. In many ways, you can think of this initiative as an incubator space; we are here to fuel the growth and success of anti-racist policies and practices across the University. We plan to develop tools and resources, test and refine them within UWHR, and then share them out to hiring managers, administrators and leaders across the University.
Although this initiative is planned for one year, a primary focus will be creating a roadmap for the future. To create lasting change and equitable and inclusive workplaces here at the UW, we’ll be developing innovative strategies, identifying sustainable practices, improving existing policies, and building community within UWHR and with our stakeholders. We are also striving to lay a foundational groundwork by building additional DEI resources and training tools to support professional development and personal growth for all staff.
The momentum and leadership backing that we have for this work now is huge. The creation of this initiative and dedicated project staff ensure that we are investing funds, time and effort into making our commitment to anti-racism reality. The work around diversity, equity and inclusion is most successful when there is a collective priority and effort; thus, I am excited to start building partnerships across the University and with my colleagues here in UWHR.
This is important work, and I am glad to be a part of such an imperative movement and to help transform the employee experience across the University. Stay tuned — we will be reaching out as our work progresses over the coming months.
