EDI Faculty and Staff Professional Development Program

The Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Faculty/Staff Professional Development Program (EDI-PDP) engages Tulane faculty and staff in building capacity to contribute to and sustain EDI across Tulane campuses. The EDI-PDP is a new program of the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) launching in Fall of 2022. The program is delivered in partnership with the Human Resources Office of Institutional Equity (HR-OIE) and other EDI-related offices and programs across the university.

EDI-PDP Enrollment and Requirements for Completion

Enrollment in the courses listed for the EDI-PDP is open to all Tulane faculty and staff at this link. Successful completion of the EDI-PDP requires completion of four core courses and two elective courses (see Current EDI-PDP Offerings section below). There is no cost to enroll. Faculty and staff may take courses in pursuit of earning a professional development badge or may take individual courses based on needs and interests. Course offerings are announced each semester. Sessions are filled on a first come, first serve basis.

The EDI Office and President’s Office hold a ceremony celebrating our faculty and staff who have completed the EDI-PDP each fall, and we provide ongoing support, connection, and professional development opportunities to those who have completed the EDI-PDP.

Enroll Here

Current EDI-PDP Core Courses

Participants complete each of the below four core courses. We strongly encourage you to begin with EDI-PDP 101, but you can take courses in the sequence that works for your schedule.

EDI-PDP Core Courses

Tulane Beyond the Numbers: Practicing Awareness of EDI and Anti-Racism
(EDI-PDP 101)
This interactive course provides an introduction of key EDI definitions and concepts and provides a detailed look at who comprises the Tulane community demographically. Attendees also learn a brief history of EDI at Tulane and in New Orleans and the Gulf Region and have opportunities to self-reflect on implicit biases and historical/current higher education inequities. Opportunities for faculty and staff to engage in EDI action and change on campus are reviewed.

The Intersecting History of Tulane and New Orleans: Building Knowledge to Make EDI Change
(EDI-PDP 102)
At Tulane, our EDI and anti-racism initiatives are inextricably linked to similar efforts in New Orleans. Breaking out of the in the Tulane “Bubble” means knowing that Tulane is in the backyard of New Orleans, and not the other way around. Chronologically, the city of New Orleans has a long history (first called Bulbancha by Indigenous nations) and begs the question, what would Tulane be without New Orleans? However, another question worth discussion is what would New Orleans be without Tulane? This interactive course provides a foundational overview of the shared history of racism and other intersecting systems of oppression (e.g., sexism, heterosexism, ableism, classism and more) in New Orleans and at Tulane, as well as the inevitable reckoning between the two and possibility models for EDI and racial healing for both as our diverse communities move forward and demand change and culture transformation.

Anti-Racism 101: Developing Skills to Promote Racial Equity
(EDI-PDP 103)
Anti-racism is the practice of moving beyond saying we are “not racist” to actively finding ways to challenge systemic racism in our living, learning, and working environments at Tulane. This course explores the basic tenets of anti-racism, racial socialization, and internalized racism. Participants develop an understanding of how bias (implicit and explicit) influences our interactions with others and how these biases are connected to historical and current racial and other inequities in society and higher education. Participants learn everyday anti-racist practices they can use to create a university where BIPOC people feel a strong sense of belonging and empowerment.

Courageous Conversations: Taking Action as an EDI Ally and Advocate
(EDI-PDP 104)
“Allyship” and “advocacy” are often used interchangeably. While these two words may appear to share a common purpose, they have very distinctive meanings and are connected to different types of human engagement. However, one practice that is foundational to the success of both allyship and advocacy is courageous conversations. In this course participants will explore the meanings of these terms and how to demonstrate the skills associated with both allies and advocates; learn the basic tenets of restorative approaches; and explore practical applications for utilizing these approaches in their classroom, workplace, and campus community.

Current EDI-PDP Elective Courses

Participants select two of the following elective courses.

We Need More Than Flags & Parades: Supporting LGBTQ+ Staff, Students, and Faculty
(EDI-PDP 105)
In this course participants will learn key definitions and constructs relating to LGBTQ+ identities, communities, and liberation movements. The courses include information on the long and important history of LGBTQ+ identities and communities around the world. Participants have opportunities to self-reflect on their own socialization around gender and sexuality and build knowledge and skills in effective LGBTQ+ ally and advocate behaviors, including how to understand, navigate, and address the historical and current anti-LGBTQ+ that has, and continues to impact the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ people.

Disability Rights – Ensuring Accommodations and Understanding Disability Justice
(EDI-PDP 106)
In this course, participants acquire awareness and knowledge about the university compliance obligations under Section 504 and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for Tulane students, employees, and other Tulane community members living with cognitive, physical, and mental health disabilities. Participants also learn key definitions and constructs about disability and affirming language. Recognizing that people living with disability are not one dimensional, disability justice tenets are reviewed to learn how ableism intersects with other interlocking oppressions (e.g., racism, sexism, heterosexism, classism, and others).

A Call to Duty…A Passion to Serve – Supporting Veterans at Tulane
(EDI-PDP 107)
The purpose of this course is to provide participants with an awareness of the Tulane veteran community of students, staff, and faculty and to explore the challenges and opportunities facing this group on campus and in society. Participants develop knowledge and skills about how to support veterans at Tulane, as well as how to address myths and stereotypes about this community.

A Class of Their Own: The Intersection of Social Class and First Generation
(EDI-PDP 108)
The transition to college for first generation and low-income students, and their subsequent retention can be challenging. Cultural norms that define university life, especially at elite private universities like Tulane, can cause feelings of isolation, imposter-syndrome, as well as academic and social anxiety. The purpose of this course is to explore how social class backgrounds impact the college experience of first-generation students, and how this translates to their lives as first-generation professionals.

Global Green Wave: Intercultural Competency and Supporting the International Community at Tulane
(EDI-PDP 109)
This course will explore and develop intercultural competency and communication skills. It also allows participants to learn more about international students at the University and learn best practices to support international students on campus. Participants will learn effective intercultural communication skills and develop a toolkit of resources to best support international students and develop an intercultural perspective.

EDI and Anti-Racism in Motion
(EDI-PDP 110)
This in-person class combines movement, interactive group discussion, and hands-on activities to immerse us in embodied practices of EDI, anti-racism, and liberation practices. We learn, see, and feel the ancient art of dance for what it is at its deepest roots: a vehicle for building human connection through kinesthetic empathy and connection. We experience a repertoire of Afro-Caribbean and Latin dance moves to engage in joyful and rhythmic forms of EDI culture change and transformation. Throughout, the deep power of EDI in motion will bring us to feel and see each other as one. No prior dance skills required.

We Got This: Black Women and the Sexual Assault Awareness Movement
(EDI-PDP 111)
For over 100 hundred years, Black women have led the sexual assault awareness movement in the United States. While their contributions have been largely ignored, this course will highlight the long and painful struggle that Black women faced as they worked towards shifting cultural norms and framing the conversations around sexual violence and bodily autonomy. Participants will hear about the key figures who demanded respect for the Black female body; learn about the current barriers that Black female survivors navigate when reporting sexual violence; and gain skills to support and respond to the specific needs of Black female survivors.

Tulane’s Jewish Community
(EDI-PDP 112)
Tulane is known as one of the “destination” campuses for Jewish students. In this course, we will explore key concepts and terminology Tulane faculty and staff need to know in order to support our Tulane Jewish community, as well as relevant datapoints. Attendees learn about the Jewish resources that exist on campus, as well as the opportunities to support Jewish communities and counter escalating antisemitism in the world.

Tulane's Muslim Community
(EDI-PDP 113)
In this course, we will explore key concepts and terminology Tulane faculty and staff need to know in order to support our Tulane Muslim community, including important history and relevant datapoints. Attendees learn what Islamophobia is and how to interrupt it, as well as how to access resources on and off campus to support Muslim communities. Attention to Muslim history in New Orleans and at Tulane is provided.

Propose a Course
We welcome Tulane faculty and staff to propose teaching a course in the EDI-PDP. Please contact Dr. Danette Saylor (dsaylor1@tulane.edu) if you are interested in proposing a course.

EDI Core Competencies in the EDI-PDP

The EDI-PDP courses are designed to develop four EDI core competencies developed collaboratively by the Office of EDI and the Office of HR/OIE:

1. Practice Awareness
   Tulane faculty and staff engage in self-reflection through reflecting on their EDI attitudes and beliefs and identifying areas of EDI strength and needed growth; exercise curiosity by learning about the EDI experiences of others; and engage empathy by in listening to understand the perspectives of others and practicing cultural humility.
    
2. Build Knowledge
   Tulane faculty and staff seek new perspectives by engaging in EDI professional development and discussing EDI issues with supervisors and colleagues; and learn about EDI at Tulane through discovering resources and participating in EDI activities, programs, and events on campus.
    
3. Develop Skills
   Tulane faculty and staff initiate courageous conversations through learning how to use intergroup dialogue skills and restorative approaches with supervisors and colleagues about EDI; support colleagues by practicing the skills acquired through EDI training; and interrupt bias by being an active upstander and ally.
    
4. Take Action
   Tulane faculty and staff build community by welcoming new community members to Tulane and cultivating healthy professional relationships with colleagues across diverse cultural backgrounds; share Tulane EDI values by seeking and creating opportunities to promote EDI in all campus interactions; and be an ally by working with supervisors and colleagues to identify barriers and opportunities of EDI change and innovation.

Schedule of Courses (Dates and Times are Subject to Change)

Spring 2024

*Dates and times may be subject to change.