Opening the Dialogue 

The dialogues are part of UAlbany's inclusive excellence initiative, UACCESS (UAlbany Collaboratively Creating Excellence, Scholarship and Success).

ALBANY, N.Y. (March 8, 2018) – Identity awareness, race and antiracism in higher education, gender discrimination in academia and the immigrant experience are among the issues to be taken up at this semester's Dialogue in Action Speaker Series.

Victor Asal will open the series on Tuesday, March 20, in the Campus Center Assembly Hall with a talk on identity awareness and how it shapes students in the classroom and beyond. Asal, a professor of Public Administration and Political Science, will discuss how different identities are shaped and how treatment of groups mobilizes people. Material will be presented for use in the classroom to shed light on identity, power and mobilization and both overt and subtle discrimination.

The series, hosted by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, tackles diversity issues of the day. Registration is now open.

The DIA series assists faculty and staff with identifying and sharing strategies for achieving inclusion in the classroom and across the campus, said Chief Diversity Officer Tamra Minor.

"We focus on having a genuine dialogue with large and small groups that allows a welcoming and encouraging space to help design strategies and solutions for greater diversity and inclusion," Minor said.  

"The focus this year," said Assistant Director Patrick Jean-Pierre, "has been on those topics where faculty and staff have indicated to us they want additional support."

"Our job is to ensure that faculty and staff have what they need to be successful," he said. "If they have what they need, that translates to the students getting the kind and quality of education that prepares them for the future."      

The series continues through the semester. All sessions are from 12 to 2 p.m.     

• Antiracism Strategies in Higher Education, Attending to Process and Practice: Tuesday, March 27, Campus Center West multi-purpose room. Associate Professor Alex Pieterse of Counseling Psychology will discuss the pervasive nature of racism in higher education and will propose individual and institutional antiracism practices focused on disruption, reparation and prevention.
• Navigating Gender Dynamics in Academia: Thursday, March 29, Campus Center West multi-purpose room. The panel of faculty and administrators includes: Karyn Loscocco of Sociology; Martha Asselin of the Center for Leadership and Service; Jayanti Pande of Chemistry; Rabi Musah of Chemistry; Barbara Sutton of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies; Marlene Belfort of Biological Sciences; Ann-Marie Murray of the Provost’s Office; and Alejandra Bronfman of Latin American, Caribbean and U.S.-Latino Studies. Erin Bell of the School of Public Health will moderate.
• Is Race Real? Thursday, April 5, Campus Center West Boardroom. Richard Fogarty of History and Christian Sundiquist of Albany Law School. Examining diverse ideas about race and the different forms racism has taken in different cultures, both past and present.
• Social Justice as a Lifestyle: Thursday, April 19, Alumni House. Robert Miller of the School of Social Welfare will examine the relationship among social justice, critical thinking and social change. By the end of the session, participants will have beginning social change skills and be able to identify partners for social change. 
• The Immigrant Experience: Myths and Facts, Tuesday, April 24, Campus Center West Boardroom. Dean for International Studies and Vice Provost Harvey Charles will moderate. Director of the Center for Women in Government and Civil Society Dina Refki is the guest speaker. This presentation untangles reality from fiction and seeks to present a research-based portrait of the American immigrant experience.

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