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Global Engagement Convenes Diversity Advisory Council

The Office of Global Engagement has formed an advisory council composed of staff members from across the division to examine ways to tackle diversity, equity and inclusion challenges in the realm of international education. The 10-member council convened last week and will get to work quickly on conducting a needs assessment and developing an action plan for all the units within Global Engagement.

“Our core mission is to provide global learning to all, including a commitment to diverse, equitable, and inclusive study abroad experiences as well as on-campus international programs and cross-cultural exchanges,” said Senior Vice Provost Bailian Li in his charge to the council. “We need to provide access to global engagement and learning opportunities in various forms to have a meaningful impact on both faculty excellence and student success.”

One of the first steps in moving forward is to conduct assessments on the division’s current programs and initiatives. Once a baseline is established, the council will help set goals for the division to accomplish within the next five years. Council members will leverage their various skills and expertise to craft an action plan to achieve those goals. As just one example, the division plans to update the evaluation rubric for its upcoming round of Internationalization Seed Grants to highlight more diverse and inclusive proposals.

In addition, the division is looking into ways its staff can participate in as well as contribute to training for the NC State campus community. To facilitate ongoing learning and practice internally, the council will examine a variety of opportunities for Global Engagement staff to participate in additional training. Council members also plan to identify ways the division can be a source of expertise for the campus regarding diversity, equity and inclusion in a global context.

“We engage with matters of diversity through a different set of lenses, but the goal and the focus are still the same,” explained Carl Thomas, HR manager and chief diversity officer for global engagement. “By incorporating global perspectives, our division aims to help NC State address complex racial equity issues and to move forward with bold solutions.”