UA News

Nationally-recognized UA experts will discuss the role of inclusivity in higher education.

The University of Arizona Diversity Resource Office is offering a distinguished lecture series that brings together nationally recognized UA experts in psychology, communication and higher education to discuss the impact of stereotypes and how it affects academic and non-academic performance.

A panel presentation and discussion titled, "Creating Identity-Safe Learning Environments: The Impact of Cultural Models and Stereotypes on Academic Performance" will be led by UA researchers Jeffrey Milem, Stephanie Fryberg, Dana Mastro and Toni Schmader.

The presentation is free and open to the public and will take place on Sept. 25, at 3 p.m. in the Student Union Memorial Center's Tucson Room.

"Diversity is the greatest strength and challenge to democracy. Higher education must work to prepare leaders in a society that is increasingly heterogeneous," said Milem, a professor with the UA's Center for Study of Higher Education who has dedicated his professional career to the study of diversity in higher education.

"Change is possible by moving away from a discourse that revolves around numbers toward a discourse of transformation that includes a plan that disrupts the business as usual to create an environment wherein diversity is addressed in a meaningful way to benefit individuals, learning institutions, the economic and private sectors and society in general," Milem said. He will serve as the panel's moderator.

Fryberg, an assistant professor of psychology, will present on the University's definition of educational success and how cultural models influence educational attainment.

Mastro, an associate professor of communication, presents on the role the media plays in portraying social groups in stereotypical ways and its effects on how people behave and think.

Schmader, an associate professor of psychology, will present on how negative social group stereotypes affect performance.    

The UAdiscusses...Distinguished Speaker Series is part of an effort by the Diversity Resource Office and the Center for Research on Equity and Opportunity e to engage the UA campus in research-based strategies for inclusiveness. Together they have formed a committee to develop themes for the series and develop events that focus on inclusiveness.

"What is amazing is that we didn't have to go far to find national experts for the topic of inclusion, culture and stereotypes – they were right here on campus," said Raji Rhys, director of the UA Diversity Resource Office.

Rhys said the group specifically looked for speakers that could present concrete strategies that administrators, staff, students and faculty can take back and apply to their classrooms or work environment.  

"We can not achieve our goal of excellence in teaching, research and service or our vision of being one of America’s top ten public institutions without being inclusive. To be excellent, you must be inclusive," said Rhys.

As part of the plan for addressing and implementing inclusiveness at the UA, the Diversity Resource Office has developed the Inclusive Excellence Catalog, or IEC. The IEC will serve as a resource that will help the UA community to implement best practices, inform people about the transformative work that is underway on campus and provide a listing of the UA's fall diversity events.