THANK YOU to our partners in this event, Brenner’s Furniture, the Oregon Black Business Alliance, the University of Oregon Office of Institutional Equity, Philyaw’s Cookout & Catering, and Procontact.me.
OVERVIEW
Co-sponsored by the University of Oregon Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity and the Lundquist College of Business, this event will include a mix of workshops and open discussions based on “Rewriting Narratives” around diversity in the workplace. The day will include luncheon speaker, Merelle Rodrigo, and afternoon keynote, Rueben Mayes. Free and open to the campus community, business leaders, and community members. Space is limited, so RSVP by February 17th by clicking on the RSVP link above.
LUNCHEON CATERING
Some excellent BBQ will be provided for lunch by Philyaw’s Cookout & Catering! Philyaw’s is run by two UO Ducks, and we’re excited to have them back on campus in support of our event!
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
Anyone. Really, anyone. Our premise is that we all live and work in diverse communities and the symposium is our effort to bring those diverse constituents together to share our experiences and learn from each other. But here are some specific benefits for specific groups:
HR Professionals/Managers/Business Professionals will benefit by hearing from business and community leaders how they are working on issues of equity and excellence in their organizations and communities, AND by participating in facilitated discussions with those same professionals on audience-determined topics.
Students will benefit by networking with local business and community leaders, and hearing what they are looking for in potential employees with regard to the ability to work in diverse environments.
Faculty will benefit by engaging in conversations that can help bridge the gap between their own academic work and what is happening in organizations and communities, AND that can inform their teaching practices.
Community Leaders will benefit from the opportunity to hear how their efforts impact or could impact local communities AND explore ways to connect even better with other organizations and businesses in the community
Bottom line – we believe something unique and magical can happen by bringing all of your diverse perspectives together in one place, on one day, for an important conversation about equity and inclusive excellence. We’ve scripted some of it to get us started – the rest will be up to you.
THEME
We were inspired to choose “Rewriting Narratives” as the theme of the Lundquist College of Business’ first Diversity in the Workplace symposium by Claude Steele’s visit to UO Fall 2011 (sponsored by the UO Center on Diversity and Community). Steele’s research looks at the effects of stereotype threat on performance and the role our social identity plays in that effect. He talked of rewriting narratives as a way to counteract those effects – we have to understand how the way we identify in the world impacts the way we react to events and actively seek to change that story. Our goal with this symposium is to provide a forum for business leaders, students, faculty and community members to come together and share stories about rewriting narratives in organizations. Join us for a day of community, conversation, good food and fun.
