Department of Inclusive Excellence Education and Support expands team, resources to support TU’s diverse communities

Office of Inclusion & Institutional Equity adds staff to broaden DEI education offerings

By GRACE HOGGARTH '22 on September 24, 2023

Man sitting at table
Brian Jara, director of inclusive excellence training and educational initiatives, is excited to expand the team to support students. (Alexander Wright | Towson University)

Every first-year Towson University student attends a discussion of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) during summer orientation, and every new hire receives DEI training within their first month.

However, for much of the TU community, this is only the jumping-off point. With the changing social climate, there is a desire to go beyond that initial discussion.

To meet this need, the Office of Inclusion & Institutional Equity (OIIE)’s Department of Inclusive Excellence Education and Support (IEES) is expanding its team to further enrich its education resources for the TU community. Previously known as the DEI Education team, the revised name comes as the department grows.

Patricia Bradley, vice president for inclusion & institutional equity, encourages the campus to continue having the acronym discussion but not get stuck there. “TU aspires to be more than three letters, DEI. Our inaugural Diversity Strategic Plan identified inclusive excellence as the framework for doing this work. It serves as the foundation for ongoing discussions on diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, accessibility, belonging and more.”

Moving forward requires every campus community member’s consistent involvement.

“Our main goal is to help more of the campus have frank discussions about what it means to make sure Towson University is a place where everyone feels like they belong and can thrive,” says Brian Jara, director of inclusive excellence training and educational initiatives. “We try to get people willing to be honest and take part in these discussions where we know everyone may not agree.”

IEES offers plenty of educational experiences that support diverse communities and inclusive work and learning environments.

The department offers a rich array of targeted resources, including but not limited to, allyship and advocacy training, anti-racism education, sessions on microaggressions and how to interrupt them, workshops on inclusive practices, the use of land acknowledgement and collaborates with other OIIE teams on the annual Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Summit.

IEES staff offers training and dialogues across campus to reinforce the community’s commitment to growth. “We are bringing more conversation and follow up to every department on a regular basis. It’s never been the ‘Complete the one training, check the box and you’re finished.’ None of us are ever finished doing the work," Jara said.

Working closely with Jara on the team is Adrian Battle-Marston, inclusive excellence educator, who frequently floats between his student-facing office in the University Union and his office in the Administration Building.

They regularly collaborate with other OIIE colleagues on educational sessions, including Vice President Bradley, Diversity and Inclusion Specialist LaVern Chapman and the equity and compliance team as well as staff from Accessibility & Disability Services (ADS) and the Center for Student Diversity (CSD).

The team is expanding this semester to two additional educators, one who will coordinate support and response for bias incidents.

Resources

  • Ally training provides resources, tools and strategies for supporting diverse communities. They are offered throughout the year and are open to all students, staff and faculty. The curriculum is expanding to offer foundational modules followed by population-specific modules including LGBTQIA+ communities, ableism, international students, undocumented students, first generation students, and more.
  • Direct questions and accommodation requests by calling 410-704-0203 or emailing
  • OIIE will continue to host, collaborate on and support a variety of opportunities for support, community, healing, reflection, education and action for the TU community. There are a number of anti-racism education and support resources available to members of the TU community needing support.
  • Students, faculty and staff will be able to indicate their chosen and preferred name even if they have not changed their legal name.
  • The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Summit is an opportunity to elevate racial consciousness and understand how race affects your students' lives and classroom practice. The summit is uniquely designed for campus and civic leaders, educators and administrators to deepen individual and organizational racial literacy.