1. society
2. racism

Session 5 (1:10-2:05)
Tales from 3 White Kids:
How to Navigate Conversations About Identity (Port O’Call)
Colin Burns-Gilbert, Nick Thout, Ashleigh Williams
In working at an institution and within a department with many privileged
identities, losing sight of Inclusive Excellence can be a reality.
Conversations relating to privilege and oppression are imperative to gain
a deeper understanding of ourselves and students. This presentation will
demonstrate ways that three white people keep equity at the forefront of
our practice while working in a predominately white environment.
Understanding Generational Diversity (Valhalla A)
Barbara Larsen
The “Flip Flops” are coming! What’s all the buzz about “generational
gaps” in education or the workplace? Are you grappling with generational
gaps in recruiting, retaining, rewarding, managing, or training the generations? Or just plan “communicating better” with others of different generations? Barbara Larsen teaches “Understanding Generational Diversity” in
MGT308. She uses an engaging and participative approach to gain a clear
understanding of how organizations can gain a better understanding of
generational differences and how it is affecting our universities, workplace,
customers, and board room.
Parts of Me (Valhalla B)
Nic Johnson & Shaundel Spivey
If the LGBT+ community can’t accept me because I am a person of color
and People of Color won’t accept me because I’m gay, where do I go? This
presentation is an introduction to the topic of intersectional identities. The
presenters will focus on the intersection of race and sexual orientation.
Following the brief introduction, we will begin a panel discussion that will
include people of color in the LGBT+ community. During the panel individuals will share their personal experiences of navigating through White and
straight spaces.
Session 6 (2:15-3:10)
Careers for “Every Body”: Understanding Career Development
Constraints for Significantly Overweight Adults (Port O’Call)
Nic Johnson & Shaundel Spivey
Obesity is one of the most serious health problems in the United States
today. Along with physical health risks associated with obesity, there is
growing evidence that stigmatizing properties of obesity seriously threaten
the social and psychological wellness of people who are significantly
overweight. While some research illustrates the general constraints to
career development, there is little information to understand the constraints
for people who are significantly overweight. This presentation will provide
information on the constraints to career development for individuals who
are significantly overweight and also valuable information to understand
and address these issues to better assist your employees and colleagues.
Overviews of Various Cultural Views Surrounding Health,
Body Size and Image (Valhalla A)
Dr. Nicole Cassidy
Body image issues, disordered eating, fat shaming and stigmatization are
increasingly prevalent issues in our society that impact all individuals and
cultures. This discussion topic will contain an overview of various cultural
views surrounding health, body size, and fatness and will also present an
alternative framework oriented around size acceptance: Health at Every
Size. We will provide opportunities for dialogue regarding beliefs about size
and personal and social impact of fat stigma, and explore ways to create a
truly healthy campus at UW-L
Intersectionality and Mental Distress on the Other Side
of the Lectern (Valhalla B)
Dr. Richard Breaux
In recent years, a number of college professors have publically disclosed
about their personal struggles with episodic and chronic mental distress or
mental illness. While student service and student affairs literature increasing promotes awareness about students with developmental, learning,
psychological, and (to a lesser degree) psychiatric disorders, the literature on mental distress among academic administrators and professors
receives much less attention and has largely been limited to those who are
law professors (Elyn Saks, James Jones, Marjorie Silver, Brian S. Clark,
Kay Redfield Jamison), tenured (Monica A. Coleman, plus all above except
Clark), and white (all except Coleman). The response in many academic
communities has been to ignore this sensitive issue largely because 1) the
legal issues surrounding disclosure and 2) the stigma related to distresses
of the mind in a profession where the brain and the mind are the foundational tools for academics success and also source of one’s pain and
unusual behavior. This talk and the discussion that follows will address
how our intersecting racial, gender, religious, class identities complicate
disclosure and may foster a climate where stigma shuts down conservations about mental health and distress among faculty and administrators.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
UW-L Cartwright Center
8:50 a.m. - 3:10 p.m.
Diversity Dialogues is an annual spring event
sponsored by the offices of Diversity & Inclusion,
a subdivision of Student Affairs.
This event showcases some of the outstanding work
being done at UW-L in regards to diversity and inclusion,
featuring hourly presentations by faculty, staff and students.
For more information, visit www.uwlax.edu/diversity-inclusion
and click “Diversity Dialogues” from the “Keep Learning” sub-menu.
Session 1 (8:50-9:45)
Mabuhay ang Eskrima: Long Live Eskrima & The Influence
of the Filipino Blade & Stick Arts in Wisconsin (Port O’Call)
Dr. Ann Yehle
Bolos, balisongs, kris, kampilans, and daggars coupled with a princess
who is blind and a hermit whose residence requires a swim through shark
infested waters? The aforementioned comprised the rich cultural traditions
grounded in the Filipino art of eskrima and are practiced on a regular basis
here in the Philippines, California, and Wisconsin? In this session,
participants will become grounded in the concepts associated with eskrima
via a hands-on, visual journey. Participants will also explore how this rich
art made its way to Wisconsin.
Celebrating First Generation Students:
Do you know who your students are? (Valhalla A)
Chad Crawford, Caitlin Dahl, Mic Naumann and student panel
First generation college students often face more challenges than those of
their non-first generation peers, resulting in lower retention and graduation
rates. In order to help this under-represented group of students succeed,
it is important to understand their needs. Join us as we raise awareness
about first generation students at UW-La Crosse. Participants will learn
about the importance of identifying and supporting these students and hear
from a panel of students about how being a first generation student has
impacted their college experience.
Affirmative Action on Campus: Myths vs. Realities (Valhalla B)
Nizam Arain
Affirmative Action has played an important role in diversifying colleges and
universities over the last fifty years, but many mistaken notions still persist
about affirmative action in college admissions—myths like quotas, reduced
academic standards, and unqualified students being admitted just because
of their skin color. This presentation will dispel these myths and explain the
reality of how colleges today use affirmative action to bring about fairness
and quality education for all students
Session 2 (9:55-10:50)
Breaking the Bank: Challenging Perspectives
on Social Media (Port O’Call)
Stephanie Bohlman, Kaila Henry, Andrew Ives, Charles Martin-Stanley,
Sarah Piñon
Paulo Freire (1990) explains the concept of banking education as a
process in which information is given and unchallenged by an all knowing
authority. Utilizing social media, this session will offer attendees the
opportunity to challenge preconceived notions of media images and
become critical consumers of social media. By utilizing Freire’s (1990)
ideas of “problem-posing” education, we will enter into dialogue/discussion
and offer tools for reflection and critical analysis towards images on social
media. Our intent is to break the concept of passive social media
conception and to develop consciousness around many social justice
issues by understanding self in relationship to the world.
The Color Gradient (Valhalla A)
Dr. Patricia Markos and Dr. Quincey Daniels
Has it become trendy to acknowledge privilege? What does it mean to be
viewed as a “color?” What does it mean to “pass”? What is truly “black” in
America? We will discuss ways to organize and build bridges after listening
to a funny and poignant presentation on the color gradient. The presentation
will provide a facilitated conversation between the presenters and the
audience regarding understanding the challenges of race in today’s society
and how appearance plays an important part of the process. Outcomes:
Identify collective issues and their origins; Exhibit cultural sensitivity;
Employ strategies to battle stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination.
Recognizing Injustice: Impact and Intervention (Valhalla B)
Amanda Goodenough, Dr. Terry Lilley, Ingrid Peterson, Barbara Stewart
This workshop will help students recognize potentially negative or harmful
situations and opportunities to intervene, and help them build the practical
skills necessary to do so.
Session 3 (11:00-11:55)
Social Class Issues in Higher Education (Port O’Call)
Dr. Victoria Svoboda
Social class is not often addressed in diversity dialogues, in part because
people have such different perceptions about what it means. Social class is
about much more than just money, and is interwoven with other salient
college student identities such as race/ethnicity, gender, and first-generation status. In this presentation, I will share various theoretical
understandings of class to deepen the dialogue about how social class
of origin shapes collegiate experiences. Drawing from my research about
social mobility within higher education, I will ask participants to dialogue
about the implications of social class for teaching and learning at UW-L.
Office of International Education Student Panel (Valhalla B)
International Student Panel moderated by Miranda Panzer
Come join our panel discussion and learn about what is like to be in
the shoes of an international student at UW-La Crosse. We will explore
academics around the globe, stereotypes, and the student’s own personal
experiences.
White + Power = Privilege to Define Reality (Valhalla B)
Dr. Suthakaran Veerasamy
The recent events in Ferguson once again highlight the discrepancies that
exist between people of color and Whites in their perceptions of racism.
In a country where people of color and Whites still live segregated lives,
how does a person of color communicate her perception of racism without
feeling invalidated by a White person? As a means to get a better understanding of the realities of people of color, racism as a consequence of
power differential among racial groups will be explored through the use of
experiential techniques in this presentation.
Session 4 (12:05-1:00)
Understanding and Addressing the Needs of
Student Veterans - Faculty/Staff Session (Port O’Call)
Guest Speaker: Silouan Green, President/CEO of Everon LLC
This session, designed for faculty and staff, will explore tools for understanding and responding to PTSD including triggers, crisis response, effective dialogue, early intervention and help, and creating a culture of support.
Everon LLC publishes The Ladder UPP program and helps counselors,
organizations, and businesses integrate with their veteran and peer
support programs.
Mental Health 101: Let’s Talk (Valhalla A)
Dr. Gretchen Reinders
“Imagine getting blamed for having cancer. Mental illness is just as real.”
In this program, facilitated by UW-L Counseling and Testing Center
clinicians, UW-L students, faculty and staff will learn data specific to our
campus about the prevalence of mental health problems. Participants will
be stimulated to think of what contributes to and sustains these problems
as well as the stigma surrounding them. Common myths related to mental
illness will be de-bunked, and participants will be able to ask questions and
learn practical skills to help students in distress. Silence breeds stigma.
Let’s get talking!
Vocal Performance (Valhalla B)
Guest: Kyshona Armstrong
Kyshona Armstrong, a music therapist gone rogue, hails from the small
town of Irmo, SC (home of Vanna White and the Okra Strut). She grew up
listening to her grandfather’s singing in the gospel choir, aunts and uncles
singing old Sam Cooke tunes around the electric guitar amps, and her
father practicing the guitar solo from “Hello” by Lionel Richie on repeat.
Kyshona has mixed her love of storytelling with the sound of her musical
roots. Soulful, spiritual, at times guttural, Kyshona delivers an open honesty through her voice and lyrics. Her desire when she is performing is to
connect with and take the audience on an emotional, soul stirring, musical
journey. Her goal is to move a crowd.