Learning Opportunities

In keeping with the University’s Statement of Diversity and Inclusivity, the BUILD Program is committed to creating and fostering diverse, inclusive, and equitable learning environments for students, both in and out of the classroom.

We sponsor workshops and other events specifically designed to support faculty and staff in deepening our knowledge and developing skills to meet these aspirational goals. These opportunities are designed to build connections across campus and support the learning and growth that enables each of us to become leaders in our shared work towards a more welcoming, inclusive, and equitable campus community.

For a list of current BUILD Programming available, click the “BUILD Calendar and Registration” button. Alternatively, continue down this page for other learning opportunities encouraged by BUILD. Many additional opportunities are available at any time, regardless of current BUILD scheduling.

For more information about any of these opportunities, please email the BUILD Program.

BUILD Calendar and Registration

Upcoming Remote Opportunities:

This list consists of other opportunities that count toward the BUILD Certificate program but are not hosted by the BUILD.

Racial Equity & Liberation Series facilitated by Move To End Violence – Description: This 6-week virtual learning series explores a variety of topics to assist in integrating liberation and equity into your personal leadership and organizational practices. (Counts for 2 BUILD Credits)

Recorded Webinars:

This list consists of online, asynchronous learning opportunities that count toward the BUILD Certificate program but are not hosted by the BUILD.

Please note, one of the primary goals of the BUILD Certificate is creating opportunities for employees to practice skills and have conversations about equity and inclusion. For this reason, asynchronous learning opportunities can only account for up to 3 BUILD credits.

Inclusive STEM Environments Inside and Outside the Classroom presented by the AAAS-IUSE Initiative – 3.30.2022 @ 2:00pm ET – Description: In this workshop hosted by the AAAS-IUSE Initiative, speakers share two different approaches to creating inclusive spaces inside and outside of STEM classrooms. First, Dr. Mark Griep shows us how to apply an ethnoscience approach to introductory STEM courses by describing his team’s partnership with two tribal colleges and their work indigenizing chemistry laboratories. Next, Dr. Annie M. Wofford discusses the role of student organizations for supporting women in engineering and how faculty can create spaces and policies to reflect asset-based environments women thrive in. (Counts for 1 BUILD Credit)

Is This the Last Black History Month? put on by the African American Policy Forum (AAPF) – 2.28.2022 – Webinar Description: AAPF is bringing together prominent thought leaders from MasterClass’ “Black History, Black Freedom, Black Love” for a powerful episode of Under the Blacklight. During this episode, AAPF Executive Director Kimberle Crenshaw will join Jelani Cobb, Cornel West, and Sherrilyn Ifill to examine the war against anti-racist ideas and the ways in which Black lives have been imperiled before by organized backlashes—from the Reconstruction period to the resistance to the Civil Rights Movement. (Counts for 1 BUILD Credit)

Mindfully Resolving Cross-Cultural Conflicts in the Classroom with presenter Lee Mun Wah – 9.7.2021 – Webinar description: So often, our educators, counselors, and administrators want to learn how to mindfully resolve cross-cultural conflicts, but are stuck in trying to answer some very familiar questions, “How do we create an atmosphere where every member is seen and valued? What if a cross cultural conflict escalates and polarizes everyone in the room? What if I’m part of the problem? If I don’t even know about my own culture, how can I help someone else discover and celebrate theirs?” What if it starts to get really emotional, what should I do? It’s time we move beyond the simplicity of thinking that diversity awareness can only be expressed through our foods, costumes and dances, to understanding that it is our spiritual, emotional and traditional differences that are the untold and uncharted territory begging to be honored, valued and integrated into our classrooms, counseling and administrative practices. (Counts for 1 BUILD credit)

Promoting Racial Equity in Student Mental Health: Considerations and Strategies for Returning to In-Person Instruction with panelists Carlota Ocampo, William D. Lopez, Stephen Quaye, and Cirleen DeBlaere – 8.19.2021, 3:00pm – 4:30pm ET. Webinar description: Co-Sponsored by the USC Race and Equity Center, The Steve Fund, and the National Center for Institutional Diversity, this webinar seeks to support and promote student welfare, emphasizing the impact of the past year on minoritized students and providing suggestions to navigate the classroom. (Counts for 1 BUILD credit)

Intersectionality, International Faculty and Inclusive Excellence with presenters Suzanna Rose, Jason Liu, Sanaz Farhangi, and Sharan Ramaswamy– 5.19.2021, 12:00pm – 1:00pm ET. Webinar description: This session will present some of the findings based on interviews and focus groups concerning the perceptions of international faculty and panel speakers encouraging the importance of inclusive excellence in academia. Globalization and the transnational flow of faculty from international backgrounds have significantly added to the diversity and complexity of academia. International faculty bring a diversity of ideas to academia, as well as cultural values concerning gender and race from their countries of origin that may not be aligned with U.S. goals to increase the number of women in STEM. (Counts for 1 BUILD credit)

Developing Anti-Oppressive Communities: Supporting Black Students and Mentees by Wanda Swan– 8.18.2020, 12:00pm – 2:00pm MDT. Webinar description: This webinar will provide attendees with opportunities to identify and reflect on their privileges and biases and how these impact their ability to effectively serve as teachers and scholars. The presenter will discuss strategies for identifying and combating anti-Black racism in classrooms and research groups, how to most effectively support Black students and colleagues, and how to proactively contribute to diverse and inclusive campus communities, whether those be classrooms, research teams, labs, or committees. Visit the NCFDD page to learn how to make a free account. (Counts for 1 BUILD credit)

Creating an Inclusive Classroom: Students with Disabilities by Sara Schley, PhD – 8.25.2020, 12pm – 2:00pm MDT. Webinar Description: Typically, when you have a student with a disability in your course, you receive a noticed about necessary accommodations for this student – and you allow for the accommodations to happen. Accommodations could be things like providing electronic copies of course handouts, extended time on tests and assessments, and/or materials and space during class for a notetaker or language interpreter. Complying with these mandated accommodations is a start – but often it is not enough to ensure inclusive interaction, engagement, and collaboration in your course sessions (online, in person, or blended throughout the semester). Visit the NCFDD page to learn how to make a free account. (Counts for 1 BUILD credit)

An Inclusive Virtual Environment Re-Invented: Teaching, Advising and Engaging Students – Recorded Webinar Description: This critical moment is providing the opportunity to reinvent ways of connecting with and engaging students. Yes, the unknown is both scary and exciting as we think about how to create an inclusive environment virtually as an academic advisor, classroom teacher, student organization advisor or in one of your many other roles. From intentions to identity consciousness to methodologies, this webinar will build on insights and lessons learned from our Possibility Conversations to keep students engaged and supported while building community with diversity, equity and inclusion as part of the process. (Counts for 1 BUILD credit)

Note: While most BUILD programming is free, this event is priced at $15. This will be an interactive session taking place on the Zoom platform. Participants will be asked to unmute and share out using the microphone, use video camera if available and feasible, and leave comments in the chat box.

White People Talking to White People About Racism: A National Virtual Forum, sponsored by the USC Race and Equity Center – Recorded Webinar Description: Moderated by Professor John Pascarella, USC Race and Equity Center Chief Academic Officer with panelists Kathy OBear, Ted Mitchell, Ali Michael, Greg Schulz, and Stephen Sachs. Originally offered with 3500 participants, this is a wide-ranging discussion focused on the work that white people can (and must) do to address racism and its impacts. The panelists represent a variety of experiences, personal journeys, and professional roles. Individually and collectively they share challenges they have faced in implementing antiracist practice, as well as how they commit to continuing to learn so they can show up to support the work of increasing equity and inclusion. (Counts for 1 BUILD credit)

Being Aware of Learning Opportunities and Constraints Posed by Online Teaching and Moving Towards Anti-Racist Practices – Recorded webinar description: This webinar by Dr. Sharla Berry and Dr. Sim Barhoum addresses the “taken-for-granted” practices and assumptions that shape the online learning environment and ways in which they can be detrimental to the success of minoritized students. Offers many useful strategies for engaging and including all students. (Counts for 1 BUILD credit)

Talking About Race – Recorded webinar description: In this plenary session at ACE 2019, two of the country’s leading voices and best-selling authors on race and racism—Beverly Daniel Tatum and Robin DiAngelo—discussed the role of race in the United States and on college campuses, how university leaders can engage their communities on race, and what it will take to close equity gaps. (Counts for 1 BUILD credit)

How to Express Care with a focus on Racial Equity – Recorded webinar description: This webinar is informed by common assumptions that racially minoritized students are deficient. Oftentimes instructor’s and administrators’ responses imply that “racial equity” means to provide interventions that “fix students”. This session will critically address how to provide authentic care to students with a focus on racial equity. Resources: The transcript for webinar 6 is available here and the suggested article reading is here: George Floyd video adds to trauma. (Counts for 1 BUILD credit)

Employing Equity-Minded & Culturally-Affirming Teaching Practices in Virtual Learning Communities – Recorded webinar description: The transition from face-to-face to online courses presents a substantial challenge for many faculty. In this webinar, Drs. Frank Harris III and J. Luke Wood discuss trends and issues that complicate the experiences of diverse learners in online courses, and they propose equity-minded teaching and learning strategies. (Counts for 1 BUILD credit)

Inclusive Online Teaching and Teachable Moments in Online Classrooms: Creating an Inclusive Classroom Community Online, Responding to Microaggressions Online, and Other Teachable Moments Online – Recorded webinar description: This webinar from the Columbia University School of Social Work offers tips for creating an inclusive classroom community online, including responding to microaggressions, creating community agreements, scaffolding, and navigating other teachable moments. (Counts for 1 BUILD credit)

White Immunity: Working Through the Pitfalls of Privilege – Recorded Webinar description: “How can poor white people be privileged?” How many times have you encountered that question in a discussion on white privilege? In this engaging and thought-provoking SpeakOut webinar, scholar and author Nolan Cabrera, PhD, offers a new way to address this question with the concept of “White Immunity” – the social inoculation that white people experience as a result of being white in a systemically-racist society. This framework helps work through some of the pitfalls of “privilege.” (Counts for 1 BUILD credit)