Boise State’s Uniting for Inclusion and Leadership in Diversity (BUILD) campus forum initiative is a two-year project aiming to build capacity and commitment towards fostering a more diverse, equitable and inclusive university. The initiative offers programs to support participants to consider their own thinking and perspectives on diversity and inclusion and catalyze individual and collective movement toward Boise State’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Events for the second year of the project will begin in August with three forums, one for the Academic Leadership Council, one for staff and one for faculty members. The faculty and staff deadline to RSVP for the BUILD initiative forums is March 27 – links to apply can be found below. Selection decisions will be made by April 8.
Sharon J. Washington, a national expert in helping educational institutions build community capacity to address issues of diversity, equity and inclusion, will facilitate the forums. Below are dates and descriptions of all three forums.
- Aug. 13 BUILD campus forum for the Academic Leadership Council: This forum will focus on ways department chairs/heads, deans and associate deans can adopt inclusive leadership practices to support greater student engagement and retention, and support the recruitment and retention of a diverse faculty. This session will build on work done at last year’s forum event. Both returning and new attendees are encouraged to participate.
- Aug. 14 BUILD campus forum for staff: Participants will learn how adopting inclusive practices supports greater student engagement, retention and more. Full-time staff who have yet to attend a forum and who work directly with Boise State students to support their success are eligible to apply.
- Aug. 15 BUILD campus forum for faculty: Participants will learn how adopting inclusive teaching practices supports greater student engagement and academic achievement of all students. Full-time faculty and instructors who have yet to attend a forum are invited to apply.
More dialogue events, open to the campus community, will take place during the 2019-2020 academic year, with more details to come.
The two-year initiative expands on the BUILD certificate program launched in 2017. A grant from Howard Hughes Medical Institute and matching funds from the offices of the president and provost are supporting the BUILD forum initiative.