DEI Discussion Resources

We encourage student employees and their supervisors to engage in regular conversation around the ways that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) manifest in their work and their workplaces.

Here are some monthly resources to read and discuss together:

November 2021: By Whose Standards: Boundaries, Self-Care and Redefining Commitment  (Brittany J. Harris)

Discussion Prompts:

  1. How does your team communicate about self-care? How does your team communicate about commitment?
  2. When have you found it difficult to create boundaries in your workplace?
  3. When have you found coworkers’ boundaries challenging to support?
  4. How can you support your coworkers when they struggle to balance self-care with workplace performance?

December 2021: The Changemaker’s Guide to Selling Out  (Lily Zheng)

Discussion Prompts:

  1. When have you needed to make a high-stakes compromise decision?
  2. Which of your identities or valued felt involved?
  3. Which of the three skills mentioned (compassion, accountability, and nuance) is most challenging for you in these situations?
  4. How can you support others in your workplace in navigating complex decisions?

January 2022: You’ve Been Called Out for a Microaggression. What Do You Do?  (Rebecca Knight)

Discussion Prompts:

  1. When have you been called out for a microaggression? How did your body and emotions react?
  2. How do you tend to issue apologies?
  3. What learning do you need to do on your own time to avoid future microaggressions?
  4. What else do you want your coworkers to do when they commit microaggressions?

February 2022: You Left Your Toxic Workplace. Why Does It Feel So Hard to Move On? (Anne Branigin)

Discussion Prompts:

  1. How do your previous workplace experiences impact how you show up in your current job?
  2. What do you want your current manager to know about your previous experiences? Or: what do you want your next manager to know about your current experiences?
  3. How does your workplace stress show up outside of your job?

March 2022: In the Loop | Why Internal Communications Matter (Yejin Lee)

Discussion Prompts:

  1. When have you been taken by surprise by institutional decisions?
  2. How is information shared in your team?
  3. Who do you usually hear updates from?
  4. How would you like to learn about institutional decisions?

April 2022: How to Be Friends With Someone Who Works for You (Sabina Nawaz)

Discussion Prompts:

  1. When have you struggled to manage your multiple relationships to someone?
  2. How do you establish boundaries with others?
  3. What might be most challenging for you if you were friends with someone who reported to you?

May 2022: Toxic Work Environments Shouldn’t Be a Rite of Passage (Rainesford Stauffer)

Discussion Prompts:

  1. When have you encountered the “pay your dues” narrative?
  2. Why might someone stay in a toxic work environment despite the conditions?
  3. How would you support a friend, family member, or coworker in a situation like those in the article?