The What is EDI? session will focus on building a deeper understanding of what equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) means and how we relate to these concepts. During our time together, we will highlight and clarify definitions for EDI and reflect on and discuss our current understandings of EDI. We welcome any UMB staff member to join us as we engage key concepts - including UMB’s core values, definitions of EDI, and a head, heart, and hands framework - and learn how each of us and our work connect to fostering EDI.

The What has been my experience of EDI at UMB? session will focus on building a deeper understanding of our personal and collective experiences of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) at UMB. During our time together, we will explore what EDI means in our context at UMB and reflect on and discuss our experiences of EDI. We welcome any UMB staff member to join us as we engage key concepts - including UMB’s core values, UMB’s DEI strategic plan, and constructivist listening - and learn how each of us experience equity, diversity, and inclusion at UMB.

The Microaggressions: Understanding the Bigger Picture of Everyday Interactions session will focus on building a deeper understanding of microaggressions and their impact in our lives. During our time together, we will define key tenets of microaggressions; explore common forms of microaggressions; and reflect on and discuss experiences with microaggressions. We welcome any UMB employee to join us as we engage key concepts - including the 4 I’s of power and oppression and impact statements - and learn how we can better identify what they look like so we can interrupt them.

The Dialogue: Collaborating through Conversations session will focus on building a deeper understanding of dialogue and how it relates to other common ways of communicating. During our time together, we will define key tenets of dialogue; explore the differences between dialogue and debate; and reflect on and discuss approaches to engaging in dialogue to more effectively collaborate with others. We welcome any UMB employee to join us as we engage key concepts - including dialogue vs. debate and open-ended questioning - and learn what dialogue sounds like and how to practice it in our lives.

The Unconscious Bias: Getting Underneath our Assumptions session will focus on building a deeper understanding of unconscious bias and its impact in our lives. During our time together, we will define key tenets of unconscious bias; explore common forms of unconscious bias; and reflect on and discuss our experiences with unconscious bias. We welcome any UMB employee to join us as we engage key concepts - including affinity and confirmation bias, reflective and reflexive processing, and the ladder of inference - and learn how unconscious bias operates and how we can begin to interrupt it.

The How can I contribute to EDI and UMB? session will focus on building a deeper understanding of the ways in which we can contribute to fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) at UMB. During our time together, we will explore opportunities for increasing EDI and reflect on and discuss ways we can contribute to EDI at UMB. We welcome any UMB staff member to join us as we engage key concepts - including the 4 I’s of power and oppression, spheres of influence, and a peer consultancy protocol - and learn how each of us and our work connect to the DEI Strategic Plan at UMB.