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Equity & Inclusion

Demonstrating an ability to practice and promote diversity, equity, anti-racism, and inclusion in one's engagement work.

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Applications are now being accepted for the Equity and Inclusion credential!

Key competencies

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Ability to engage in critical self-analysis
  1. Able to articulate one’s commitments to advancing diversity, equity, anti-racism, and inclusion and to identify the personal experiences, knowledge, and frameworks that guide and inform one’s commitments and actions;
  2. Knowledge of equity frameworks relevant to social change work in community and institutional contexts; 
  3. Able to reflect on one’s own experiences, through an intersectional lens and as they relate to power and privilege, and analyze how these experiences have (1) impacted one’s commitments to diversity, equity, anti-racism, and inclusion and (2) shaped the role(s) one plays as a CEP to advance such work; 
  4. Able to recognize one’s own explicit and implicit biases and how such biases may constrain or enable one’s efficacy to carry out equity and inclusion work 
Ability to engage in critical analysis of one’s institutional context
  1. Able to identify the stated goals of one’s institution and unit as they relate to diversity, equity, anti-racism, and inclusion, as well as the specific strategies being pursued to meet those goals (for example, related to student access and retention, programming, community partnerships, staff development and hiring, etc.)
  2. Able to analyze or map the institutional contexts in which one is working in order to identify successes, opportunities, and challenges/tensions to achieving stated diversity, equity, anti-racism, and inclusion goals 
Ability to integrate equity and inclusion strategies into one’s professional practice

Able to contextually apply one’s understandings and skills to advance equity-related goals and commitments through specific practices, activities, structures or policies pertinent to one’s role as a CEP role 

Ability to work across roles and programs/units to address equity and inclusion issues

Able to work across roles and programs/units to address equity and inclusion issues through collaboration, partnership, or support of efforts in areas beyond one’s direct responsibility, on or off campus

Critical commitments
  1. Engage in continuous professional learning and development around diversity, equity, anti-racism, and inclusion issues 
  2. Embrace equity-mindedness (Find a definition of equity-mindedness on the USC Center for Urban Education website at cue.usc.edu/about/equity/equity-mindedness)

Submission Requirements

  1. Current curriculum vitae/resumé 
  2. Brief description of the institutional context(s) in which you work and your role as it relates to community engagement programming and partnerships.
  3. Brief listing of professional learning opportunities in which you have recently participated that relate to equity and inclusion in community engagement work.
  4. Reflective self-analysis 
    1. Description of your personal experience and knowledge as it relates to diversity, equity, (anti-)racism, and inclusion, and how your experience and knowledge have shaped your commitments and actions as a community engagement professional (various formats for personal expression are permitted)
  5. Institutional Analysis 
    1. Description of your unit's stated commitments to diversity, equity, anti-racism, and inclusion; the strategies being pursued to advance DEI through community engagement programming; and the successes, opportunities, and challenges/tensions you see to achieving those goals (including the identification of equity gaps).
  6. Application of DEI knowledge, experience, and commitments in your practice as a CEP 
    1. Evidence of how you carry out commitments to diversity, equity, anti-racism, and inclusion in your role as a CEP with reference to specific practices, activities, programming, or policies to advance DEI-related goals [see "Upload of annotated artifacts" below]  
  7. Upload of annotated artifacts 
    1. Upload of annotated materials that you feel illustrate your experiences and contributions to supporting or advancing DEI work in your role as a CEP
  8. Self-Assessment of competency & action plan
    1. Brief description of what you feel are your greatest strengths, or competencies, in advancing DEI, as well as where you acknowledge the need for personal or professional growth. Creation of a brief personal action plan that outlines your trajectory of future professional learning related to diversity, equity, anti-racism, and inclusion.

Preparation guidebook

This preparation guidebook will help you imagine and design ways to work with colleagues to identify and analyze your commitments, practices, and future learning trajectories.

Where to begin

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