Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to hold Diversity Summit Feb 16
The SUNY Geneseo office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) will be hosting the Diversity Summit on Feb. 16. According to the DEI website, the summit will be held in several sessions that students may register to attend.
Junior communications major Rocio Ruiz will be working with a group to host two sessions at the upcoming diversity summit. She said that DEI stands for diversity, equity, and inclusion, but that for her, “it means having that open mind to people’s identities, personalities, experiences, and finding validation in our differences.”
“It really just means to be inclusive and ensuring that people feel appreciated for who they are,” said Ruiz.
According to the DEI website, the theme for this year’s summit is “Our Journey from Inclusion to Belonging.” The sessions range in focus, from racism and supporting women in finance, to ableism and disability awareness.
According to Robbie Routenberg, Chief Diversity Officer, “The Diversity Summit is designed to promote learning and engagement around key topics related to diversity, equity, and belonging.”
This year’s keynote speaker will be Keith Boykin, a New York Times best-seller, and former White House aide to President Bill Clinton. According to the DEI website, Boykin is a co-founder of the National Black Justice Coalition and was a co-host of the talk show “My Two Cents” on the BET Network.
SUNY Geneseo has conversations about racism and homophobia through the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, including many of the topics that will be discussed during the Diversity Summit.
“By attending sessions, participants will learn much more about key topics and gain insight into others' perspectives on these topics,” said routenberg. “We also hope that our community feels even more united as we come together to explore topics of such importance.”
“I think [The Diversity Summit] is just SUNY Geneseo wanting to ensure that they’re committing to their values,” said Ruiz. “I think it has a really big impact on the people who are participating. I don't think people are aware of how powerful it is to be an ally or advocate for important social issues and topics that there isn’t a lot of conversation for.”
Ruiz explained how she participated in last year’s summit.
“My group and I did mindfulness in language. It was about certain terminology we should use when we’re talking about disability and accessibility. There were around 100 people on our Zoom meeting, and it felt so awesome. I’ve never experienced anything like that. After the session ended, over the next few days we were receiving emails from people just saying how much they enjoyed and learned about in our session.”
The summit offers an opportunity for students to learn about social issues in fun and engaging ways. Many students are hosting their own sessions and taking an active role in the education and improvement of our community.
Ruiz said, “I don’t think people are that aware of how powerful it is to be an ally or an advocate for important social issues or important topics that there’s not a lot of space for. [The Diversity Summit] is a time for people to say ‘I’m passionate about this specific topic, and I want to educate others. I want to provide that space for people to learn about it and talk about it.’”
Ruiz also said that students learn leadership skills by participating in the Diversity Summit, especially when students are taking the initiative to learn or educate about topics that are important to them.
Students can get even more involved in diversity, equity and inclusion by taking classes associated with DEI topics, or joining cultural clubs, information for which can be found on the SUNY Geneseo DEI website.
Routenberg explained, “The best way to get involved with the Office of Diversity and Equity is through our dialogue programs. Sign up for an Intergroup Dialogue course or the Dialogue Facilitation Training course; or request a DICE workshop! We are always open to collaborations and eager to connect with more students.”
Ruiz and her group are running a panel about disability awareness and belonging during the summit. “I think it’s just important for people to take time out of their days, to educate themselves on topics that they don’t know about.”
Ruiz expressed that she has been routinely impressed by how genuinely interested Geneseo student have been in learning about different DEI topics, and how “that really says a lot about our Geneseo community.”
“I never experienced anything like that before, which is why I'm so excited for how it will be in person this time,” Ruiz said.
Students can register to attend any of the 18 sessions that will be hosted on Feb. 16 on the SUNY Geneseo DEI website. These sessions will be hosted in Bailey Hall, The Union, Doty Hall, or Zoom.
