Syracuse University continues to advance the commitments made to our students to provide a learning environment that is welcoming to all—in both vision and practice. Our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and access is rooted in the belief that multiple points of view, life experiences, ethnicities, faiths, cultures, abilities and belief systems are essential to academic excellence.
As part of these efforts, we are pleased to partner with Vector Solutions, providers of DiversityEdu online courses for building inclusiveness designed for higher education organizations. DiversityEdu courses will introduce our community of scholars to new strategies for engaging in ways that promote inclusion, as well as reinforce the knowledge and expertise you already have. DiversityEdu courses will expand rather than restrict your options for engaging with others and inform rather than direct your decisions. DiversityEdu courses cover essential competencies like language use, definitions and monitoring assumptions, as well as offer strategies for communication and responding to microaggressions.
Course Completion Expectations
Log in to the Vector Solutions learning management system to access these resources.
- Full-time and part-time faculty who taught in the Spring 2021 semester, who hold an active faculty appointment for Fall 2021, and who did not complete DiversityEdu: Personal Skills for a Diverse Campus before June 15, 2021 must complete the course by October 1, 2021.
- New full-time faculty, full-time faculty returning from a Spring 2021 leave of absence, new part-time instructors, and part-time instructors who are returning to teaching–that is, anyone who did not teach in the Spring 2021 semester but who is teaching in Fall 2021 must complete DiversityEdu: Personal Skills for a Diverse Campus by October 1, 2021. Alternately, completion of a 3-hour, synchronous, Zoom-based offering of Workshop One (September 23, 2021 or September 28, 2021) will fulfill this requirement.
- Faculty serving on search committees in the 2021-2022 academic year additionally are expected to complete the course, Skills for Academic Searches and Hiring, which extends the personal skills course into concrete skills for diverse and inclusive hiring practices. Search committee members who are otherwise not required to complete the Personal Skills course will complete a slightly more in-depth version of the Skills for Academic Searches and Hiring course.
- New full-time faculty must also complete two short courses regarding faculty responsibilities for disability access and an introduction to Universal Design for Learning. These custom courses are also available in the portal hosting the DiversityEdu courses described above. These courses are available as suggested training for everyone else.
Part-time instructors who are covered by the Adjuncts United contract must notify the designated administrator of their school or college once they have completed the course so they can be appropriately credited.
Access Your Course or Courses
Using the University’s Single Sign-On (SSO) interface, log in to the Vector Solutions learning management platform to begin your DiversityEdu course(s).
For DiversityEdu courses, answers you provide to learning checks along the way will not be captured by Vector Solutions or Syracuse University. Your answers are used only to ensure you are engaging with course material and allow you to proceed to the next section. Answers to open-ended questions are not recorded.
If you have questions regarding the courses or specific requirements, or if you do not find the courses you believe you must complete, contact facultyaffairs@syr.edu.
Additional Learning Opportunities
Your commitment to expanding your awareness and developing skills is also supported by these additional programs and resources:
- Asynchronous Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility workshops developed by the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE)
- Custom training and educational workshops offered by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI)
- In-depth review of equity and bias in the context of hiring and faculty reviews (available by contacting Faculty Affairs)
- Review the FAQ for faculty and staff from the Center for Disability Resources (CDR) for better ways to support students with disabilities/disabled students in their classes
- Synchronous and asynchronous training and other workshops offered through the Office of Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services (EOIRS), including the Sexual Harassment Prevention Annual Training
Check out the University’s event calendar for more offerings, including those sponsored or co-sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
Related Resources
Looking for information about specific policies or procedures that are common at Syracuse University?
- Visit the EOIRS page on reporting concerns or requesting accommodation. You can also report concerns anonymously through the Stop Bias portal.
- Review the various offices and services that enrich the experience of members of diverse groups and support equity, including annual events aimed at celebrating our diversity as a campus, and supporting our commitments to equity, inclusion and accessibility.