by Karl W. Reid, Ed.D.
My heart aches for students and others who find themselves on either side of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As a university, we are committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive community where individuals of all identities, backgrounds, and experiences can thrive, have a strong sense of belonging, and achieve academic, professional, and research success. But, how can individuals thrive academically, professionally or in research while grappling with threats to their or their family’s wellbeing?
Following the escalating violence in the Middle East, I received a concerning email from a Northeastern student who was feeling unsafe as a Muslim student on campus. The email noted that other Muslim students were also “scared to be ourselves” at the university. It came a day after Jewish students expressed similar fears during a peaceful gathering of student groups on the Boston campus.
Northeastern is committed to advancing a community that challenges discrimination in all its forms. Anyone feeling that they have been subjected to harassment or discrimination may reach out to the Office of University Equity and Compliance (OUEC) which is responsible for investigating and resolving all complaints of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation at Northeastern.
For a year, I have written extensively about how Northeastern has chosen to prioritize belonging as the leading edge of our university-wide blueprint for global inclusive impact. In response, the university has worked hard over the past year (for example investing in cultural centers, and sponsoring new affinity groups) to increase belonging and inclusion for individuals of all backgrounds and identities, with a special focus on those experiencing “belonging uncertainty” like these students.
Eboo Patel, the founder of Interfaith America, an organization that works with campuses on interfaith issues (like Northeastern’s Center for Spirituality and Dialogue Service), recently stated in an NPR article that “students from all backgrounds and viewpoints are hurting, and the first priority of any college should be to respond to that human suffering.” Indeed, as our President, Provost, and Chancellor recently stated, Northeastern University is proactively reaching out to members of our community in keeping with our core values that “are rooted in knowledge over hate, harmony over division, and reason over brutality…”
The Center for Spirituality and Dialogue Service is an available resource to educate, to engage in dialogue, to reflect, and as a vehicle to provide support for those who are acutely trying to navigate this stark new reality. Led by Executive Director Alexander Kern, the Center’s open doors invite interfaith dialogue, one-on-one advising, programs, and a sacred space of respite. It allows people from all faith traditions to be themselves. The CSDS embodies belonging.
Helping others experience belonging is not the responsibility of one office or function, however. Enabling people to be seen, valued, and heard is everyone’s responsibility. We are One Northeastern.
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Global Learner Support (GLS) will hold the second Intercultural Empathy Symposium November 13-17. This is just one of the many original globally-focused programming offered of which all members of the Northeastern community may avail themselves. Jeremy Walter, Ed.D., GLS Director, has an educational background that includes a Doctorate of Education, an MA in Applied Linguistics and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), and a BA in English Studies.
Walter taught English overseas in South Korea, Vietnam, and Singapore. The one-year timeframe he had expected to spend teaching overseas turned into ten years. When returning to the United States, he found an opportunity to teach for the Global Pathways program on Northeastern’s Seattle campus, which led to his current role.
The mission of GLS is to “provide learners with high-quality language, cultural, and academic support while promoting the development of intercultural competence and global understanding.” GLS does so by providing support to all community members, including faculty, staff, and alumni, across the global university system.
Examples of this support come in the form of GLS workshops, such as Networking 101 for Global Learners (networking within the context of other cultures); Academic Culture in North America; and Writing Professional Emails. Courses offered include Working in Global Teams, Intercultural Competence in the Classroom and Beyond, and Introduction to Professional Communication.
Calypso spoke to Walter about the work of GLS and the upcoming Intercultural Empathy Symposium. The conversation has been edited for clarity.
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On Wednesday, October 18th, ODEI will host the Inclusive Impact Innovation (I3) Fund Showcase to celebrate the I3 Fund recipients and their projects. These projects exemplify the aims of the I3 Fund to generate innovative initiatives that foster belonging, equity, and inclusion and have the potential to be replicated across the global university system.
Each team will present an overview of their project and their progress on their initiatives. The hybrid event will occur from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (ET) in the Cabral Center of the John D. O’Bryant African American Institute on the Boston Campus. Please register here to join us as we recognize these innovative collaborations.
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The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) in collaboration with the John D. O’Bryant African American Institute (JDOAAI), the Latinx Student Cultural Center (LSCC) and the Asian American Center (AAC) invites Northeastern faculty and staff to meet Dr. Donathan L. Brown.
Dr. Donathan L. Brown is the Vice Provost for Faculty Diversity at Northeastern University. In this role, Dr. Brown works collaboratively with the Office of Academic Affairs and academic deans to lead, envision, and implement proactive diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in support of Northeastern University’s strategic diversity action plans.
Schedule
- Tuesday, November 21 at the John D. O'Bryant African American Institute, 40 Leon St., 2nd floor — 2pm to 3pm ET
Please RSVP to diversity@northeastern.edu.
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Join our affinity group! We'll meet once a month this semester (Thursday, October 12th at 6:00 pm, and Thursday, November 9th at 6:00 pm, in Curry 174) to chat, listen to music, eat good food, and most importantly: connect with other NU students who hold our identities. To join our email list, please click here. With questions or concerns, email bravo.m@northeastern.edu.
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Navigating Micro-Aggressions in the Workplace
October 17, November 21, December 19
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. EST
📍 Virtual
Learn about unconscious bias, recognizing micro-aggressions and developing strategies to manage these interactions in the workplace.
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Holding Space to Heal: Black Queer and Trans Care Practices For a New World
October 25
4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. EST
📍 Renaissance Park 909
Dr. AK Wright will deliver a lecture tackling part of their research investigating how Black queer and trans healing justice facilitators in Minneapolis "held space" to care for Black people, to address generational traumas, and to strategize pathways to radical social change.
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LGBTQ+ Job Fair
Monday, October 30
3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. EST
📍 Curry Student Center, Boston campus
Do you want to join an LGBTQ-inclusive workplace? Join the Massachusetts LGBT Chamber of Commerce for our LGBTQ+ Job Fair at Northeastern!
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National Student Leadership Diversity Convention
November 3-4
📍 360 Huntington Ave, Boston
Register today for the National Student Leadership Diversity Convention, the largest national gathering of student leaders and campus based advisors. Through experiential workshops, keynote sessions, and round table discussions teams of students will explore various elements of diversity and how they affect themselves and their campuses.
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Dismantling Imposter Syndrome
November 7, December 5
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. EST
📍 Virtual
A workshop designed to assist learners identify and dismantle Imposter Syndrome, so that they can focus on reaching their full potential.
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Have a diversity, equity, and inclusion-related event that you would like ODEI to highlight? Submit an event by emailing diversity@northeastern.edu.
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Northeastern's Global University System
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