Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Resources for Employees and Students
Striving to acknowledge and celebrate diversity at Creighton University.
Our community of educators, professionals, support staff and students are given the opportunity to engage in campus-wide efforts to understand how we can collectively dismantle systemic racism and the hierarchy of human value. Our commitment to inclusive excellence is inspired by our Jesuit, Catholic tradition. At Creighton, we believe that every human being is a profound gift of God, deserving of both dignity and opportunity.
The Bias Education and Support Team (BEST)
The Bias Education and Support Team (BEST) provides a wholistic approach to bias-related incidents, including restorative practices for members of the Creighton community.
When an incident of bias rises to the level of a violation of University policy, the Office of Title IX and Civil Rights Compliance, which oversees all reports of bias-related behavior and harassment, supervises the investigation while working with the BEST to provide support, education and restorative practices.
This system of bias response and education complements and reinforces Creighton's Jesuit, Catholic values, which recognize and uphold the importance of diversity, inclusion, cura peronalis (care of the whole person) and hospitality.
At Creighton, faculty, staff and students are called to be men and women for and with others in pursuing inclusive excellence and justice for individuals and the entire University community.
Erika Dakin Kirby, PhD, and Guy McHendry, PhD, communication studies faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences, have created a guide for educators on how to incorporate anti-racism concepts in the classroom. The project was supported by Creighton’s Kingfisher Institute for Liberal Arts and Professions.
Creighton Libraries IDEA Bookshelf
The Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Anti-Racism (IDEA) bookshelf, created by Creighton University Libraries, includes a number of lists of books and other curated resources for learning, understanding and developing a posture of cultural humility. This is a “living document,” with librarians continuously updating it with new material.
Creighton University at Highlander Resources
As a tenant in the Highlander Accelerator, located along 30th Street between Hamilton and Lake Streets in North Omaha, Creighton is committed to providing programs that focus of the health and well-being of individuals in the surrounding community. Here, staff has compiled a number of reading lists for adults and children, as well as information on how to address the COVID-19 pandemic through a lens of racial equity. Read a statement on anti-racism from the Creighton University at Highlander Team.
Kingfisher Institute — Race in America
Creighton’s Kingfisher Institute has compiled its own list of reading materials, which address race in the areas of higher education and medicine. This list also includes links to articles which tell the story of the 1919 lynching of Will Brown in Omaha.
Employee Resource Group – CANDLES
Creighton aims to support staff and faculty of multiple socio-cultural identities through an inclusive employee resource. The group is centered in building a stronger community and includes networking, educational and volunteer opportunities.
Want to be part of the network?
Tell us a little about yourself, and we’ll keep you in the know about upcoming opportunities to connect and news related to the employee resource group.
Mission
The mission of employee resource group is to create a community and foster connections among Creighton University staff and faculty. Its purpose is to:
- Celebrate and support the success of our diverse faculty and staff
- Provide opportunities to engage in ally-ship and anti-racist practices to all members of the Creighton community, and professional and engagement opportunities within campus and broader communities
- Serve as models of community support to students
- Aspire to provide means for accountability and possibilities for growth to the rest of the entirety of our campus community.
Vision Statement
The employee resource group exists to Connect, Support, Advocate, and Celebrate Creighton University employees of diverse backgrounds. The following are four strategic goals of Candles to be executed through programming and activities developed with tangible aims and measurable outcomes.
Connect: Establish an internal network for employees of diverse cultural backgrounds and their allies, aiming to reduce isolation, and create an inclusive space to celebrate and share experiences: New Member Programs, Maintaining Community Resources
Support: Provide programming to foster personal and professional development towards increasing representation at all levels of the University: Coaching/Mentorship Programs, Invited Speaker Events & Workshops
Advocate: Represent and advocate for employees of diverse cultural backgrounds at all levels of the University, including in support of the University’s efforts to attract and retain diverse talent: Work-Life Balance, Recruitment & Retention Strategies, Serving as Stewards of Anti-Racism Accountability
Celebrate: Highlight and recognize the work of our members, aimed at increasing visibility and promoting success: Employee Highlight/Awards
CANDLES
The employee resources group is referred to by its name CANDLES – Challenging and Navigating Dialogues Leveraging Equality Systematically.
Other groups to come out of the group may include:
Creighton Alumni, Black/African American Association, Hispanic/Latinx Faculty Association, Disabled Association, LGBTQ+, Military and Veterans, Dads Network, Moms Network, Religious Affiliations, Sustainable, Women, Women of Color, Women in Technology, and Faculty and Staff Associations.
- Sarah Walker, PhD
- Vice President, Division of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
- Binaya Joshi
- Applications Administrator, Division of Student Life
- Maya M. Khanna, PhD
- Professor, Psycholoical Science
- Sarika Griffin
- Associate Director, Violence Intervention and Prevention Center
- Lisa Chinn, PhD
- Digital Scholarship Librarian, Creighton University Libraries and IDEA Hub
- Joel Destino, PhD
- Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Kate Malott
- Communications Specialist, University Communications and Marketing
