Institutional Equity Educational Workshops

Past Workshops

• Fall 2023

  Last Tuesdays: Equity-Based Concepts

  From Ally to Advocate to Accomplice: Understanding Positionality and Accountability
  Facilitated by Dr. Alina Wong, Vice President for Institutional Equity

  This interactive workshop challenges participants to explore their privileged and oppressed identities, in order to recognize our agency and accountability for action. Participants will learn foundational principles in equity and social justice, and develop understandings of how power, privilege, and oppression are enacted individually, organizationally, and structurally. The workshop concludes with action planning and application of discussed theories and frameworks.

  Redefining LGBTQIA2S+
  Facilitated by Mads Clark, Associate Director of the Lealtad-Suzuki Center for Social Justice

  In this workshop, we will break down the evolution of the acronym LGBTQIA2S+ and expand on what it means to redefine and reclaim language. Additional highlights can include a timeline of the people’s history of pivotal trans and queer historical events as well as unpacking the meaning behind pride flags.

  Understanding Social Class and Classism
  Facilitated by Minerva S. Muñoz, Dean for Institutional Equity

  In this workshop, participants will build awareness and understanding of the impact of social class on our own development and ways of knowing, and unpack class-based assumptions. Through group activities, the sharing of current research and personal narratives, participants will learn tools to recognize class and classism in everyday interactions and develop anti-classist environments and policies.

  Second Wednesdays: Practical Skills in Social Justice

  Situational Awareness
  Facilitated by Sam Taitel, Assistant Director, Lealtad-Suzuki Center for Social Justice

  Awareness of your environment, both internal and external, is a critical skill required to interact intentionally with others and the world. This workshop supports the study and enhancement of the wisdom we hold about ourselves and tactics to more usefully process stimuli. By making everyday practices explicit, it is possible to deepen our engagement.

  *This workshop is a prerequisite for a workshop on de-escalation which will be offered in the Spring of 2024

  Cultivating [Religious] Pluralism in Ourselves
  Facilitated by Rev. Kelly J. Stone, Associate Dean for Institutional Equity and College Chaplain

  Description: Pluralism is an ethic for living together in a diverse society: not mere tolerance or relativism, but the real encounter of commitments of the other. During this workshop, you will explore how adopting an ethic of pluralism can transform relationships and how we choose to honor, affirm and engage with each other.

   

• Spring 2024

  Dialogue and Facilitation Skills
  Facilitated by Hana Dinku, Director, Lealtad-Suzuki Center for Social Justice

  This workshop will help the Macalester community:

  • Articulate the significance of dialogue in developing critical thinking and consciousness.
  • Understand the role of the facilitator and practice facilitation skills.
  • Explore challenges and concerns that may come up in dialogue groups.

  Focus: building practical skills to advance social justice.

  Exploring Diverse Approaches to Sacred Time Across Religious Traditions
  Facilitated by Kelly Stone, Associate Dean for Institutional Equity and College Chaplain, Rahimjon Abdugafurov, Associate Director for Religious and Spiritual Life and Muslim Chaplain, Emma Kippley-Ogman, Associate Chaplain for Jewish Life, and Sorrel Virginia Hester, Assistant Chaplain for Christian Life, Center for Religious and Spiritual Life

  You may be acquainted with terms like Gregorian, Julian, Luni-Solar, and Lunar, which are intricately linked to the observance of sacred times and the identification of religious holidays. In this workshop, we will delve into the measurement and designation of sacred moments, encompassing aspects such as fasting, work restrictions, prayers, and celebrations. Attendees will work to recognize the distinctiveness of various religious traditions and engage in discussions about proactive, responsive, and considerate approaches to supporting faith practices as we honor our commitment to inclusivity as a community.

  Focus: learning equity-based concepts.

  Challenging Perceptions: The Social Model of Disability
  Facilitated by Shammah Bermudez, Director, Center for Disability Resources

  This interactive workshop will challenge traditional perspectives on disability by exploring the Social Model of Disability and our role in advancing disability justice. Participants will:

  • gain insights into the Social Model of Disability and how it contrasts with the Medical Model,
  • explore social identity and the variance of self-identification and language as they relate to disability,
  • learn about ableism, and
  • exploring strategies to dismantle ableism and advance equity and inclusion.

  Focus: learning equity-based concepts.

  De-escalation Skills*
  Facilitated by Sam Taitel, Assistant Director, Lealtad-Suzuki Center for Social Justice

  In this workshop we will clarify what de-escalation is and is not, in what circumstances it is appropriate, and ways to operate in an informed manner. The content and activities are focused on verbal tools with an overarching integration of the impact of physical presence. Practicing and possessing general understanding of de-escalation skills is crucial for how we orient and treat each other. Applications include direct action, community building, and movement organizing which are all integral for relational social justice work.

  Focus: building practical skills to advance social justice.
  *Prerequisite: must have attended the “Situational Awareness” workshop offered in Fall 2023

  Storytelling for Social Justice
  Facilitated by Mads Clark, Associate Director, Lealtad-Suzuki Center for Social Justice

  This workshop will analyze how storytelling across generations and communities have battled and supported the status quo of how we view identity, historical events, and more in different lenses. Additionally, this workshop will offer tools to understand how best to utilize storytelling and how to create intentional storytelling spaces.

  Focus: building practical skills to advance social justice

• Fall 2024

  Implicit Bias and Microaggressions 

  Facilitated by Hana Dinku, Director, and Mads Clark, Associate Director, Lealtad-Suzuki Center for Social Justice

  This interactive workshop is designed to help the Macalester community to:

  • • Understand the concepts of microaggressions and implicit and explicit bias.

  • • Explore how our bias can emerge as microaggressions in our workspace, our relationships, and interactions with others.

  • • Develop strategies and techniques to counter microaggressions.

   

  Deepening Self-awareness Through Critical Consciousness Building

  Facilitated by Rochelle Younan-Montgomery, founder of The Reset

  This introductory workshop lays the foundation for deepening self-awareness through critical consciousness. Participants will explore cultural norms, racial identity development, and learn mindfulness techniques for emotional regulation. Designed as a starting point for ongoing growth, this course provides essential tools and insights to support a journey of continued learning and transformation in leadership and life.

  Workshop Outcomes:

  • • Unpack Cultural Norms: Participants will critically examine and deconstruct cultural norms that influence their beliefs, behaviors, and interactions in the workplace and beyond.

  • • Explore Racial Identity Development: Participants will gain a deeper understanding of their own racial identity development, recognizing how it shapes their worldview and influences their actions.

  • • Use Mindfulness for Emotional Regulation: Participants will learn techniques for staying emotionally regulated using mindfulness practices, enhancing their ability to respond thoughtfully and inclusively in challenging situations.

   

  The Social Constructions of Difference

  Facilitated by Alina Wong, Vice President for Institutional Equity

  We often hear that “identities are socially constructed.” This workshop will explore the political structures, social contexts, and historical processes that inform both individual identities and group identifications. How do we develop a sense of self, and how do we understand who we are in relation to others? Moreover, how are our identities shaped by and in resistance to systems of power, privilege, and oppression? We will interrogate these questions through story-sharing and guided activities. Participants will:

  • • Understand how identities and differences are constructed within systems of power and socio-cultural contexts.

  • • Recognize how they create their own sense of self and express their social identities.

  • • Learn about social justice movements and strategies that resist and counter dominant constructs and majoritarian narratives.

  • • Learn how to interrogate socialization messages, recognize internalization, and unlearn dominant constructs

   

• Spring 2025

  Advancing Social Justice During Challenging Times

  Facilitated by Mayzong Lee, Equity Specialist; Isabel Nelson, Administrative Coordinator; Minerva Muñoz, Dean for Institutional Equity, Institutional Equity.

  Description: This interactive workshop invites us to explore how we can contribute to creating a more equitable and just world—despite the complex and often overwhelming challenges we face. We will explore the relationship between identity, privilege, and risk taking, review strategies for action, and action-plan on how we will engage in this ongoing work to create and sustain a more just society.

  Look Inward, Act Outward with Cultural Humility

  Facilitated by Javier Gutierrez, AVP of Student Affairs and Dean of Students

  Description:

  This workshop examines the concept of cultural humility, which goes beyond awareness to a lifelong commitment to self-reflection, learning, and understanding the experiences of others. Throughout our time together, we work to:

  • • Understand the concept and key components of practicing cultural humility.

  • • Reflect on individual experiences related to your identity and unconscious biases.

  • • Situate the relevance of cultural humility within the context of higher education and our role in advancing an inclusive and just society.

  • • Apply the practice of cultural humility in day-to-day work and life.

  Through personal information sharing, activities, and reflection, participants leave with a deeper understanding of how cultural humility enriches their work and deepens their interactions, enabling them to contribute to a more inclusive, equitable, and welcoming community.

   

• Fall 2025

  Strengthening Our Connection and Community with Storytelling 

  Facilitated by Minerva S. Muñoz, Dean for Institutional Equity

  Description: Building strong, connected communities is a key part of advancing the process of social justice. This workshop is designed to help us foster empathy, understanding, and connection across our diverse lived experiences. The goal is to strengthen our relationships, inching us closer to what Bettez (2011) calls a “Critical Community.” To support this, we will introduce and practice using a tool designed to spark meaningful dialogue: Story Stitch by Green Card Voices. Participants will leave feeling more connected to others in our Macalester community and with a clearer sense of their own goals for building, growing, or deepening critical communities.

   

  Queering Higher Ed.

  Facilitated by Mads Goodwin Clark, Associate Director, Lealtad-Suzuki Center for Social Justice

  Description: This workshop will offer a space to better understand how queer theory can impact higher education, policy, and our community. We will explore current “best” practices for student support, shine a light on 2SLGBTQIA+ theory, and discuss current events as they relate to queer and trans identities and your work at Macalester.

   

  Disability Justice For All

  Co-sponsored by the Center for Disability Resources and supported by Rebecca Dosch Brown, Found and Lead, henka consulting. Facilitated by Akeem Anderson, University of Minnesota PhD candidate in Law & American Studies, former MN LEND Fellow scholar-activist-organizer, and spoken word poet.

  Description: What does disability justice mean on the ground in 2025? In this workshop, you will get to engage with three local disability leaders who will  share their work while processing what it means to strive for justice for the disabled community in today’s social, economic, and political reality. Panelists include Mai Thor, Nikki Villavicencio, and Rebecca Dosch Brown.