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Equity Coaches Training Program

To enhance the capacity of departments, colleges, and campus committees to reduce bias and enhance equity in the academic work environment, the ADVANCE Program, in collaboration with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Office of Faculty Affairs, is launching an Equity Coaches program. Equity coaches are faculty and administrators who are well versed in the literature on bias in the academic work environment and the strategies for mitigating it, as well as in best practices for facilitating equity-based conversations. They will serve as facilitators of a range of ADVANCE-workshops related to equity in faculty evaluation and inclusive faculty hiring, among other content areas.

Coaches have a proven track of engagement on diversity, equity, and inclusion issues in their own unit and/or professional associations; openness to engaging with campus constituents; good communication skills; and the ability to problem-solve quickly. Coaches receive intensive training/coachingfrom ADVANCE/ODI related to bias awareness/reduction, evidence-based best practices, and group facilitation. After completing the training, each coach is asked to facilitate 3-4 workshops in pairs depending on availability, campus interest, and skill. 

We anticipate that Equity and Diversity Officers, former/current ADVANCE Professors, and others involved in campus DEI activities may be particularly well-suited for this role. In addition, we hope that faculty and administrators who serve as Equity Coaches may be well-suited for serving in campus leadership roles, including as Equity or Diversity officers, in the future.

Questions? Please email Dawn Culpepper, ADVANCE Associate Director, at dkculpep@umd.edu

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