 Diversity Education Institute
Thank you for your interest in the Diversity Education Institute! We look forward to helping staff and faculty create and foster inclusive communities free from oppression.
Overview of DEI
The Diversity Education Institute, based within the Division of Diversity and Community
Engagement, functions in collaboration with the School of Social Work.
Mission Statement
The Diversity Education Institute promotes learning that critically examines multiple
identities and perspectives in order to foster a climate of inclusive excellence at the
University of Texas at Austin and surrounding communities in Texas.
History of DEI
The Diversity Education Institute (originally named the Diversity Institute) was
established in 1995 as a division of the Center for Social Work Research as a
collaborative, multidisciplinary project of faculty, staff, students and community
members based in the School of Social Work at The University of Texas at Austin. The
institute served to advance better understanding and more effective working
relationships among the unique culture of society. The Diversity Institute assisted
various organizations to achieve cultural competence by providing professional
consultation and constructive services responsive to the needs of diverse groups. In
addition to training, the Diversity Institute engaged in policy review and assessment.
In the fall of 2007, the Diversity Institute was newly housed under the Division of
Diversity and Community Engagement and renamed the Diversity Education Institute
to emphasize it’s new focus on educating the community about diversity issues and
supporting educators working in this area.
Program Areas
Diversity Dialogue Retreats – These internal retreats are conducted for all Division of Diversity and Community Engagement (DDCE) units. These interactive dialogues represent a beginning for continued conversation around issues of diversity and community engagement. The purpose of these retreats is to provide a space for staff to reflect on the very issues the DEI hopes to bring to the larger campus community and to discuss these issues as they relate to the work of DDCE.
Diversity Dialogues 101 – This workshop series will consist of 6-8, 2-hour sessions focused on conversations about topics such as race and racism, advantage and disadvantage, gender and gender identity, etc. . Small groups (15 each) will engage in interactive discussions about these topics. The purpose of these dialogues is to provide a sustained learning venue around diversity issues for faculty and staff and to start to impact campus climate with regard to the extent to which people feel that “difficult dialogues” can be engaged in at the university.
Diversity Educator Series – This diversity educator series consists of three independent workshops within a semester. This interactive series is offered separately to advanced diversity educators (spring semester) and beginning diversity educators (fall semester). The purpose of this series is to support diversity educators in their commitment to diversity and social justice education.
External Programming – External programming is offered to non-campus entities that request diversity training/education for their constituents. This programming is individually catered to the needs of the requestor and priced accordingly. The purpose of this programming is to support the larger community in their efforts to make their agencies more inclusive and welcoming of a diverse workforce.
Roundtables – These roundtables are gatherings of faculty, students and staff focused on a diversity issue and occur once per semester. Film screenings, guest lecturers and/or panels are followed by small group discussions. The purpose of these roundtables is to provide an open forum for the campus-wide community to discuss diversity issues.
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