O’Neill's plans for diversity, equity, and inclusion

O’Neill’s plans for diversity, equity, and inclusion

Posted on February 21, 2022 by Leslie Wells

Written by: Ellise Smith, Assistant Director of the O’Neill Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

As a Black woman, I recognize my identities show up before I have the opportunity to speak. Once I step foot into a classroom or log into a Zoom meeting, most can identify I am a fat, Black, woman.

Historically, society has marginalized all three of those identities. Through each of them, I experience life in a different way every time I enter a room. I cannot show up as just a woman, just Black, or just fat—a word I aim to reclaim. I live with these identities daily. I am treated differently depending upon who is in the room and their experience with someone who holds one or all my identities. That is why I have chosen to consistently show up doing DEI work as my authentic self.

That work began in high school when I often asked, “Why are you treating people ‘funny?’” At the time, that was my way of calling out all the -isms and phobias many found permissible. Moving into higher education did not shield me from sexist, racist, fatphobic, or other discriminatory discussions. I chose to take those experiences and engage in work that challenged systems that have discriminated against people based on society’s limited perceptions. I continued this questioning well into my work as a doctoral student and to this day as the assistant director of the O’Neill Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

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Do more for the Black community by expanding education and taking action

Posted on February 14, 2022 by Leslie Wells

Written by: Alyssa Hodges, O’Neill Criminal Justice major and student assistant for the O’Neill Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

On the surface, Black History Month sounds like a great opportunity to celebrate Black history and culture–but why are we limited to one month? Initially, Black History Month was designed to be a week-long celebration of Black culture in public schools but has since been extended to the month of February. Black culture is much too prominent, important, and ever-changing to still be restricted to the shortest month of the year.

It is important to teach the full history of African Americans and to celebrate it throughout the year. Most students in America are taught history through a white European lens from K-12. That was certainly the case for my initial education as a child.

Growing up as a biracial woman, I was surrounded predominantly by white people in an upper-middle-class suburban neighborhood. It was always hard to find where I fit in because I never seemed to be Black enough or white enough–I am quite literally placed right in the middle. I found myself straightening my hair for years trying to resemble more closely what I saw in my community, though it never felt right. Something was still missing. The more I began to learn and dive into Black culture, the more I felt like I was discovering a part of myself that had been neglected for the greater part of my life. Being Black is beautiful and something that deserves to be embraced and celebrated.

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Leaving quiet legacies of meaningful change

Posted on February 7, 2022 by Leslie Wells

Cullen Merritt gesturing while speaking to a class — O’Neill Associate Professor Cullen Merritt speaks to an Honors College class.

Written by: Cullen C. Merritt, Ph.D., O’Neill Associate Professor and Director of the O’Neill Honors Program

Black history is a part of American history. It’s a part of world history. It’s a point of pride, a point of excitement, and a point of reflection for all of us.

When I think of Black History Month, I think about honoring those who came before me who have beaten the odds and overcome obstacles to positively change society.

Growing up, Black History Month often focused more on Martin Luther King Jr. or Rosa Parks or George Washington Carver. We would discuss the incredible barriers they overcame, the vast number of people they affected, and the wide-reaching influence they had.

And while what they did is—without question—amazing and impactful, it is difficult to replicate.

As an adult, I have developed a great appreciation for the many people who were just as integral to social and racial justice progress but who may not have made the front page of the paper.

It is critical that we celebrate those people and their experiences during this month and beyond as well.

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O’Neill students receive career support from alumni

Posted on January 31, 2022 by Leslie Wells

January is National Mentoring Month. Students interested in being matched with a mentor can visit this link. To become a mentor for an O’Neill IUPUI student, alumni can visit this link.

When students enter higher education, they often find a vastly different world than what they left behind.

A new school. A new environment. A new focus.

All that newness can leave students feeling overwhelmed and unsure of themselves, their decisions, and their direction.

To offer more support to its students, the O’Neill School partners with Mentor Collective to provide mentoring from O’Neill alumni. When undergraduates enroll in the program, they’re matched with alums based on their interests, backgrounds, academic interests, and career goals. It’s a direct line into the powerful O’Neill alumni network.

Students and their mentors can talk in person, online, or by phone. Their conversations typically focus on:

How majors will impact professional options
How to balance the demands of school
How students can set themselves up for academic, social, and career success

Richard Gilyeat (BSPA’87) serves as a mentor to O’Neill students.

“This is just part of what we do at O’Neill,” he explains. “We’re family here and we help each other out.”

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O’Neill students dive deeper into diversity through DEI certificate course

Posted on January 18, 2022 by Leslie Wells

Woman sits at computer and attends meeting.

The O’Neill Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is bringing back its five-part DEI certificate course for the spring 2022 semester. Registration is now open for the course’s undergraduate sessions which begin on January 21 and a second session for graduate students set to begin on March 25.

The Diversity Seminar Series first launched in fall 2021. Each week, students dive into diversity-related discussions around cultural intelligence, seen and unseen disabilities, gender and sexual orientation, socioeconomics, and allyship.

close up of woman wearing yellow shirt, smiling at the camera — Ellise Smith, O’Neill Assistant Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

“We created this series to give students a better understanding of how diversity impacts everything from their mental and physical wellbeing to their future workplaces,” explains course facilitator Ellise Smith, O’Neill’s assistant DEI director. “Having resources to help expand their DEI learning can enhance students’ cultural intelligence and their professional development, better preparing them for their careers and the world around them.”

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