The PSU Culturally Responsive Workshop Series

The President’s Diversity Action Council and Global Diversity & Inclusion invite the campus community to register for the 2022 Culturally Responsive Workshop Series. This year's series features two workshops that address culturally responsive strategies and trauma-informed support practices in higher education.

Representation Matters: Culturally Responsive Curriculum, Recruitment and Retention Strategies for Practitioners

Dr. Mara Lopez
May 26, 2022  |  10:00am - 11:00am

A multitude of barriers exists which prevent minoritized students from obtaining equal access to academic opportunities, impact their sense of belonging and affect their retention in their academic programs. The goal of this talk is to demonstrate an effective way of overcoming these barriers within the classroom and undergraduate research experiences. To mitigate these obstacles, a Culturally Responsive Recruitment, and Retention (CRRR) framework and a Culturally Responsive Curriculum Interrogation Framework developed by Dr. Mara Lopez from the Center for Broadening Participation in STEM at Arizona State University, will be shared. This framework will attend to the specific and cultural needs of minoritized students to create an inclusive and equitable academic experience.

Tools For Providing Trauma Informed Support

Stefani Coverson
June 21, 2022  |  2:30pm - 4:00pm

Two-plus years into the Covid-19 pandemic, incidents of domestic terrorism, international conflicts and the continued fight for social justice, we are living through on-going, continuous trauma. As a result, depression, anxiety, and fears of the unknown continue to rise. This is particularly true for BIPOC folx as well as folx from other historically marginalized groups. What is happening nationally and in our local communities is also impacting us in our work and studies.

In this session, Stefani Coverson, Founder and Principal of Jamii Pae Consulting, will discuss actionable inclusive strategies to create a trauma informed approach in our daily work and in supporting diverse groups. We will discuss strategies to increase psychological safety by:

1. Understanding how trauma affects the brain
2. Increasing communication to combat pandemic brain
3. Mitigating uncertainty by building consistency 
4. Balancing needs as we all continue to navigate the impacts of this continuing pandemic

This learning session supports Portland State University’s Equity & Racial Justice Plan which specifically calls for the institution to offer training resources that “recognize individuals have backgrounds and histories of trauma, acknowledge how trauma impacts an individual's life (e.g. racism, discrimination, micro-aggressions, systemic oppression), and understands the potential paths for recovery”. And, utilizing a trauma-informed support framework as presented in this session will further the university's efforts to "promote organizational culture change and prevent triggering and re-traumatizing individuals.”