Ever thought “Why didn’t I say something?” after witnessing social bias—a stereotype, a prejudice or discrimination—that happened in your everyday life? Ever wondered "How can I help?" if a student or colleague talks with you about a difficult situation they've experienced? Deciding whether and how to respond to bias and how to be a resource for others is complicated. Understanding what motivates us to speak up, the challenges we face when doing so, and strategies for effective responding can help bystanders to bias better evaluate their options and select effective strategies.
On September 13–15, COLSA will host bias awareness and bystander intervention workshops for faculty, staff, postdoctoral scientists and graduate students. Depending on your schedule, please choose from one of six sessions in which trained professionals from PowerPlay and IncluxionWorks will simulate scenarios that occur on university campuses, including scenarios that may be specific to COLSA. Within the context of those scenarios, the workshops will engage our community by discussing bystander reactions and how these reactions can help or hinder decisions to speak up, providing key strategies for speaking up, facilitating conversation about how to apply these concepts to everyday incidents of bias and how to provide support to those who may share their experiences with you.
Each session has a maximum capacity, so please use the registration links to reserve a spot that works best with your schedule. Each session will have a slightly different focus group, but the content in all sessions will be applicable to every attendee. If you are unable to attend a session that directly represents your focus group, please register for any other session that you will be able to attend.
