Title: Diversity as an Organizational Practice
Description:
Diverse organizations bring together people with unique perspectives and a range of skills and qualities necessary to create dynamic teams. Industry and academic research repeatedly show that diverse teams yield greater creativity, productivity, problem-solving, and overall better performance and retention. However, diversity efforts require sustained commitment, leadership, innovation, and resource support. This session will articulate why organizations must prioritize diversity in their strategic planning. We will discuss the value that diversity brings to organizations, irrespective of the organizational type or size. The session will identify barriers to realizing diversity and provide attendees with strategies and opportunities to embed diversity-focused values and practices into the structure and operations of organizations.
About the Presenter:
Kaamilyah Abdullah-Span is a 20+ year higher-education veteran focusing much of her career on increasing access and facilitating fairness and justice. In her current role, she serves as the Director of Campus Culture and Climate within the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. In this role, she is responsible for assessing the campus' culture and implementing policies and practices that contribute towards creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive university environment. Kaamilyah conducts trainings, workshops, seminars, and guest lectures on various topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). She provides consultations to colleges and departments that seek to initiate or strengthen their DEI efforts, including but not limited to establishing DEI committees and statements, recruitment and retention initiatives, and developing inclusive spaces such as lactation, prayer, and meditation rooms. She also assists departments with the development and implementation of their climate assessment plans and serves as a consultant following the completion of the climate assessment.
Prior to this role, Kaamilyah served as Senior Associate Director in the Office for Access and Equity. In this role, she investigated complaints of discrimination and harassment, facilitated disability, pregnancy, and religious workplace accommodations for faculty and staff, and provided legislative, policy, and best practice guidance to the campus on issues related to discrimination and harassment, Title IX, working with employees with disabilities, and managing a diverse workforce.
Her areas of expertise are conflict resolution and federal civil rights laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972. She is also well-versed in the First Amendment and manages the campus' process for reporting and responding to bias-motivated incidents and hate crimes. Kaamilyah is a trained mediator and conducts training on conflict resolution techniques and communicating across differences.
Kaamilyah is passionate about mentoring minoritized students and young professionals and helping organizations create spaces that maximize their members' growth and development. She holds a bachelor's degree in sociology, a master's degree in educational policy students, and a juris doctor - all from the University of Illinois. She lives in Champaign with her husband and is a mom to 18-year-old Langston, a freshman at the University of Tampa.
Luncheon Start Time:
11:30 a.m.: Registration and Networking
11:45 a.m.: Lunch is served
12:00 p.m.: Meeting/Program begins in person and Zoom Call Starts
Registration Information:
This event will be hosted in person and via Zoom. The location is at the Lincoln Room, iHotel, 1900 South First Street, Champaign, IL 61820.
Each registrant will receive two reminder emails before the luncheon.
Registration for in-person members is $20.00 and includes lunch. Registration for Zoom is complimentary.
The registration deadline for the luncheon is March 18, 2024, and refunds can be issued up until the same date.
Cancelation and Refunds:
If payment is not received by March 18, 2024, or a cancellation hasn't been made, attendees are expected to honor the luncheon fee. If you need to cancel your registration, please contact Treasurer, Shari Fox.
Non-Members: If you are not a member of ECCC and wish to attend as a guest, please contact Outreach Chair, Susan Toalson to register.
