Workshops and Sessions Are Open to All Members of the Campus Community

Institutional Diversity & Equity (IDE) presents:
Jessica Pettitt,
the "diversity educator" your family warned you about!
This is by no means your typical diversity speaker! Participants will be laughing, and she promises no counseling circles, guilty tears, or finger pointing. These will be HIGHLY interactive programs that will leave participants with actual action steps to make REAL change in their lives. Jessica takes 10+ years in Student Affairs, 5+ years of national consulting work, and 2+ years of stand-up comedy stage to stage as part of her mission to inspire change, dismantle oppression, and reclaim our responsibility to make change.
She is easy to work with, accessible, and presents concepts that can be hard to put into action and makes them simple. Jess gets participants uncomfortable enough to incorporate — not just talk about — social justice into their lives immediately. Nominated for three years by Campus Activities Magazine for Best Diversity Artist, and Hot Pick for 2011, Jessica’s programs are direct, customized, and highly interactive.

Workshops and sessions are open to all members of the campus community.

Tues., April 23
2-4pm DCAL, 102 Baker "Gender This"

This workshop is a very basic workshop introducing the concept of gender as a social construct and how gender expression changes through class, culture, and time. This workshop is very interactive and provides a safe place for all sorts of questions regarding identity, language, sex, sexuality, and gender perception.

5-6:30 Paganucci Lounge, '53 Commons "Social Justice: When Diversity Isn’t Enough"

What is the difference between Social Justice and Diversity? As a leader, change agent and person working and living with other people — this difference is imperative. Learn the difference, stretch from your comfort zone, sit in your privilege, power, and place of dominance within institutional and systematic forms of oppression in this highly interactive program.

Wed., April 24
Noon -1:30 IDE Conference Room, 324 Blunt Informal Discussion with Jessica regarding trends and how to respond to issues on campus.

3-4:30 101 Collis "Sticks and Stones: LGBT 101"

What better way to learn about sexual identities than to list out social norms, stereotypes, media images, rumors, jokes, and slang! This is a safe space for any and all kinds of interactive discussions regarding Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Heterosexual identities. By then comparing themes of these messages learned for these different groups, we can then have a much deeper conversation about class, race, educational access, citizenship, ability assumptions, etc. By understanding our language we can hold ourselves accountable to building an inclusive environment for all (regardless of sexual identity), this is also how we truly become an ally.

For more information contact Molly at IDE ext. 69196 or email