Due to demand, Inclusive Excellence and Diversity Education (IEDE) is pleased to announce summer dates for the newly expanded three-part Unconscious Bias Initiative. This initiative is open to all University of Kentucky faculty and staff.

Building on IEDE’s core pillars of language, history and practice, this three-part training provides attendees with a shared language for understanding unconscious bias, as well as an elaborated context around and deeper awareness of the systemic and interconnected roots of bias. Through a tiered, practice-based learning approach, participants will find an accountable and supportive environment to more deeply engage with topics of bias and discrimination. 

Sessions must be taken sequentially but attendance can be spread out over the course of a month (or a semester/academic year): 

Unconscious Bias Part I: Developing a Language for Unlearning. This session introduces language as a tool for identifying and responding to acts of bias. 

• Tuesday, July 27 – 9-10 a.m.

• Tuesday, July 27 – noon-1 p.m.

• Tuesday, Aug. 10 – noon-1 p.m.

• Tuesday, Aug. 27 – noon-1 p.m.

Unconscious Bias Part II: Using Language to Investigate Structural Bias. This session builds on the examples explored in Part I in order to connect types of coded language to the roots of structural bias.

• Wednesday, July 28 – 9-10:30 a.m.

• Wednesday, July 28 – noon-1:30 p.m.

• Wednesday, Aug. 11 – noon-1:30 p.m.

• Wednesday, Aug. 28 – noon-1:30 p.m.

Unconscious Bias Part III: Doing Allyship: The Work of Unconscious Bias. The final part of the series guides participants on how to practice responding to or intervening with acts of bias that they witness. 

• Thursday, July 29 – 9-10:30 a.m.

• Thursday, July 29 – noon-1:30 p.m.

• Thursday, Aug. 12 – noon-1:30 p.m.

• Thursday, Aug. 29 – noon-1:30 p.m.

Offerings are currently scheduled through August 2021 and can be accessed through myUK Learning. IEDE will announce September–December dates closer to the start of the fall semester. Sessions are held over Zoom and are capped at 50 participants. For more information, including how to register, please visit the IEDE FAQ page. 

To stay connected with IEDE, sign up for its newsletter or follow @ukyiede on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.