Unity Star Newsletter spring 2016

Unity Star

Distribution: All Without OPS and F

Newsletter

Spring 2016

#RESPECTUCF

Photos by Maria Reardon Morrison

O

n October 7, 2015 the Office of Diversity and Inclusion successfully launched its first ever Rally for Respect.

Over 400 members of our UCF family gathered around the Reflection Pond to listen to President Hitt, SGA Diversity Initiatives

co-workers with the utmost level of respect, an open mind, and an open heart.

After Dr. Hitt’s welcome message, Dr. Walker Hopp shared her personal experiences, and the challenges she overcame that allowed her to reach her personal, academic, and professional goals. Dr. Walker Hopp has seen decades of change, and has a willingness to share her story to motivate and inspire our students. Ph.D. candidate, Swaran Nandini, shared her story of how she came to attend UCF, and the myriad of kindness she has been embraced with as an international student during her time here.

Specialist Jessica Momorie, graduate student Swaran Nandini, Dr. Carolyn MORE ON PAGE 4 Walker Hopp, and CDO Visit www.diversity.ucf.edu Karen Morrison discuss relevant points about @UCFODI what it means to regard our fellow classmates, professors, and

ODI Spotlight

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he following story was featured in KnightNews.com in December.

We are proud to share that the student featured, Milka Dersima, and the student writer, Barmel Lyons, are members of the LEGACY Leadership and Mentoring Program, sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

Both women have come a long way during their time in the program, and we are proud to share their accomplishments as they begin to plan for life outside of UCF.

UCF Student Goes From 1.8 GPA to CEO and Founder of Her Own Company By: Barmel Denisha Lyons

University of Central Florida student Milka Derisma, a 25-year-old human communications major, started at the bottom with a 1.8 GPA; now she’s here, in a position as a CEO in her own formulated company: Build Your Goals Shift.

As a transfer student, Derisma explains how the UCF Blackstone LaunchPad acted as the foundation of her academic success supplying her with the knowledge to formulate her own company BYG Shift.

Derisma transferred to UCF in fall 2014. She chose UCF because of the opportunities UCF offered, in particular, Photo courtesy of Milka Derisma (Center), Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, UCF. the Blackstone LaunchPad. The BlackIn 2009, Derisma attended Valencia she began to motivate herself,” said stone LaunchPad is a student-serving College, East Campus.

Natiria Vasquez a 25-year-old junior organization which provides mentor“I wasn’t as focused as I should at UCF who has known Derisma for 7 ing and support on the creation of inhave been… Academically it was great years. novative products and ideas. if I could even get C’s or D’s,” Derisma After a year of growth and develDerisma’s background significantsaid. opment at UCF, Derisma went to Blackly impacted her initial academic sucDerisma was not academically stone LaunchPad for advice on how to cess. “I am an advocate for the ghetto. It driven and was placed on academic create her own business. What startwas a struggle growing up on Sistrunk suspension, losing her financial aid. ed as a website developed into much Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, a place where With the lack of financial support from more. people were automatically perceived her family or school, Derisma contemDerisma created her own business as criminals, but in reality those same plated dropping out. entitled BYG Shift, a business which skills they are using to commit crimes Derisma transferred to Seminole helps transfer students acclimate to just aren’t being cultivated,” Derisma State, then to UCF with a 1.8 GPA. With new universities, giving students the said. this transition came the start of a new opportunity to build their own goals.

When it comes down to inner citbeginning. Derisma was determined Her own goal was to make students ies, Derisma explains that yes there is to get an education feel like they are in a major that is not crime, but there are for herself rather difficult but still challenging them to also talented peo- “She has incredible than the purpose reinforce their ability to become more ple who rise from initiative and passion for of proving others active in the university community. these rough situawrong. helping transfer students tions who get over“At first Milka The complete story can be found looked. With this succeed.” didn’t know what at: knightnews.com/2015/12/ucfin mind, Derisma she wanted to do student-goes-from-1-8-gpa-to-ceosaid UCF was her opportunity to do and-founder-of-her-own-company/ in life, but once she transferred to UCF, better than what was expected of her.

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Spring 2016 Workshop and Training Schedule TO REGISTER: • Faculty and Staff ONLY, register online via your My UCF account at My.UCF.edu.

• Students or OPS, please e-mail your name, phone number, and PID/employee I.D. number to diverse@ucf.edu.

• For the Safe Zone LGBTQ+ 101 workshops, use http://safezone.sdes.ucf.edu/training.

For detailed descriptions of the diversity workshops offered, visit www.diversity.ucf.edu. Other opportunities for diversity workshops may be scheduled by calling the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at (407) 823-6479, or by e-mailing diverse@ucf.edu. All workshops are FREE unless otherwise noted. Please note that LOCATIONS VARY.

ABCs OF DIVERSITY (DIV008)

Date & Time: Friday, January 29, 1:30 - 4:30 PM Location: Research Pavilion, Suite 169 Facilitated by: Barbara Thompson

DIVERSITY CERTIFICATE SERIES

(Attend all four modules to receive completion certificate): MODULE 1 (DIV212) Date & Time: Tuesday, January 26, 10:45 AM - 12:45 PM MODULE 2 (DIV213) Date & Time: Tuesday, February 2, 10:45 AM - 12:45 PM MODULE 3 (DIV214) Date & Time: Tuesday, February 9, 10:45 AM - 12:45 PM MODULE 4 (DIV215) Date & Time: Tuesday, February 16, 10:45 AM - 12:45 PM Location: UCF Valencia West, Bldg. 11, RM - TBD Facilitated by: Barbara Thompson

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IN A DIVERSE WORLD

(Attend all four modules to receive completion certificate): PART 1 (DIV245) Inclusive Communication Date & Time: Wednesday, February 24, 2:00 - 4:00 PM PART 2 (DIV246) Micromessages of Communication Date & Time: Wednesday, March 2, 2:00 - 4:00 PM PART 3 (DIV247) Communicating Across Cultures Date & Time: Wednesday, March 23, 2:00 - 4:00 PM PART 4 (DIV248) Gender Differences in Communication Date & Time: Wednesday, March 30, 2:00 - 4:00 PM Location: UCF Valencia Osceola, Bldg. 4, RM 304 Facilitated by: Barbara Thompson

EXAMINING THE REAL DISABILITY BARRIERS (DIV223) • Date & Time: Thursday, February 4, 9:00 AM - 12:00 Noon Location: Student Union, RM 224 • Date & Time: Tuesday, March 8, 1:00 - 4:00 PM Location: Student Union, RM 221 • Date & Time: Wednesday, April 6, 9:00 AM - 12:00 Noon Location: Student Union, RM 224 Facilitated by: Student Accessibility Services INCLUSIVE COMMUNICATION (DIV053) Date & Time: Friday, April 8, 1:30 - 4:30 PM Location: Research Pavilion, Suite 169 Facilitated by: Barbara Thompson

LATINO AMERICANS

(Attend all three modules to receive completion certificate):

PART 1 (DIV236)

Date & Time: Thursday, February 11, 1:30 - 4:30 PM

PART 2 (DIV237)

Date & Time: Thursday, February 18, 1:30 - 4:30 PM

PART 3 (DIV238)

Date & Time: Thursday, February 25, 1:30 - 4:30 PM Location: Research Pavilion, Suite 169 Facilitated by: Barbara Thompson

PEACE FILM SERIES - MISS REPRESENTATION (DIV151) Date & Time: Thursday, March 24, 3:00 - 5:00 PM Location: UCF Valencia West, Bldg. 11, RM - TBD Facilitated by: Barbara Thompson

PEACE FILM SERIES - UNBROKEN (DIV154) Date & Time: Friday, March 25, 1:30 - 4:30 PM Location: Research Pavilion, Suite 169 Facilitated by: Barbara Thompson

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR UCF’S CULTURAL COMPETENCIES (DIV150) ONLINE

Please visit isit: www.diversity.ucf.edu/online_ workshops.asp, and follow the instructions. You must complete all three sections with a score of 75% or higher to receive credit

SAFE ZONE LGBTQ+ 101 (DIV033)

Please visit http://safezone.sdes.ucf.edu/training to register for current dates and times.

SECULAR AND RELIGIOUS MINORITY AWARENESS (DIV224)

• Date & Time: Thursday, January 28, 2:30 - 4:30 PM Location: Research Pavilion, Suite 169

• Date & Time: Thursday, March 3, 6:00 - 8:00 PM Location: TBD

• Date & Time: Wednesday, April 6, 2:30 - 4:30 PM Location: Research Pavilion, Suite 169 Facilitated by: Tee Rogers

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12424 Research Parkway, Suite 169, Orlando, FL 32826 Ph: (407) 823-6479 F: (407) 823-6480 E: diverse@ucf.edu W: www.diversity.ucf.edu Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter: @UCFODI

Diversity Includes All of Us - - All the Time

What Does it Mean?

In case you missed it, we have been working on canvasing the campus with posters and rack cards, and there’s more to come. Back in October, the UCF Library display wall exhibited the stories and pictures of several members of our UCF family. Students, faculty, and staff members shared their stories and what respect means to them. We’re working on expanding what was started at the Rally for Respect in October, and continues to live online at RespectUCF.com. These stories are just a part of what makes us all unique, yet allow us to collaborate, interact, work, and study as a unit.

The following are a few quotes from individuals who shared their Respect Stories with us, and pretty soon you’ll be seeing them online, too!

“Respect is the most regarded value in India, the very first thing that is inculcat-

ed in us from the very young age. Hence, respect to me is being considerate and tolerant towards other person’s opinions, choices, and beliefs. I think that we can potentially get rid of hateful arguments and disharmony if only we could take efforts to be respectful to one another, instead of trying to bring them down just because they are different from us.”

Swaran Nandini,

Ph.D. Candidate “Respect to me is all about the Platinum Rule. Many people know the principle behind the Golden Rule which states we should treat others as we would like to be treated. The Platinum Rule takes this one step further, urging we should treat others as they would like to be treated. This takes the focus away from one’s own needs and puts the focus on the other person.

Shreya Trivedi,

University Ombuds Officer

#RESPECTUCF

“The respect I have for my teammates and coaches has aided my respect for my classmates and professor. I know how to work in a team environment and respect is key to success- in the classroom, on the tennis court, and in life.”

Sofia Baptista,

Civil Engineering Major

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In addition, the rally helped kick off the #RESPECTUCF Be Yourself, Together campaign and online movement. More than 2,100 students, faculty, and staff members have signed the pledge at www.respect.com sharing their commitment to: • Engage others with respectful language and in a spirit of appreciation for diverse experience and opinion; • Explore broad dimensions of diversity without negative assumptions and stereotypes as part of my personal and professional growth; and • Advance the UCF goal of becoming more inclusive and diverse by actively contributing to social justice causes.

Our sincerest thanks goes out to everyone who attended and made the rally successful, and who has signed the pledge.

Spring 2016 Workshop and Training Schedule TEAM BUILDING CHALLENGE (DIV244)

Date & Time: Thursday, January 7, 1:00 - 2:00 PM Location: Research Pavilion, Suite 169 Facilitated by: Doshie Walker 4

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UNDERSTANDING POWER AND PRIVILEGE (DIV016) Date & Time: Monday, March 21, 1:30 - 4:30 PM Location: Research Pavilion, Suite 169 Facilitated by: ODI Staff Member