Workshops

For Staff and Faculty

Below is a sampling of the workshops we can offer to you and/or your colleagues. We prefer the opportunity to speak with you and to cater an appropriate workshop for your specific needs. To request a workshop or to schedule a meeting to discuss your needs, please email bic@rochester.edu.


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For Students

Below is a sampling of the workshops we offer for you that count towards the Medallion Leadership Program. To request a workshop, please fill out this request form and one of our Program Assistants will reach out with next steps. 

Please feel free to also use this QR Code to submit a workshop request:

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Ally Bootcamp - 60 minutes

Learn to walk to back-up your ally talk.Do you consider yourself an ally to the LGBTQ community or would you like to be an ally, but just aren't sure how? Either way, this workshop is for you! You'll learn to identify some of the microaggressions and structural systems that lead to oppression of LGBTQ folks. Then you start to hone your skills in being an active bystander and true ally.

Becoming an All Star Facilitator - 60 minutes

In many types of group situations, and particularly in complex discussions or those where people have different views and interests, good facilitation can make a difference. This workshop provides a toolbox of techniques to better appreciate being a facilitator and support learning in a group setting.

Creating an Inclusive Community - 60 minutes

A community is a group of people who have been able to accept and transcend their differences regardless of the diversity of their backgrounds (social, spiritual, educational, ethnic, economic, political, etc.). This enables them to communicate effectively and openly, and to work together toward goals identified as being beneficial to their common good.

Building a community is a powerful process, which helps us learn about ourselves and relate to others in new ways. This workshop will explore more in-depth our Meliora Vision & Values, as well as what they mean to the College and for the individual.

This workshop uses a hands-on exercise to have participants self-reflect on the Meliora Vision & Values and to think of ways to implement them into their everyday lives with respect to the classroom environment, residential life, and within their respective organizations. Creating a sense of belonging and building an inclusive community where each member is valued and respected begins with a better understanding of our Meliora Vision & Values.

Creating an Inclusive Work Environment - 60 minutes

Is your environment inclusive? How do you know? During this conversation, we will work together to understand and what makes a space inclusive and start to think about how you can make changes today to make sure that you are helping others to truly feel welcomed and valued.

Intercultural Communication and Awareness - 60 minutes

Intercultural awareness is the foundation of communication and it involves the ability to self-reflect and become aware of our cultural values, beliefs, and perceptions. Why do I think this? Why am I feeling this way? Intercultural awareness becomes central when you have to interact with people who differ from yourself.

As human beings, we see, interpret, and evaluate things differently. What is considered appropriate behavior in one culture is frequently inappropriate in another. Misunderstandings arise when one person uses their perspectives to make sense of your lived experiences. This workshop explores the interplay of language, communication, and culture in interpersonal interactions, providing participants with an overview of the basic principles of intercultural communication. Engaging with case studies and cultural frameworks, participants will arrive upon a guided understanding of cultural dimensions of communication, which can help inform future interactions. 

Safe Zone Training (student only) - 90 minutes

Please note, this workshop in 90 minutes in length.

Safe Zone at the University of Rochester is a dynamic, interactive session for students that includes activities and discussion around:

  • Inclusive and respectful language
  • The process of coming out
  • Understanding sexual and gender identity
  • Taking action on our campuses and in our workplaces
  • Where to go for help

These training's are for students, presented by their peers, and give participants the skills they need to provide support and to create environments that are safe, welcoming, and inclusive.

Subconscious Hate: Exploring Implicit Bias, Microaggressions, and Bystander Intervention - 60 minutes

The unconscious mind helps to shape our everyday behaviors, attitudes, and decision-making process. As we become a more global society, awareness of our automatic reactions and stereotypes is vital to creating deeper appreciation and understanding of others.

This interactive workshop explores the concepts of implicit bias and microaggressions. Students will be empowered to notice their own biases and perhaps advocate on behalf of others with bystander intervention strategies.

Understanding Privilege and Taking Action - 60 minutes

This workshop will engage participants in exploring privileges based on membership of various social identities. It uses a hands-on exercise as a means of having a conversation and dialogue. All participants will have the opportunity to self-reflect on their privileges and think of ways in order to take action within their respective organizations.

Opening the Door to the Anti-Racist Campus: Foundations - 90 minutes

In this interactive workshop, we will discuss the language of race and racism, the history of race here at UR, and the position of our self in society. Participants will review contemporary language and gain understanding of its importance as part of the struggle for equity and when discussing race and racism. This experience will allow participants to combine understandings of history, language, and cultural humility to begin their anti-racist journey. Moreover, it will help participants to relate these lessons to their own lives and think about how they can use their positionality to work toward an anti-racist campus.

Opening the Door to an Antiracist Campus: Ally in Action (prerequisite must attend the Foundations workshop) - 120 minutes

In this highly interactive workshop, participants will engage with real-world applications of anti-racist concepts presented in previous sessions. By working through case studies together, participants approach race-related scenarios that commonly arise for faculty in teaching and learning environments at Rochester. Through this process participants will gain skills that inform course design, syllabus creation, classroom discussions, student "call-out," and lab group dynamics.