The College of Communication and Information’s eighth annual Diversity and Inclusion Week, September 25–28, will feature keynote addresses by Chancellor Beverly Davenport and Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero along with eight panel sessions and a diversity festival.
The four-day event offers participants an opportunity to learn about diversity and inclusion issues and best practices through dialogue with leaders and experts from inside and outside the college, university, and community.
This year’s theme is “Diversity and Inclusion: R-E-S-P-E-C-T.”
Davenport will speak at 5 p.m. Monday, September 25, in Patrick Auditorium on the third floor of the Communications Building. A pre-keynote reception will begin at 4:30 p.m. in the lobby outside the auditorium.
Since becoming UT Knoxville’s chancellor, Davenport has voiced support for the UT Pride Center, provided funds for Title IX education and training, and appointed a full-time Title IX coordinator for the campus. When she was interim president of the University of Cincinnati, Davenport launched a new five-year enterprise-wide diversity and inclusion plan.
Rogero will speak at 5 p.m. Wednesday, September 27, in Patrick Auditorium. Her keynote will be preceded by a reception in the Communications Building lobby at 4:30 p.m. Rogero is the recipient of the 2013 CCI Diversity Award.
The first female mayor of Knoxville, Rogero has made diversity a hallmark of her administration by implementing diversity and inclusion plans in the city’s hiring, enacting nondiscrimination ordinances, and considering diversity during contractor and vendor selection.
A variety of panel discussions will be held throughout the week, including “Mental Health and Media Effects,” “Being Comfortable in Your Own Skin,” “Social Media and Trolling,” “Immigration and Respect for the American Dream,” “Respect for Religion,” “Free Speech and Politics,” “Disagreeing in a Civil Fashion,” and “Bridging Hidden Divides.” An open forum focused on emotional intelligence in the classroom will be hosted by the CCI Diversity Student Leaders Society on Tuesday evening.
The week will wrap up Thursday, September 28, with a Diversity Festival featuring an all-campus barbecue along with diverse music, dance, games, a photo booth, and cultural performances. CCI student organizations will host activities as part of the festival. The event will be from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Communications Building.
A complete list of activities can be found online. All sessions are free and open to the public and will be streamed online.