A One-Stop Resource for Diversity Education

As a member of the Duke community, every student and employee is a part of creating the workplace culture and educational climate on campus.

To help in that process, all Duke community members have access to an online “Diversity Toolkit” compiled by the Office of Institutional Equity (OIE), which provides dozens of resources to develop strategies and plans to improve inclusion and engagement on campus. Ranging from books to online articles and videos, aspects of the toolkit are handpicked by OIE staff members, who add one or two pieces of content each month. 

“We’re pretty careful about adding things that are only really relevant to the work and service people do within this environment,” said Ben Reese, vice president for institutional equity. “We focus on finding accessible content that’s based on solid research or practitioners that are highly respected.”

Under the publications section in the toolkit, visitors can find information about diversity and inclusion related to health care, generational diversity, cultural awareness and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities. Seven books are listed, six of which can be immediately reserved at Duke libraries with a special button.

The site also features 10 videos on diversity and seven “coaching clips” that include staff from the university and health system giving insight into incorporating diversity lessons into the workplace. There’s also plenty of links to diversity-related resources at Duke and with national organizations.

Paul James, director of diversity, equity and inclusion at OIE, said the value of having a toolkit like this means there’s an ongoing resource from which students, faculty and staff can learn.

“It’s research that’s balanced and evidence-based that can help any department or unit think critically about multicultural and intercultural awareness,” James said. “Our office holds countless academic seminars, workshops and sessions where after we leave, people request a paper trail of good research. The toolkit allows us to have an online presence at any time.” 

Find a full list of content online at the Diversity Toolkit.