Diversity and Inclusivity

DIVERSITY STATEMENT

The CAPC is committed to providing an equitable learning environment and responding to the diverse communication needs of all Rice community members. The CAPC also values all backgrounds and voices in academic and professional communication; we respect all writers’ linguistic backgrounds/preferences, as well as differences in culture, race, ethnicity, economic status, disability, religion, gender, sexuality, and academic discipline. To this end, our staff receive ongoing diversity and social justice training, and we also strive toward building a staff that is representative of the larger Rice population that we serve.

DEI INITIATIVES

Inclusive Hiring Practices

The CAPC is dedicated to cultivating a consulting staff that mirrors the rich diversity of the broader Rice community. This entails actively seeking and fostering a team that embodies cultural inclusivity, encompassing aspects such as race, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation. We are equally committed to linguistic diversity, acknowledging and supporting various home languages within our staff.

Furthermore, our commitment extends to achieving a comprehensive academic representation, embracing both undergraduate and graduate students from a myriad of disciplines and fields of study. This encompasses a broad spectrum, ranging from STEM to social sciences and humanities, ensuring a well-rounded and inclusive perspective within our team.

DEI Training for Consultants

As part of orientation, all consultants must attend a Diversity and Inclusion training that discusses topics such as supporting diverse learning needs, promoting brave / safe spaces, and responding to harmful rhetoric. In addition, consultants are required to engage in ongoing professional development. These DEI trainings are informed by current writing center scholarship of best practices in the field, as well as collaborative efforts with other units on campus, such as the Wellness Center, Disability Services, Safe Office, and Multicultural Center. At least one DEI topic is offered every semester. Sample previous training topics:

  • Introduction to Gender and Sexuality
  • LGBTQ+ Allyship (Safe Office)
  • Mental Health and Crisis Response Training (Wellness Center)
  • Universal Design for Learning (Disability Services)
  • Second Language Acquisition Theories
  • "Moving Beyond Alright" (anti-racism reading and discussion)
  • “Black Bodies, Black Language" (anti-racism reading and discussion)
  • Finding Balance: Managing Stress (Wellness Center)
  • "Writing Mentors and Code Meshing Pedagogy" (anti-racism reading and discussion)
  • "Making Commitments to Racial Justice Actionable" (asynchronous reading and discussion)
  • “Naming and Negotiating Emotional Labors of Writing Center Tutoring” (reading and discussion)
  • “A Multi-Dimensional Pedagogy for Racial Justice in Writing Centers” (reading and discussion)
  • Micro-Affirmations
  • People Skills in the Writing Center
  • BIPOC Mental Health Training (Wellness Center)
  • Anxiety in the Writing Center

Collaborations with Campus Partners

The center works to build new partnerships on campus with other academic units to support specialized student populations. Past collaborations include initiatives such as establishing a underrepresented minority (URM) graduate student writing group (Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies) and designing a training for subject tutors on cultural sensitivity and interpersonal communication (Provost's Office).

Accommodating Spaces and Environments

We acknowledge that writing and communication are vulnerable acts of self-expression, and thus, sensitive topics and issues can sometimes come up in consultations. While consultants are trained in cultural sensitivity and issues of diversity, we also work to offer spaces that are accommodating to individual circumstances. The center currently provides:

  • Options for both in-person and online consultations
  • A conference room for quieter conversations / reduced distraction environments (or we can book Fondren study rooms)
  • Accommodations requests on appointment forms

Students are not required to be registered with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) to make use of these resources; however, if further accommodations are needed, students are encouraged to contact the DRC (drc.rice.edu).