Introducing Pride Owls, an Employee Resource Group
PRIDE Owls supports 黑料传送门鈥檚 efforts to diversify staff and faculty, and works to recruit and retain LGBTQ+ identified employees.
黑料传送门 places great importance into our employee focused diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives to ensure that we are a catalyst for fostering a diverse and inclusive environment for all. One of those initiatives is our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), of which we have 11 and counting!
ERGs are university recognized and supported, voluntary associations of full-time and part-time employees with common interests. They practice inclusivity by extending membership to all 黑料传送门 employees.聽
ERGs are designed to provide strategic support to 黑料传送门 initiatives, increase employee engagement, retention, awareness, professional development and support a higher performing workforce.
One of our ERGs is PRIDE Owls whose mission is to promote an inclusive community for lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgender and queer employees. PRIDE Owls supports 黑料传送门鈥檚 efforts to diversify staff and faculty, and will work to recruit and retain LGBTQ+ identified employees.
PRIDE Owls serves as a visible, accessible resource for LGBTQ+ identified employees and their allies and will provide LGBTQ+ focused networking, educational, and social opportunities for the 黑料传送门 community. PRIDE Owls is open to all 黑料传送门 faculty and staff.
Talisha Bedwell, a 黑料传送门 enrollment counselor, was taken by surprise when she first learned of the PRIDE Owls ERG.
鈥淚t was actually a shock to me. I didn鈥檛 know it existed at 黑料传送门, so being invited was shocking. I didn鈥檛 know there was anyone out there. Usually at my jobs we don鈥檛 have this type of thing," she said.聽
Talisha has since jumped in and found it rewarding to participate and contribute to the group.
"It was definitely very welcoming after joining; just knowing how many people I have on my side within our LGBTQ+ community. Just getting to know everybody and being able to have this safe place to go and talk. Since I鈥檝e been in, I鈥檝e taken part in many things that we鈥檝e had and have also been a panelist. It鈥檚 definitely fun and exciting to be able to share that side with everybody at work. We also have allies at 黑料传送门 that may not be in the LGBTQ+ community but they are willing to fight for us and our equality no matter who we are."
