Blogs

By Office of Diversity and Inclusion

The weather could not have been better for the annual faculty and staff picnic on September 16. This year the Office of Diversity and Inclusion promoted and hosted meetings of campus Affinity Groups. With more than 1,200 employees filing under the tent for a meal, it was also the perfect time to promote connection and belonging.

Affinity Groups work proactively towards the creation of an inclusive environment where individuals who share particular identities or interests feel visible, valued, and empowered to succeed. Efforts to amplify the decision making power and showcase the voices, achievements, accomplishments, and needs of particular groups precede the creation of the Affinity Groups with the founding of the Black Faculty Association decades back. 

Conveners for the Black Employees Association, HAAPI@UD: Home of Asian American Pacific Islanders, the Jewish Faculty and Staff Affinity Group, Pa'lante: Hispanic/Latinx Employee Association, and QDayton: The LGBTQ+ Affinity Group at UD were present. They listened to employees, answered questions, and shared information about the initiatives and programming that each group organizes, from social events like lunches, coffee hours, and dinners, to book readings and conferences. 

Affinity Groups also help answer questions for employees and provide information on how to navigate campus as well as services and institutions across the Miami Valley, from doctor’s offices to supermarkets, schools, and churches, among others, from a perspective centered on the identity and interests of each group.

Reflecting about the event, Sam Dorf said, “It was really great to meet other Jewish (and Jewish-adjacent) faculty and staff at the picnic. Our group advocates not only for Jewish employees, but also their families, so we welcome members of the UD community with Jewish family members as well." 

In a similar vein, Patrick Thomas shared, "What's so meaningful about QDayton's participation at the picnic is that it helps us to carry out our purpose to be a ‘visible, vocal presence on campus’ and provide a welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ employees at UD. Showing up and sharing our presence within the larger group of UD folks —including many allies–is a helpful reminder of the important roles that LGBTQ+ employees play in so many areas of work at our university." 

For more information about Affinity Groups at the University of Dayton, including how to join an existing group or create a new one, visit the Office of Diversity and Inclusion website.