Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Multicultural Education Newsletter
October 2022 | A-Term | Fall 2022
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Statement of Acknowledgement
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Hours of Operation (as of Tuesday, September 21st):
Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday and Sunday 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Eastern Standard Time (EST)
Please pardon our appearance as the OASIS Multicultural Center (OASIS House) and Collegiate Religious Center (CRC) continue to undergo renovations.
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2022-2023 LSAMP Scholar Program Application
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Breast Cancer Awareness Month
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Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month
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The Latest from the Office of Student Aid & Financial Literacy
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In mid-October, all 2022–23 FAFSA filers at WPI (except anticipated graduating seniors) will receive an email asking them to file for 2023–24. The FAFSA is due by March 31, 2023 and will require 2021 tax information. You’re encouraged to use the Data Retrieval Tool to fill out your FAFSA to assist with the streamlining process. WPI’s FAFSA code is 002233 . Please note that, unlike when they applied for admission, upper class students do not need to fill out the CSS Profile.
Not all students will be selected for verification by the Department of Education (upon completion of the FAFSA, your student’s Student Aid Report will indicate if they have been selected), but those who are will be required to complete verification documents prior to receiving their award in early summer 2023 for fall 2023. More information will be shared with those selected in early 2023 via email.
Be sure your student is checking the student aid portal for any aid requirements that are still due. Students must review any emails sent from our office regarding finalizing loan requirements. Federal Direct Loan requirements may be completed via studentaid.gov. Institutional Loan requirements (Manning Loans and other WPI Institute Loans) were sent via ECSI, a third-party vendor contracted with WPI, in mid-August from the Business Office.
As a reminder, upper class students will be required to sign a new disclosure form for the Manning Loans and other WPI Institute Loans even though they may have already signed their promissory note in a prior year. Requirements must be complete for loans to be disbursed to the student’s bill; if loan requirements remain incomplete, the student’s Federal Direct and WPI Institutional Loans may be canceled. Don’t hesitate to reach out to the office at finaid@wpi.edu or 508-831-5469.
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Gordon Library Style Convention 2022
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Style Convention 2022
Friday, October 7, 2022
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM EST
Gordon Library
Reference and Instructional Librarians will be available all day in the Shuster Lab (1st floor of Gordon Library) to give quick citation help for APA, MLA, IEEE, Chicago, etc. in the lead up to final project submissions for A-Term. This is a quick (5-10 minute), direct way to engage with students about citation frameworks.
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Garba Night
Friday, October 7, 2022
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM EST
Innovation Studio (IS 203-205)
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WPI Sustainability Innovation Challenge
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Have you thought of innovative ways you'd like to improve WPI's sustainability? If so, please join this virtual event sponsored by Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, Engineers Without Borders and the Office of Sustainability in helping guide us with your best innovations to accelerate WPI's sustainability initiatives.
We are challenging students to use their creativity, ingenuity and tenacity to develop innovative solutions that will equip WPI to prepare for a sustainable future. The purpose of this challenge is to find new or improved systems that minimize waste and position WPI to make a positive environmental impact.
CHALLENGE CASH PRIZES
First Place: $1,500
Second Place: $1,000
Third place: $500
This challenge will be a virtual event.
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[Image Description: walking figure with a cane extended on their right side with the perspective of moving forward.]
On Saturday, October 15, 2022, White Cane Day will be commemorated in Worcester. Never heard of White Cane day? You are not alone! What is White Cane Day about?
White Cane Day, also known as White Cane Safety Day, or White Cane Awareness Day, has been nationally observed in the United States since 1964. The day celebrates VIPS (visually impaired people) and the white cane, the symbol of VIP’s independence.
White Cane Day will be celebrated in Worcester this October on the same date as the national and state observances. Worcester’s White Cane Day does not resemble other commemorations, however. White Cane Day in Worcester is unique-just like Worcester itself!
White Cane Day Worcester involves activity. There is a walk and, at the conclusion of the walk a talk or debrief. In Worcester’s White Cane Day, dignitaries are invited to “walk a mile” in the shoes of a VIP. Equipped with a white cane, a blindfold and a seasoned sighted guide previously trained by VIPs, the invitees experience walking in the real world, in real time akin to what a VIP experiences in his or her daily travels. The route the dignitaries are guided through is not “manufactured” for the day; the route encompasses the built environment.
At the conclusion of the walk, the dignitaries and guides return to a public space reserved for the debrief. The assembled audience hears the dignitaries recount, reflect and expound.
White Cane Day in Worcester has a laser like focus on people – those who can see and those who can’t – and how each person has an impact.
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Upcoming Vaccine Clinic
Tuesday, October 11th - Wednesday, October 12th
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM EST
Rubin Campus Center Odeum
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WPI Job Fair
Sunday, October 18, 2022
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM EST
Rubin Campus Center Odeum
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Pride: LGBTQIAP+ Networking and Support Group
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ODIME would like to bring together folks within the WPI community who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, and Pansexual in an effort to support one another as well as our larger LGBTQIAP+ community.
Please note: the “+” is used to respectfully and sensitively recognize all populations in the community, so if you identify within this group, you are welcome!
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Protecting Your Spirit, Mind, and Body
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Upcoming Campus Programs and Events
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Upcoming Holidays, Holy Days, and Commemorative Days
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- German-American Day (October 6)
- National Coaches Day (October 6)
- World Smile Day (October 7)
- Mawlid (October 7 - October 8)
- Sukkot (October 9 - October 16)
- Indigenous Peoples Day (October 10)
- World Mental Health Day (October 10)
- International Day of the Girl (October 11)
- National Coming Out Day (October 11)
- Shemini Atzeret (October 16 - October 18)
- St. Luke (October 18)
- Simchat Torah (October 17 - October 18)
- Pronouns Day (October 19)
- Spirit Day (October 20)
- World Mission Sunday (October 23)
- Mole Day (October 23)
- Diwali (October 24)
- United Nations Day (October 24)
- National Chocolate Day (October 28)
- Halloween (October 31)
- Reformation Day (October 31)
- October 2022 is observed as:
- Breast Cancer Awareness Month
- Domestic Violence Awareness
- National Domestic Violence Awareness And Prevention
- National Youth Substance Use Prevention
- National Youth Justice Action Month
- National Arts And Humanities Month
Happy Birthday to all of the October babies! |
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WPI:
Higher Education News:
Local/State/National/International News:
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LGBTQIAP+ Resources and Support
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The Student Development and Counseling Center (SDCC) will be running an LGBTQIAP+ Support Group for students on Fridays at 3:00 PM EST beginning Friday, September 2, 2022.
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25th Annual Lesbians & Friends LGBTQ+ Dance
Saturday, October 22, 2022
6:00 PM - 9:30 PM EST
Club Café 209 Columbus Ave, Boston, MA 02116
Must be 21+ to enter the club.
Contact diversity@wpi.edu for funding opportunities to attend.
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Read, Watch, Listen, and Learn
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The U.S. and the Holocaust | Official Trailer | PBS
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- Residence Life Cinema (SWANK Motion Pictures, Inc.)
- Alcohol Awareness
- Asian Pacific Islander History and Culture
- Black History and Culture
- Constitution Day
- Disabilities
- Diversity and Inclusion
- Earth Day
- Hispanic History and Culture
- International
- LGBTQ+ Pride
- Social Relevance
- National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week
- National Native American Heritage Month
- Women's History Month
- Women's Studies
- World AIDS Day
- Anyone on WPI Wi-Fi can access free streaming services at cinema.wpi.edu.
Podcasts:
Books:
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Voter Education and Registration
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Election Day 2022
Tuesday, November 8th
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) are non-partisan entities and do not support or oppose any political candidate or party.
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Student Jobs and Internships
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Professional Development Opportunities
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2022 Fall Colloquium
In Pursuit of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Saturday, November 12, 2022
Clark University, Worcester, MA
The New England American Studies Association’s 2022 Fall Colloquium will explore how the pursuit of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has shaped or could shape American higher education, history, culture, society, politics, and/or the field of American Studies
Featured panels, workshops, roundtables, and facilitated conversations will foster dialogue on possible DEI best practices in a variety of settings, and that will offer key takeaways for practical application.
This event will be held in-person at Clark University in Worcester, MA on November 12, 2022. Registration is free, but required. Full schedule will be available by October 17th.
We thank Clark University’s Department of English, Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI), and Center for Gender, Race, and Area Studies (CGRAS) for co-sponsoring this event.
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Worcester Trauma, Resiliency & Racial Equity Training Institute Foundational Training Course (October/November)
This course will take place from 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM EST on:
Monday, Oct. 31
Monday, Nov. 7
Monday, Nov. 14
Monday, Nov. 21
An online training course in which participants will learn to use trauma-informed knowledge and skills to promote racial equity and resilience in Worcester.
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The Vote is Sacred: Expanding and Securing Access to the Ballot
Wednesday, October 12, 2022
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EST
Join Interfaith America for a moderated conversation on the barriers to voting and civic participation experienced by BIPOC folks and formally incarcerated folks, and what we can do to remove those barriers through local organizing and interfaith cooperation.
The Rev. Fred Davie will moderate the panel of speakers including LaTosha Brown of Black Voters Matter Fund, Sheena Meade of Clean Slate Initiative, Rev. Eli Valentin of the Hispanic Theological Initiative and Union Theological Seminary, and Rev. Jacqui Lewis at Middle Collegiate Church. |
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Beyond Recovery
Seizing Opportunities to Transform Education in a Post-Covid Era
Friday, October 14, 2022
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM EST
After nearly three years of tumult caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and massive disruptions to learning, the education sector stands at a crossroads. With growing achievement and opportunity gaps, deep concerns about mental health, and stark pressures on teachers and education leaders throughout the country, the repercussions of the crisis are evident. But the past three years have also shown surprising innovation, resilience at all levels of the education system, and a renewed commitment to supporting students, families, and educators. Today, there are new opportunities for transformation — with federal COVID relief funding that can make transformative ideas more feasible. The question is: How can we seize the opportunity for reinvention and develop a new vision for equity and success in American education? |
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Level 1 Safe Zone Ally Training
Monday, October 17, 2022
3:00 PM - 4:30 PM ET
This Level 1 workshop will focus on understanding LGBTQ+ concepts, LGBTQ+ identity development and the coming out process, and simple strategies for building an inclusive environment and being an LGBTQ+ ally. |
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Democracy and Public Education in Peril
Monday, October 24, 2022
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM ET
Today’s young people are continuing to reckon with the social-political climate brought about by issues such as school shootings, anti-LGBTQ + legislation like the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, the loss of reproductive rights post-Roe, as well as grappling with COVID-19, anti-Black racism, and attacks on our public education. At Nellie Mae, we fund efforts in New England that ensure our public education system is a place for young people to feel safe, supported, and respected; where there is critical thinking and diverse thought; and where talented teachers encourage debate and discovery.
Yet a powerful few continue to threaten this vision of educational equity, letting political rhetoric get in the way of what matters the most: teaching the truth about our country, including both its founding principles and flaws. It can be difficult to be hopeful during these times and to find healing and joy. It is critical for us to hear from those on the front lines in understanding how to collectively support communities, schools, teachers, and our young people through advocacy, resources, and knowledge-sharing measures so that our education system is a system that works for all. We hope you join us for this important conversation. |
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Level 2 Safe Zone Ally Training
Tuesday, November 1, 2022
3:00 PM - 4:30 PM ET
This 90-minute Level 2 Safe Zone Ally Training workshop will describe the concepts and implications of privilege and bias, discuss the climate for LGBTQ+ individuals in STEM and ways that allies can support LGBTQ+ students and colleagues, and explore techniques for creating inclusive classroom environments.
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Trans Allyship Safe Zone Ally Training Workshop
Wednesday, November 9, 2022
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM ET
This Trans Allyship workshop will describe the concepts of sex and gender as they relate to trans individuals, explore the climate for trans individuals in engineering and STEM and its broader impacts and implications, and share strategies that contribute to an inclusive environment for LGBTQ individuals, particularly trans individuals.
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Scholarship Opportunities
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ODIME Staff Weekly Drop-In Hours
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Academic Support Services
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WPI Multicultural, Intercultural, International, and Religious Community
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Campus Advocacy Resources
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- Dean of Students | Student resources for advocacy, citizenship, empowerment, inclusion, respect, and support
- Office of International Student Life (ISL) | Student resources for international support, education, community, and advocacy
- Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) | Student resources for accommodation services, advocacy, support, and assistance
- Title IX | Student resources for anti-discrimination policy and equal opportunity education
- Student Development and Counseling Center (SDCC) | Student resources for counseling, therapy, and mental health/wellness
- Graduate Student Government (GSG) | Student resources for addressing the social and academic needs of graduate students
- Student Government Association (SGA) | Student resources for addressing the social and academic needs of undergraduate students
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Additional Support and Resources
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(ODIME newsletter is distributed on Wednesdays weekly while classes are in session.)
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