ODEI Messages

Over the years, Northeastern University has diligently worked to center inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility, and belonging (DEIAB) values into all facets of the Global University System.  Nearly two years ago President Aoun amplified the critical need to center and infuse all facets of the Global University System when he announced an Action Plan that would “address the scourge of systemic racism” and “advance our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.” Since that time a greater emphasis to become a more inclusive institution where all have a meaningful voice and are invited to participate and contribute to the design of their experience as a member of the Northeastern Global community has become central to the work of the institution.

A key commitment to President Aoun’s plan included increasing diversity and representation at all levels.  Critical to improving university-wide shared accountability in diversity and representation is having accurate data points that will help us assess gaps, needs, resources, and progress. Currently, nearly 30% of the total employee population is missing this critical demographic data.  This makes reporting on progress, developing data-informed strategies, and providing resources that truly meet the needs of our community challenging.

To support the promise to uphold the values of DEIAB as a Global Community and share accountability to President Aoun’s call to action, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is asking all members of the global university system to update their workday profiles with the demographic information that will aid in assessing progress, as well as provide the needed resources that dismantle real and perceived barriers which keep us from becoming a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive institution.

You are not required to enter this information; however, we strongly encourage you to do your part as we continue to pursue inclusive excellence and champion a sense of belonging for our shared community. Updated information will be kept private and confidential.

The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI) has engaged vendors that can increase Northeastern’s programmatic capacity for Learning, Development and Action (LDA) opportunities through workshops and other offerings. This initiative can help to meet the needs of the growing global university system in continuance with the university’s commitment to fostering a community centered on principles of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

After President Aoun in 2020 announced a call to action for Northeastern to address the scourge of systemic racism—especially anti-Black discrimination—and advance our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, students, faculty, and staff from across the university convened to understand how Black members of our community experience systemic racism and to learn what the university can do to become more inclusive for all stakeholders. (In confronting the challenge of bringing greater racial equity and justice to our institution, members of the Northeastern University community came together to plan what we, as a microcosm of the world, could do to make a difference on our campuses and around the globe.)

In continuance of advancing the university’s commitment to fostering DEI principles throughout the global university system through educational opportunities, ODEI issued a Request For Proposals (RFP) from internal and external partners to deliver training workshops and other professional development services. These will provide individuals and groups with the awareness, skills, and mindsets that augment Northeastern’s vision of being a more inclusive global community.

We are taking an innovative approach to training by shifting our focus from temporary skills-based engagements to more comprehensive learning that prioritizes behaviors and belief systems that ensure that everyone, including those from marginalized communities, is valued, understood, and heard. Because we believe that one size does not fit all, upon request, ODEI will work with these partners to identify and facilitate learning and engagement opportunities suited to the needs of an office, organization, or program that will sustain diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism efforts in meaningful and measurable ways.

The LDA initiative will establish within Northeastern deeper and more meaningful diversity, equity, inclusion, antiracism, and belonging (DEIAB) learning experiences that align with the specific objectives of an office or unit. The initiative will also enable the university to evaluate the efficacy and impact of DEIAB learning and development, and adjust topics, strategies, and approaches accordingly.

On a case-by-case basis throughout the year, facilitators will provide learning opportunities covering competencies as suggested below:

• Applying antiracism in staff/faculty recruitment and retention
• Using and facilitating critical dialogues
• Understanding how implicit bias informs microaggressions
• Addressing microaggressions with micro-interventions
• Distinguishing the complexities of identity through intersectionality
• Building inclusivity and belonging in your organization
• Distinguishing cultural humility and cultural competence to achieve equitable outcomes
• Facilitating difficult dialogues to foster inclusive language and mitigate implicit bias
• Applying inclusive habits as managers

An interdisciplinary team is reviewing the proposals submitted thus far. We are delighted about the opportunities that will be available to you at the end of this process which we expect to conclude shortly. Requests for opportunities for Learning, Development and Action may be made on the ODEI website, by going to webpages, “Programs”, then “Learning Development Opportunities”, or by clicking this link. We look forward to hearing from, and working with you, our university partners, as we learn together to foster an inclusive climate so that everyone can experience belonging.

This recording of the Toronto campus event recognizes the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation held on September 29. Wyandot Elder Catherine Tàmmaro shares her thoughts on expanding our awareness of the land, while acknowledging and honoring our partnerships with Indigenous folk: https://studentlifetoronto.sites.northeastern.edu/reflections-on-reconciliation/

We honor Indigenous peoples in the United States including those on whose ancestral homelands the Northeastern global university system resides in North America. We acknowledge the peoples who have stewarded these lands since time immemorial and we recognize the nations and their ancestors who belonged to, cared for and protected the land.  We name the nations and their lands to pay respect to the elders past and present and honor their resilience, survival and strength. (This is an abbreviated version of the original communication. Additional information can be found below, in the section: Names of Indigenous Peoples Whose Land Is Occupied by a Northeastern Campus.)

Northeastern recognizes the longstanding history that brought us to reside on the land where our campuses are located. There is no formula or template for land acknowledgments. Language should represent deep reflection by our university community as well as the development and stewardship of authentic relationships with the Indigenous people of the region upon which each campus resides.  
 

Should you choose to add a practice of land acknowledgment at your campus, work with the Indigenous people’s organization in your region to develop appropriate language and for guidance on how to incorporate the acknowledgment into your community. Note that while a land acknowledgment is an important first step in recognizing the impact of colonization on Indigenous peoples, it should be developed not as an end in itself, but within the larger context of meaningful engagement and activities in service of Indigenous communities.

The university must review all statements before they’re officially adopted for use. Each statement must include a summary of the process followed for developing the language. Send your draft for review by the Office of External Affairs to brand@northeastern.edu.  

Note that the university has an acknowledgment statement for the global university system, but it is only used for communications on behalf of the entire university, not in place of a statement that acknowledges the specific peoples native to the region. Approved statements and general usage guidelines can be found on Northeastern’s Brand Center. 

For reference, the list in the next section provides the names of the Indigenous peoples whose land is occupied by a Northeastern campus. 

The Arlington campus occupies the land of the Nacotchtank (Anacostan) and Piscataway Peoples.

The Boston campus occupies the land of the Massachusett and Wampanoag Peoples.

The Burlington campus occupies the land of the Massachusett, Pawtucket and Agawam Peoples.

The Charlotte campus occupies the land of the Catawba Nation.

The Nahant campus occupies the land of the Naumkeag band of the Pawtucket Peoples.

The Oakland campus occupies the land of the Ramaytush Ohlone and Muwekma Peoples.

The Portland campus occupies the land of the Mi’kmaq, Maliseet, Passamaquody and Penobscot Peoples of the Wabanaki Alliance.

The San Jose campus occupies the land of the Muwekma Ohlone Peoples.

The Seattle campus occupies the land of the Duwamish Peoples.

The Toronto campus occupies the land of the Mississauga, Anishinabek, Chippewa, Haudenosaunee and Wendat Peoples.

The Vancouver campus occupies the land of the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, and Musqueam Nations.