DEIB Community of Practice

In fall 2022, the UHR Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging partnered with staff across the university to launch the DEIB Community of Practice (DCP).

Welcome to the dynamic world of the DEIB Community of Practice (DCP) at Stanford University! In partnership with staff from across the university, the University Human Resources Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (UHR-DEIB) proudly launched this transformative community during the fall of 2022.

About the DEIB Community of Practice (DCP)

Crafted in response to invaluable feedback from diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging staff practitioners at our inaugural IDEAL DCP Conference in September 2022, the DEIB Community of Practice (DCP) provides a platform for collaboration. These quarterly, full-group gatherings unite diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging staff practitioners from all over Stanford, fostering a sense of community while transcending organizational boundaries. Some additional DCP activities are designed to target IDEAL professionals.

In addition, DCP subcollective meetings are guided by steering committees with specific meeting dates scheduled by each subcollective. In these sessions, we empower each other by sharing resources, offering support, and collectively adapting our practices to meet the dynamic challenges of the diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging landscape at Stanford University.

Current DCP subcollective focuses include:

Strategies and Solutions
Inclusive Communications
Inclusive Pathways: HBCU Engagement
Learning and Development
Transforming the Culture of Work at Stanford

In the future, the UHR-DEIB Office may expand the number of DCP subcollective offerings for staff.

Community of Practice Defined

"A community of practice (CoP) is a group of people who share a common concern, a set of problems, or an interest in a topic and who come together to fulfill both individual and group goals." (Wenger-Trayner, 2015).

This framework underscores our collective pursuit of knowledge and skill-building toward social justice and institutional impact.

Join the DCP: Strategic Connection

We encourage you to join the DCP if you are a staff member who is actively engaged in activities that seek to embrace diversity, advance equity, and/or cultivate inclusion within the Stanford community and/or in your work.

This could be engaging with a staff group, joining your department’s committee focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, intentionally applying a lens of equity and inclusion to process and systems design, and so much more. In many ways, we are an informal trade group coming together to share stories, collaborate, engage in professional development, and create community in ways that make us better at the polymorphous work we do.

As a community, the DCP seeks to:

Proactively contribute to fostering a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging beyond compliance requirements or mandated policies
Ensure that our own biases and assumptions are continually addressed and mitigated in our interactions and in our work
Intentionally engage with diverse and marginalized communities (beyond our own) to stay connected with the evolving needs and perspectives of different groups
Stay abreast of the current best and promising practices in regard to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging
Advocate for a change in policies or practices within your organization and across the university to enhance diversity, equity, inclusion, or belonging

To express your interest in joining the DCP, submit a request via our interest form.

Interest form: Join the DCP

Current DCP Subcollective Areas of Focus

As we strive for excellence in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, these focus areas serve as pillars for our shared learning experience:

Strategies & Solutions

The Strategies and Solutions subcollective is dedicated to developing and implementing effective approaches to enhance diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging within a specific context, whether it be an organization or community. The subcollective collaborates on identifying challenges and crafting practical solutions, ensuring that the strategies devised are tailored to the unique needs of the local units in which they are applied.

Inclusive Communications

Focused on the power of effective communication, this subcollective emphasizes the role of language and messaging in fostering inclusivity. The Inclusive Communications subcollective works to develop strategies that promote diverse voices, cultures, and perspectives in all forms of communication. This includes internal and external messaging, ensuring that language is respectful, accessible, aligned with the IDEAL Strategic Goals, and reflective of a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

Inclusive Pathways: HBCU Engagement

The Inclusive Pathways: HBCU Engagement subcollective seeks to expand access to Stanford University for underserved communities for staff, students, and faculty. This subcollective is open to Stanford staff and faculty who have an interest in and are currently engaging in outreach with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). In the future, this subcollective may expand to include other marginalized groups (e.g., Hispanic Serving Institutions, Native American Serving Non-Tribal Institutions, etc.).

Learning & Development

The Learning and Development subcollective concentrates on creating educational opportunities to enhance awareness and understanding of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Through peer-led workshops and multilateral resources, this subcollective aims to equip Stanford diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging practitioners with the knowledge and skills necessary to contribute to improving their local work. It encompasses continuous and reflective learning and support that empowers individuals to embrace diversity and enact positive change within their spheres of influence.

Transforming the Culture of Work at Stanford

This subcollective focuses on fostering a more inclusive and equitable work environment at Stanford University. By addressing cultural aspects within the workplace, the subcollective seeks to identify and implement strategies that enhance diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. This involves reshaping organizational norms, values, and practices to create a psychologically safe workplace culture that prioritizes self-care and values and respects the unique perspectives and contributions of all members.

Note: The subcollective areas of focus may change over time as collective interests and institutional goals shift.

DCP Steering Committees

While the UHR-DEIB Office provides administrative oversight for the DCP subcollectives, each DCP subcollective's programming is guided by its members via the DCP Steering Committees.

Responsibilities of the DCP Steering Committees include:

Provide strategic direction for overall DCP and DCP subcollectives
Serve as a representative for DCP subcollectives
Lead DCP subcollective meetings
Co-create quarterly full group meeting
Assist with DCP-related events and gatherings
Liaise with UHR-DEIB Office

The DCP Steering Committee guides the work of each DCP subcollective—they provide the vision. DCP Steering Committee members meet once a month to plan subcollective meetings and twice per quarter to co-plan full group DCP gatherings. DCP Steering Committee members are volunteers who commit to serve for one academic year. All DCP members are encouraged to serve on a DCP Steering Committees if their schedule permits.

Staff interested in joining a DCP Steering Committee should submit an interest form.

Interest form: Join a DCP Steering Committee