Diversity, along a range of dimensions, offers both challenges and opportunities to any relationship. Learning to identify, reflect upon, learn from, and engage with diverse perspectives is critical to forming and maintaining an effective mentoring relationship, as well as a vibrant learning environment.

In the Assessing Understanding session, groups discuss the importance of assessing mentees’ understanding and how to best facilitate their learning. In this session, mentors will expand upon this idea by considering how to foster an equitable and inclusive environment where everyone can do their best learning and create the highest quality of research, both because of and in spite of their diverse perspectives.

Learning Objectives for Equity and Inclusion

  1. Improve and expand understanding of equity and inclusion, and how diversity influences mentor-mentee interactions
  2. Recognize the impact of conscious and unconscious assumptions, preconceptions, biases, and prejudices on the mentor-mentee relationship and reflect on how to manage them
  3. Identify concrete strategies for learning about, recognizing, and addressing issues of equity and inclusion, in order to engage in conversations about diversity with mentees and foster a sense of belonging

Readings/Activities to complete before the Session
note: unless noted otherwise links are to PDF files that may either display in your browser or download, depending on your settings

  1. Implicit Bias Test (external site)
  2. Benefits and Challenges of Diversity
  3. Stereotype Threat Video (external site)
  4. Stereotype Threat Article
  5. Diversity Study Results
  6. Equity and Inclusion Case Studies

Additional Resources for further learning: