The Diversity Community of Advocacy (DCOA), formerly the Diversity Committee, appointed by the Dean of the University Libraries, is composed of library employees committed to the goals of diversity, equity, inclusion and access (DEIA). Its purpose is to promote diversity and inclusion within the University Libraries and to facilitate creating and maintaining a welcoming and respectful environment for all library employees and patrons.
The Diversity Community of Advocacy has an ongoing, active role in performing climate assessment, supporting the diversity goals in the Libraries Strategic Plan, recommending actionable measures, and promoting policies and creating programs on diversity and inclusion within the Libraries. These actions are completed through collaborations with Library Administration, other library groups and committees, and by forming ad hoc task forces to work on specific initiatives.
Steering Group Members
- Elizabeth Nelson, Co-Chair 2024-25, Member 2023-26
- James McCready, Co-Chair 2023-24, Member 2021-24
- Angel Peterson, Member 2021-24
- Emily Reed, Member 2021-24
- Teresa Slobuski, Member 2022-25
- Brett Spencer, Member 2022-25
- Rebekah Hill, Member 2022-25
- Julia Dumbeck, Member 2022-25
- Eliza Donne, Member 2022-25
- Jennifer Valcin, Member 2022-25
- Denise Wetzel, Member 2023-26
- Ben Hoover, Member 2023-26
- Alan Myers, Member 2023-26
- Kat Phillips, Library Faculty Organization (LFO) Ex-Officio
- Reese Viglione, Human Resources (HR) Ex-Officio
- Karen Pipta, Library Staff Advisory Committee (LSAC) Ex-Officio
- Jon Wallace, Rankism Solutions Community of Practice (RSCOP) Ex-Officio
Charge
- To increase the transparency of DCOA and foster a sense of welcomeness for all members of UL to participate in DCOA working groups and programs
- To facilitate coordination of planning UL Diversity Week 2024 with collaborative partners in support of individual Libraries employees development and organizational commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, and belonging(DEIAB)
- To serve in a consultant capacity for diversity, equity, inlcusion, and accessibility initiatives across the University Libraries
- To actively advocate, support, and create education, resources, and opportunities for:
- Employee bias and/or bystander intervention training
- Supporting Libraries Strategic Plan
Contact
Contact committee members at UL-Diversity-COA@psu.edu.