Leading Through an Equity Lens

Advancing equity practices requires an ongoing examination of language, symbolism, nonverbal cues, and behaviors. This online research-informed course explores unconscious bias as the basis for understanding personal behaviors. It also explores the history, foundational goals, and common norms of sororities in the context of social norms of the mid-1800s to early 1900s when most were formed. Social norms have changed dramatically over the decades, including advancements in what allyship means within and across sororities today. 

Educational Objectives: 

1. To define and explore examples of unconscious bias, microaggressions, and stereotype threat, with a focus on how these manifest across multiple social identity points. 

2. To explore the history, foundational goals, and common norms of sororities. 

3. To lay the groundwork for exploring how to move beyond performative allyship to active allyship (Course 2). 

This synchronous virtual research-informed course outlines best practices in leading and networking through an equity lens—with a specific focus on supporting women leaders in functioning as active (versus performative) allies to promote the pursuit of equity, justice and opportunities for girls and women. 

Educational Objectives: 

1. To define, explore and discuss what it means to be an active ally versus a performative ally—at the individual and organizational levels—including shifting power. 

2. To explore specific leadership challenges commonly faced by women in navigating the space of performative versus active allyship. 

3. To explore community building and networking. 

The goal of the “Translating Equity into Practice” course is to build upon the concepts learned in the equity leadership program through the exploration of equity improvement change ideas locally and to outline a framework and schedule for learning through each other on successes, barriers and lessons learned. The Translating Equity into Practice course uses the Model for Improvement,1 which asks teams/participants to reflect upon three questions: 1) what are we trying to accomplish (desired outcomes); 2) how will we know that a change is an improvement (teams/participants identify appropriate measures to track their success), and 3) what changes can be made to result in improvement (teams/participants identify key changes they can test). Changes are implemented in a cyclical fashion, using the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle. The session will discuss real-world application of equity concepts to problems and issues that the Circle of Sisterhood wishes to address in advancing equity practices.