Siena Heights University launching diversity, equity and inclusion certificate

Mary Lowe, The Daily Telegram
·4 min read

ADRIAN — Siena Heights University is launching a Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion certificate program in the fall in light of new anti-diversity legislation in states across the country.

Leland Harper, SHU associate professor of philosophy, race, justice and equity studies, is leading the program.

Leland Harper, Siena Heights University associate professor of philosophy, race, justice and equity studies
Leland Harper, Siena Heights University associate professor of philosophy, race, justice and equity studies

The nature of the legislation varies from state to state. The common thread is the proposed or accepted legislation aims to limit or ban education that addresses topics of personal identity — be it race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality and the like — by institutions and organizations that receive state funding, Harper said.

In some cases, this extends to which books can be in libraries, what colleges can use Pell grants, student services and the type of research federal agencies like the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the National Science Foundation can fund.

Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Ohio, Florida, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Arizona, Nevada, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Indiana and West Virginia have introduced some form of legislation. And Louisiana, Mississippi and North Carolina are on the watch list for proposed bills. There was also a 2020 executive order banning diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training for federal employees and contractors that was later reversed by President Joe Biden.

In an informal survey of DEI opportunities, Harper found that many were focused on compliance.

“This, to me, was just teaching people to do the bare minimum — not get sued or fired — and there needed to be more in the way of building a foundational understanding in the values of diversity, equity and inclusion,” Harper said. “Being a philosopher, I felt that the humanities could help fill that void.”

In 2021, SHU received an NEH grant to explore whether such a program would add value to student studies and its feasibility. Harper and his colleagues determined that not only would such a program be valuable for students, but also that it was feasible and that SHU students had an appetite for it.

The grant team comprising multidisciplinary faculty members and staff from SHU as well as external experts from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, the University of Michigan-Flint and Toronto Metropolitan University created three new courses and the certificate framework.

The Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) certificate courses will be taught by Harper, alongside SHU English professor Julie Barst and SHU business and management professor Matthew Ripper.

The 12-credit certificate program’s courses include a Justice and Peace course, which is already a required course for all SHU students, as well as the following:

  • JEDI 101: In this course, students are introduced to topics like racism, sexism, ageism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia and xenophobia through readings from classical and contemporary sources in history, philosophy, literature and business. The material emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of JEDI.

  • JEDI 201: Integrated Studies. This is an intermediate course that promotes effective integration of JEDI material learned in JEDI 101 with a deeper and more diverse application to best practices.

  • JEDI 480: Practical Application. This course emphasizes application of the interdisciplinary nature of JEDI and integration of JEDI material learned in JEDI 101 and 201 through internships with businesses and community organizations.

The certificate is designed for degree-seeking undergraduate students. Students who complete the courses will have an additional credential.

As part of their internships, students will be placed in an organization in their chosen field and work with a supervisor to identify and recommend JEDI solutions.

For example, an education student may be placed on a local school board to focus on disproportionate suspensions of racialized students, a sports management major may be placed with a professional sports team to plan cultural events, or a business student may be placed at a multinational organization to help determine why women-identifying employees represent a large part of its workforce but only a small fraction of its senior leadership.

Justin Perry, a Grand Blanc High School senior, will be attending Siena Heights University in the fall. He plans on completing the justice, equity, diversity and inclusion certificate program.
Justin Perry, a Grand Blanc High School senior, will be attending Siena Heights University in the fall. He plans on completing the justice, equity, diversity and inclusion certificate program.

Justin Perry, a Grand Blanc High School senior, will be attending SHU in the fall and will be a wide receiver on the SHU football team. He plans to complete the JEDI certificate.

Perry’s dream is to make it to the NFL. He plans on becoming an athletic director after his football career. He said JEDI can help a team succeed.

“Embracing diversity and creating an inclusive environment allows for a broader range of perspectives, experiences and talents to be present within the team,” Perry said. “This can lead to enhanced creativity, problem-solving and innovative strategies, ultimately improving the team's performance and increasing their chances of success.”

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Siena Heights University has diversity, equity, inclusion certificate