Boiler Inclusion Project offers diversity education videos as resource

The Boiler Inclusion Project is offering a series of diversity-related videos to foster positive and inclusive behaviors among students, staff and faculty.

The professionally developed videos model strategies from both underrepresented and majority students’ perspectives to facilitate positive intergroup experiences. The five- to seven-minute videos can be used in orientations, workshops or classes to address issues related to diversity, inclusion and intergroup relations. In addition, an hourlong presentation that includes the shorter videos and much more is available for use.

“This program is so effective because it helps our students see themselves portrayed in real-life situations,” says Jay Akridge, interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and diversity. “As our students see their potential missteps revealed and effective communications modeled, they gain important insights into how to better engage and communicate in our multicultural campus, and ultimately, the multicultural world they are entering.”

The five videos have been posted individually on the Boiler Inclusion Project’s page. All can be viewed here.

* Things People Say. This video depicts common stereotypes that are directed at people based on their race, religion or other factors.

* Incremental Process: This video teaches students how to interact with others who are different from them without relying on stereotypes.

* Implicit Bias and Self-Regulation: This video focuses on implicit biases that occur and teaches a process to avoid biased responding.

* First Impressions: This video discusses how to go beyond first impressions, which are often based on stereotypes, by talking to and engaging with others.

* Confrontation and Dialoguing: This video discusses how to stand up for others against offensive remarks and how to create useful dialoguing and mutual understanding.

The Boiler Inclusion Project received project funding in 2015-17 through the Office of the Provost’s Diversity Transformation Award to create the series of videos and research their efficacy. The principal investigator of the Boiler Inclusion Project is Margo Monteith, professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences.

In addition to the creation of videos, the Boiler Inclusion Project developed a new orientation program, known as Boiler Inclusion, for Boiler Gold Rush. Boiler Inclusion, which debuted this year, was crafted using state-of-the-art psychological theory and research to encourage positive intergroup interactions and engagement. All five videos were shown as part of the Boiler Inclusion presentation given by Monteith at Boiler Gold Rush.

The Boiler Inclusion Project aims to strengthen Purdue’s recruitment, retention and engagement by creating a more inclusive and culturally competent climate.

Writer: Kelsey Schnieders, kschnied@purdue.edu
Source: Margo Monteith, principal investigator of the Boiler Inclusion Project, mmonteit@purdue.edu