Dara Barros '23

Mission

The Division of Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement supports the mission of Framingham State University and leads efforts to cultivate a vibrant learning, living and working environment where individuals of differing cultures, perspectives, and experiences are welcomed, respected, valued and supported. This mission is accomplished through collaborative initiatives that promote equity, cultural competency, and make excellence inclusive.

Vision

The Division of Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement will establish itself as a resource and center of expertise to help transform Framingham State University into an institution that aligns the pursuit of excellence with a commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity and cultural competency in every facet of the university.

Student posing
DICE-led faciliatation session

Values

In facilitating the transformation of Framingham State University into an institution that aligns excellence with the commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity and cultural competency, the Division of Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement is committed to:

  • Pursuing degree attainment and academic excellence for all students

    Using data and demonstrating accountability through assessment

  • Institutionalizing inclusive excellence

    Facilitating interculturalism

  • Creating a climate that respects individual differences

    Working towards equity and cultural competency

  • Seeking success through collective impact

    Providing opportunities for community engagement

  • Achieving integrity in our work

    Engaging in transparent processes and actions

Involvement Opportunities

The Center for Inclusive Excellence is committed to engaging the community in a variety of initiatives throughout the academic year. Join us in celebrating heritage months and join a club! 

The mission of Brother to Brother (B2B) is to engage, encourage and empower men of color in the pursuit of excellence. They aim to create and support a community of members who are committed to achievement through campus and community engagement, academic achievement, professional development, mentorship and fellowship. Through educational opportunities and co-curricular experiences, B2B encourages its members to succeed academically, personally, socially and professionally.

The mission of M.I.S.S is to keep Motivation, Intersectionality, Solidarity and Sisterhood at the forefront of their membership’s experiences. Additionally, M.I.S.S is dedicated to empower women of color in the pursuit of excellence. They aim to create and support a community of members who are committed to achievement through campus and community engagement, academic achievement, professional development, mentorship and fellowship. Through educational opportunities and co-curricular experiences, M.I.S.S encourages its members to succeed academically, personally, socially and professionally.

BSU is a cultural group on the Framingham State University campus promoting diversity. Not only do they celebrate black culture, but they make it their duty to celebrate and embrace every other culture.

The purpose of this club is to raise cultural awareness to our campus and community. We aim to educate community members about Hispanic culture: historical events, lifestyles, traditions, and customs. We welcome everyone in discussions of current events that affect Hispanics, promoting the Hispanic culture at Framingham State University and in the surrounding community while providing a support system for club members. The group strives to motivate and develop the self-esteem of its members through their involvement in the organization’s activities and to advocate for the advancement of Hispanics in the United States.

The Pride Alliance is the Gender and Sexuality Alliance on Framingham State University's Campus. This group exists in order to create a place on campus where members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ) community and their straight allies can go to discuss and actively approach the issues that exist within the LGBTQ community. These include coming out, same-sex marriage, incidences of hate and any other interests the group might have. Pride Alliance seeks to create educational and social programs in order to raise awareness of these issues. 

Framingham State's Afro-Caribbean Dance Group (ACDG) is a dance team on campus that specializes in hip-hop, African, Caribbean and other cultural music styles. ACDG is all about expressing and celebrating the cultures of ourselves and our peers through dance. They emphasize the importance of teamwork and dedication in order to produce fun yet strenuous pieces. ACDG looks forward to continuously growing and increasing its presence on campus

Framingham State's JUICE 's mission is to create a better community with FSU, breaking boundaries and learning to be better together

Framingham State's Students of Caribbean Ancestry's mission is to promote and create space for interaction amongst people of Caribbean descent and others interested in Caribbean culture.

We exist to create a place to connect and grow with students on campus and build relationships.

Facilitator: Denise Brown (dbrown16 [at] framingham.edu), seeking additional facilitator(s)

The goal of this organization is to create and nurture a space for Black faculty and staff where they are fully seen, supported, and held in community; where they can access resources for professional development, personal growth, and holistic wellness; and where they can find fellow advocates for improving conditions for Black faculty, staff, and students, and other people of color within our Framingham State University community.

Facilitators: Cara Pina(cpina1 [at] framingham.edu)

The mission of the Employees of Color Affinity Group (ECAG) is to serve as a resource and community to FSU and its employees of color. The affinity group will provide different programming as a way to promote and celebrate cultural diversity and foster an environment where employees of color will feel welcomed at FSU. ECAG aims to:

  • Assist in driving organizational initiatives that support employees of color;
  • Support FSU’s efforts to attract and retain employees from diverse backgrounds (racial, ethnic, cultural, etc.) through recruitment, onboarding, work/life balance, and professional development efforts;
  • Build an internal support system for persons of color within FSU to increase camaraderie and address issues that pertain to people of color;
  • Partner with FSU in creating and sustaining a diverse and inclusive work environment that supports FSU’s strategic goals of inclusive excellence.

Facilitator: Kim Dexter (kdexter [at] framingham.edu)

The mission of the LGBTQ+ Employee Affinity Group is to serve as a resource to the FSU community, promote a positive and productive work environment for LGBTQ+ employees, encourage the professional development and engagement of LGBTQ+ employees, and provide opportunities for connection among LGBTQ+ community members. In addition to signing up, interested individuals should join our Team for announcements and updates.

Facilitator: Sue Dargan (sdargan [at] framingham.edu)

Do you have a family or relationship that others view as multiracial or interracial? Do you find talking with others who share this experience useful and interesting? This group will meet to discuss the commonalities and differences that we share as people who have multiracial and interracial families and relationships.

Facilitator: Seeking facilitator(s)

Our Parents and Caregivers Working Group (PCWG) mission is to serve as a resource to FSU and its employees to positively influence the environment for and professional development of all employees who are caregivers. Our objectives are:

  • Assist in driving organizational initiatives that support employees serving as caregivers;
  • Support FSU’s efforts to attract and retain employees with caregiving responsibilities by informing recruitment, onboarding, work/life balance, and professional development efforts;
  • Build an internal support system for persons within FSU to reduce isolation and address issues that pertain to parents and caregivers;
  • Partner with FSU in creating and sustaining a diverse and inclusive work environment by fostering an environment of inclusive excellence that supports FSU’s strategic goals

Facilitators: Virginia Rutter (vrutter [at] framingham.edu)

This group is dedicated to the needs and interests of part-time faculty members, visiting lecturers, and Full-Time Temporary faculty members. Our focus is to amplify the voices of PT FTT faculty members, identify and provide resources, and build a network of community. Our work has included elevating PT FTT perspectives to our administration as well as our union leadership. We welcome allies who are interested in engaging and addressing issues that PT FTT faculty members encounter. Meetings will be announced on the FSU faculty/librarian listserv. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Facilitators: Peter Chisholm (pchisholm [at] framingham.edu)

This group provides a warm and welcoming network for Veterans (employees and students) by providing a central location for any Veteran on campus to go to relax, chat, study, and more. We welcome non-veterans who might be interested in talking with Student Veterans. Today we frequently hear people thanking Veterans for their service. We want to take it a step further by providing an opportunity for non-veterans to meet us. Many folks don’t realize how often they interact with a Veteran on a regular basis without knowing that they served in the military.

Facilitator: Meghan Maxfield (mmaxfield [at] framingham.edu)

The Women’s Affinity Group’s mission is to hold space for women on campus (as well as men) to come together to explore topics that are important to women's well-being, including empowerment, communication, compassion, courage, and motivation. We've shown Ted Talks to jump-start the conversation, and invited Dr. Patricia Sánchez-Connally to give a talk. We had a speaker from EAP (Employee's Assistance Program) give a Zoom presentation on B.R.A.V.I.N.G, Brené Brown's inventory tool for trust-building. During Fall 2021, we had a panel of speakers from our campus community

discuss work-life balance. This spring our lunchtime event (11:45am to 12:45pm) will happen in April, stay tuned for actual date!

Jeffrey Coleman and diversity officers from instituions across the state attend Education Advocacy Day at the Massachusetts State House

Additional Resources

FSU Statement on Antiracism

 At Framingham State University, we recognize the damaging effects of systemic racism on the experience and success of minoritized communities.

  • Antiracism involves supporting antiracist policies and practices by actions or expressing ideas that racial or racialized groups are equals in all their apparent differences and that there is nothing right or wrong with any racial or racialized group (Kendi, 2019).
  • Racism consists of supporting racist policies and practices by actions or inaction or expressing ideas that one racial or racialized group is inferior or superior to another in any way (Kendi, 2019).
  • Racialization is the extension of racial meaning to a previously racially unclassified relationship, social practice, or group (Omi and Winant, 1986, p. 111).
  • Race consciousness signifies being mindful of the impact of policies and practices on different racialized groups in our society. Race consciousness can motivate a desire to become informed about how injustice occurs and to be intentional about seeking redress (Bell, 2016). Race consciousness contradicts color blindness through actively seeking to perceive, understand, and challenge racism. It also paves the way for imagining a more just and inclusive society that affirms diversity rather than reducing it to a white normative ideal” (Bell, et al., p. 138).

FSU has begun an intentional process of evaluating and restructuring policies and programs to be race-conscious to ensure inclusion and equitable success. We ask all members of our community to reflect on the historical racist policies and actions of our country and the biases created by them. With this knowledge and continual learning, our community strives to actively work together to ensure the physical and psychological safety and success of all members of our community, with particular emphasis on racialized identities.

“No one becomes a racist or antiracist. We can only strive to be one or the other. We can unknowingly strive to be a racist. We can knowingly strive to be an antiracist” – Ibram X. Kendi

Approved by Executive Staff, March, 2023

Massachusetts Department of Higher Education Racial Equity Principles

Racial equity:

  • Will be achieved when race no longer determines one’s outcomes in the Massachusetts public higher education system
  • Is the top policy and performance priority for the Department of Higher Education
  • Must be embedded system-wide and permeate the Department’s structure, culture, and policies
  • Requires the use of asset-based language to minimize the threat of harm, deficit, and stereotype reinforcement “Asset-based language” defines people by their aspirations and contributions, rather than the systemic barriers and challenges they face
  • Requires acknowledgement, remedy, and repair of policies and practices which have excluded or created barriers

We must:

  • Recognize that clarity in language, goals, and measures is vital to racially equitable practices
  • Promote culturally sustainable campus climates in which all students can thrive and are regarded in the totality of their human dignity “Culturally sustainable” means recognizing, maintaining, and developing cultural identity and diversity, as they are assets, not weaknesses (Ladson-Billings, 1995; Paris 2012)
  • Create and cultivate an inclusive environment to encourage the support and participation of relevant stakeholders
  • Acknowledge the experience and knowledge of people of color, and seek to engage people of color in the pursuit of racial equity in meaningful ways
  • Incentivize the development and support the implementation of equity-minded, evidence-based solutions

Bell, L.A. (2016). Telling on racism: Developing on a race-conscious agenda. In H.A. Neville, M.E. 
Gallardo, & D.W. Sue (Eds.), The myth of racial color blindness: Manifestations, dynamics, and impact (pp. 105-122). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. 
Kendi, I.X. (2019). How to be an antiracist. One World: New York. 
Massachusetts Department of Higher Education Equity Agenda. https://www.mass.edu/strategic/equity.asp 
Omi, M. and Winant, H. (1986). Racial formation in the United States: From the 1960s to the 1990s. New York: Routledge.

What is a Land Acknowledgment?

A Land Acknowledgement is a formal statement that recognizes and respects Indigenous Peoples as traditional stewards of this land and the enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territories.

Why do we recognize the land?

To recognize the land is an expression of gratitude and appreciation to those whose territory you reside on, and a way of honoring the Indigenous people who have been living and working on the land from time immemorial. It is important to understand the long-standing history that has brought you to reside on the land, and to seek to understand your place within that history.

Land acknowledgments do not exist in a past tense, or historical context: colonialism is a current ongoing process, and we need to build our mindfulness of our present participation. It is also worth noting that acknowledging the land is Indigenous protocol.

FSU Land Acknowledgement

We would like to acknowledge that the land we live, work, learn, and commune on is the original homeland of the Nipmuc tribal nations. We acknowledge the painful history of genocide and forced removal from this territory, and we honor and respect the many diverse Indigenous peoples still connected to this land on which we gather.

Source: https://native-land.ca/

More resources here:

Creating Community Sponsorships/Partnerships

Events that can positively impact Framingham State University (FSU) and its communities may be eligible for sponsorship/partnership with the university. To ensure opportunities strongly align with FSU’s mission, the university has established a set of guidelines and a Sponsorship Request Form. Please note that any new request for sponsorship and/or funding from Framingham State University must be completed at least 90 days before the event so that we can adequately evaluate the opportunity.

Before starting your request, please ensure the sponsorship or event meets one or more of the following:

  • Aligns with the FSU Mission Statement · Aligns with an FSU Strategic Goal or Core Value
  • Encourages collaboration, partnerships, community development, government relations, equity and inclusion, and outreach
  • Meets organizational positioning and current focus areas
  • May increase awareness, name recognition, and student enrollment
  • Increases external support, stewards current donors, cultivates new sources of future philanthropic support, and supports funders’ initiatives

Where to Start

  1. Review the Instructions and Selection Process
  2. Fill out and finalize a Sponsorship Request Form (Deadlines: January 1st, April 1st, July 1st, and October 1st)
  3. Submissions must be received 90 days before the event or initiative date for consideration.

FSU Event/Sponsorship Selection Process

The process to approve an event or sponsorship can be simple, as long as the opportunity aligns with FSU’s mission, a strategic goal, or a core value.

All sponsorship requests undergo a formal review process by the FSU Sponsorship Committee and the Vice President for Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement before advancing to the Board of Trustees for approval during full board meetings. 

As a publicly supported academic institution, Framingham State University does not support political action committees, ballot initiatives, or political campaigns.

MetroWest Community Organization Sponsorship Request
Division of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement
100 State Street
Framingham, MA 01701
Phone: 508-626-4512
dice [at] framingham.edu

In support of Framingham State University’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism, the Center for Inclusive Excellence (CIE) fosters a campus community where all individuals feel seen, heard, and valued. The CIE operates from an intersectional approach to diversity and cultural competency that encourages meaningful student engagement, academic success, and personal growth.

The MetroWest College Planning Collaborative (CPC) is a regional joint college access initiative founded in December of 2014 by Framingham State University and Mass Bay Community College through the Department of Higher Education’s Vision Project.

The CPC’s mission is to provide the necessary outreach, training, mentoring and advising to guide youth and non-traditional adult learners in the Metro West region on their desired pathway to higher education. The CPC welcomes and serves all members of the community and supports specific outreach focus on underrepresented, low-income, first-generation, minority students and their families.

Join Us

We invite you to join us in our efforts to create a more inclusive and engaged campus community. Whether you are a student, faculty member, staff, or community partner, your participation and support are crucial to our success. Together, we can build a university where diversity is celebrated, inclusion is a standard, and community engagement is a shared responsibility.

Meet the Team

Photo of Jeffrey Coleman

Jeffrey Coleman

Vice President for Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement (DICE)
Photo of Jerome Burke

Jerome Burke

Director, Center for Inclusive Excellence (CIE)
Photo of Dana Fusco

Dana Fusco

Executive Director, MetroWest College Planning Collaborative (CPC)
Photo of Catherine Dignam

Catherine Dignam, Ph.D.

Professor of Chemistry, DICE Research Data Planning Analyst Faculty Fellow, Chemistry & Food Science Department
Photo of Samantha Westall

Samantha Westall

Curriculum Librarian, DICE Faculty Fellow Program Coordinator, Henry Whittemore Library
Whittemore Library UM17

Anna Parsons

Executive Assistant, Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement (DICE)