USU Hosting Third Annual Inclusive Excellence Symposium

Hosted by Utah State University President Noelle Cockett and organized by Aggies Think Care Act, the third annual Inclusive Excellence Symposium will be held Oct. 26-30. Sessions will be offered via Zoom from noon-1:30 p.m. each day.

The Inclusive Excellence Symposium promotes racial, cultural and ethnic diversity and inclusiveness in the USU community by offering education, research and training for understanding the experiences of underrepresented groups.

Aggies Think Care Act chose “Black Lives Matter” as the theme for this year’s symposium to encourage the academic environment to join the national conversation on race and inequality in the U.S.

“By focusing on ‘Black Lives Matter’ as the theme for the symposium, we’re building a foundation for our campus community to understand and counteract racism that affects all marginalized communities,” Cockett said. “At USU, we acknowledge the negative impact of historical factors and their effect on bias, inequity and discrimination. As a land-grant university, access to education for all people and research that benefits society are the basis of everything we do. Enhancing a thoughtful understanding of racism and the varying perspectives of this issue better supports our students to be effective citizens and leaders, both locally and globally.”

Each session of the five-day virtual event will feature a speaker discussing the theme and its application in the community.

• Monday, Oct. 26 – Marisela Martinez-Cola, Utah State University – Voices and Visions of Black Lives that Mattered
• Tuesday, Oct. 27 – Brandon Manning, Texas Christian University – On the Issue of Mattering: Black Lives and the Changing Landscape of Resistance
• Wednesday, Oct. 28 – Michael Ray Charles, University of Houston – Black Experiences as Described in Art and Pop Culture
• Thursday, Oct. 29 – Jamal-Jared Alexander and Amand Hardiman, Doctoral Students Utah State University – Involved to Evolve: Student Voices on Campus Climate and Sense of Belonging
• Friday, Oct. 30 – Lesther Papa, UC San Francisco – A Journey on Allyship

There is no cost to participate in the symposium, but those who wish to attend must register online.