COVID-19 Resources

As we continue to navigate through the changes that COVID-19 has brought to our communities, region and beyond, the Office of Equity & Inclusion is committed to supporting you by sharing resources and information in order to help build a supportive, inclusive, and informed community. In times of uncertainty, it’s more important than ever that we ensure that all our decision-making and practices as a community be grounded in our institutional values of diversity, equity and social justice. It also means that we should be cognizant about how this public health crisis exacerbates the impact of historically rooted systems and ideologies that have promoted discrimination and social inequality among groups due to their race, ethnicity, gender, social economic class, nationality, religion, and their other intersecting identities.

With that said, recent news reports of Asian and Asian American people being targeted and victimized due to COVID-19 are deeply troubling. The widespread stigmatization of this community calls for us to stand firm in denouncing and combating the xenophobia and racism directed at members of the Asian and Asian American community as well as be in solidarity with them and all other minoritized groups who have experienced harm through this public health crisis. As we prepare for our transition to engaging with one another in virtual learning and working environments, it’s important that we be intentional in promoting a sense of belonging and community for all students, faculty, and staff. Moreover, we should act with diligence by identifying and removing hidden barriers that prevent our community from bringing their whole selves into online spaces.

In order to help foster a community of care and solidarity as we work together in virtual spaces, the Office of Equity & Inclusion, in collaboration with partners across campus, has compiled the following list of resources designed to promote equity and inclusiveness in online settings. In the coming days, Equity & Inclusion will establish a page on its website that will house this information going forward. If you have additional resources that you would like to share with our community, please send them to Sara Contreras at saracc@uw.edu.

• Race and Equity Initiative Website
• Addressing Microagressions in the classroom
• Maintaining Equity and Inclusion in Virtual Learning Environments- San Diego State University, Office of Diversity & Innovation
• Inclusion, Equity, and Access While Teaching Remotely- Rice University, Center for Teaching Excellence
• AAC&U’s Safeguarding Quality, Equity & Inclusion as Learning Moves Online
• 7 Best Practices for COVID-19 Necessitated Online Meetings- Inside Higher Ed
• Universal Design for Learning- Center for Teaching Innovation, Cornell University
• Mapping Access
• Inside Track’s page on Supporting Students in Crisis
• The Opportunity Agenda’s framework
• A General Guide to Netiquette

If you have experienced bias or discrimination during in-person or virtual encounters with other individuals, please consider using the following campus resources:

• UWT Bias Incident Reporting System
• UWT Campus Safety & Security
• University Complaint and Resolution Office (UCIRO)  
• Safe Campus
• Office of the Ombud

Please continue to take care of yourselves and others as we strive to stay in community, stay grounded by our values of diversity, equity and inclusion, and, most of all, stay hopeful.