Latinx Heritage Month (federally designated as Hispanic Heritage Month in 1988) is observed from September 15 to October 15 each year. This month celebrates the rich history and culture of individuals whose ancestors came from the Carribean, Central and South America, Mexico, and Spain. September 15 is significant as it marks the anniversary of independance for multiple Latin American countires, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. This is follwed by Mexico’s Independence Day on September 16 and Chile’s Independence Day on September 18.
During this 30-day period, MSU Denver’s Center for Multicultural Engagement & Inclusion (CMEI), the Center for Equity and Student Achievement (CESA), the Gender Institute for Teaching and Advocacy (GITA), the Chicana/o Studies Department, and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion will be facilitating programs and events highlighting the historical and contemporary contributions of the Latinx community to the fabric of our campus and society. You can learn more about these events and the celebration of Latinx Heritage Month on the CMEI website.
The Social Work DEI Team wants to recognize Dr. Adriana Nieto, Chair of the Department of Chicana/o Studies, for becoming a full professor at MSU Denver! Dr. Nieto holds a B.A. in Latin American Studies & Women’s Studies and an M.A. in Latin American Studies: Gender Studies and Borderland History, both from the University of New Mexico, as well as a Ph.D. in Religious and Theological Studies from the University of Denver Iliff School of Theology. Learn more about Dr. Nieto on the Chicana/o Studies website – congratulations on this amazing accomplishment Dr. Nieto!
The Social Work DEI Team wants to recognize the breadth of diversity, equity, and inclusion work being done in our Department and the larger MSU Denver community as well as amplify the voices of those from historically silenced communities. Have a story you want to share with us for a chance to be featured on our website? Submit it today!
Welcome Statement
To our Social Work Community:
MSU Denver Department of Social Work has embarked on a journey to provide the necessary supports and resources to the department to ensure that we create a culturally responsive professional and academic learning environment truly rooted in an anti-oppressive social work practice. We invite the Department, students, and partnering agencies to actively engage in and create spaces for critical reflexivity, self-awareness, and discussions around the dismantling of oppressive systems.
The social work profession is built upon a set of core values that recognize the “dignity and worth of the person,” “the importance of human relationships,” and “social justice” (NASW, 2021, preamble). MSU Denver strongly believes that social work education is based on belief that reform is necessary within most social systems, whereby the social work curriculum is uniquely situated to provide the basic understanding and implementation of incremental and significant changes across the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. Understanding how discrimination characterizes and shapes the human experience and development of identity, diversity, equity, and inclusion work must be recognized as foundational to the social work education experience.
Please join the Department as we hold brave spaces to embrace intersectional identifies and confront oppressive systems.
Mission Statement
To provide the necessary supports and resources to the department to ensure that we create a culturally responsive professional and academic learning environment truly rooted in an anti-oppressive social practice.
Vision Statement
MSU Denver Social Work Department strives to practice, promote, and educate the Council on Social Work Education’s competencies regarding diversity and social justice. Specifically, to engage diversity and difference in practice and advance human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice.
Meet the DEI Team
Tanya Greathouse, LCSW, Ph.D.
DEI Co-Coordinator, OSWSS and Field Liaison, Faculty/Staff Consultations and Support
Designated affinity spaces for students to receive support and to build community.
Pedagogy & Diversity Workshops
Designated space for faculty and staff to engage in candid conversations about training, education and support related to teaching and facilitating critical conversations about diversity and social justice.
Student Affinity Spaces
Student Affinity Spaces are a place where groups of people are drawn together because of shared strong interests, characteristics or engagement in a common activity. The goals of affinity spaces are:
Provide a space of belonging for individuals
The aim is to allow space for individuals to engage in reflexive, vulnerable conversations that are supportive and promote growth
If you have questions about any of the student affinity groups, please email the group facilitator. As of Fall 2022, we are offering the following affinity spaces:
BIPOC Student Affinity Group (facilitated by Professor Bianca Brandon, [email protected]), meets virtually the 4th Tuesday of each month at 1:15 PM
Black-Identified Student Affinity Group (facilitated by Professor Bianca Brandon, [email protected]), meeting date and time TBD
First-Generation Student Affinity Group (facilitated by Dr. Dawn Matera Bassett [email protected]), meets virtually the 4th Tuesday of each month at 1:15 PM
Latin/a/o/x Student Affinity Group (facilitated by Professor Marina Pereira, [email protected]), meets virtually the 4th Tuesday of each month at 1:15 PM
LGBTQIA+ Student Affinity Group (facilitated by Stevie Noll), meets virtually the 4th Thursday of each month at 3:00 PM (in September it will be on the 5th Thursday, September 29)
Men in Social Work Student Affinity Group (facilitated by Dr. Matt Drake, [email protected]), meets virtually the 4th Tuesday of each month at 1:15 PM
Neurodiverse & Disabled Student Affinity Group (facilitated by Caitlin Plamp, [email protected], and Dr. Julie Clockston, [email protected]), meets virtually the 4th Tuesday of each month at 1:15 PM
White-Identified Student Affinity Group (facilitated by Dr. Lori Darnel, [email protected]), meets virtually the 4th Tuesday of each month at 1:15 PM
Pedagogy & Diversity (P&D) is a workshop that welcomes all social work faculty and staff. The goals of P&D are:
to provide a space where faculty and staff can have candid conversations about training, education and support related to teaching and facilitating critical conversations about diversity and social justice
to serve as a place where individuals can discuss how issues of diversity, intersectionality and oppression influence teaching, classroom environments, student interactions and the overall campus culture and climate.
to deepen the capacity of individuals to explore and develop their awareness and skill to manage critical conversations.
For more information, contact Dr. Julie Clockston via email at [email protected]
As of Fall 2022, we are offering the following P&D Spaces:
P&D Faculty and Staff focused 1619 Project with Dr. Tanya Greathouse – this group must be registered for.
In April of 2022, the MSU Denver social work department, with the full support of our Chair Dr. Jessica Retrum, our DEI Coordinator, Dr. Tanya Greathouse, and the DEI committee, had the pleasure of supporting and sponsoring B L A C X E R A.
B L A C X E R A is a student organization at the Metropolitan State University of Denver founded in 2020 by X.
The Purpose: This student organization saw a need to support Black students and the Black community at the height of the double pandemic as we simultaneously grappled with COVID and Black Lives Matter protests to dismantle oppression, racism, discrimination, and abuse of power and police brutality. B L A C X E R A exists at MSU Denver to foster a sense of community and collective support across ethnic intersectional differences for those who identify as Black, African, Afro-Latinx, Caribbean, and mixed-race Black identified students. Black folx are not a monolith, and B L A C X E R A strives to make sure Black identified students do not exist in a vacuum. Recently B L A C X E R A presented a pop-up shop on campus titled HER X HUSTLE celebrating Black women entrepreneurship which featured a panel with Black women entrepreneurs discussing business and women ownership. Please see the video to learn more about B L A C X E R A and incredible business entrepreneurship from the knowledgeable and talented panel. For more information, email [email protected]
We look forward to seeing more events in the future
Asé
MSU Denver DEI Committee
*Asé (pronounced Ah-Shay) is an African word from the Yoruba language, which originated in the country of Nigeria.
Contact the DEI Team
If you have any DEI related questions, concerns, curiosities, or if you are in need of a consultation please reach out or submit a contact form!
