WELCOME!
The Texas Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education is a chapter of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education and is aimed at leading higher education toward inclusive excellence through institutional change as well as supporting our membership of professionals through support and community.
Confronting Tragedy While Seeking Grace, Mercy, & Justice for All,
Where to begin… simply, many of us are reeling and this message won’t be one that diminishes that painful reality with carefully placed words that feign understanding when it’s impossible to find. Loss is difficult but when it is a consequence of violence, it is compounded by the violation of theft. Something feels stolen from us- a life or lives, a sense of safety, a sense of stasis, a sense of belonging. We can feel unmoored. In short, many of our community members are experiencing this unmooring. The mass shootings that gripped our Asian/ Asian American/ Pacific Islander communities in California
during the Lunar New Year celebrations in Monterey Park and in Half Moon Bay advanced fear and uncertainty for a community that has been confronting a wave of hate crimes in recent years. Please know that your healing is paramount and doesn’t have to be rushed or explained at the expense of decentering yourself during this time.
Recently, Tyre Nichols became the latest hash-tagged name on the lips of many in mourning, as Tyre was the latest victim of the systemic plague that is police brutality. Another life stolen. Snatched from the comforting embrace of those who called him “son,“ “father,” “loved one.” Robbed from years of life yet lived. For those of us continually bearing witness to these tragedies, healing can feel short-lived. There doesn’t seem to be time to recover from the seismic shift that systematic violence visits upon the community that it impacts, particularly for those who share an identity with the victims. For we are them and they are us and often, our mourning begins well before the footage goes viral to the rest of the world.
For those of you in the midst of exhaustion, frustration, and or emotional toil- I won’t ask you to lean in. I won’t ask you to be brave. I won’t ask you to labor. I won’t ask you to share your personal traumas to advance the understanding of others who haven’t lived it. I won’t ask anything of you because you owe none of us anything more than simply being while you grieve. Your courage comes through in your insistence to continue to exist. Please give yourself grace. Take the time you need; take up the space you need, even if it’s through the choice of silence as you process, and please access the resources of support available to help you get to the other side.
May not only justice but a sense of peace, find us all…
Humbly Yours in Solidarity,
Skyller Walkes, Ph.D., M.S.J.J., M.A., B.A.
Associate Dean, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Bias
The Columbia Climate School, Columbia University
TADOHE President's Letter
ADVANCING DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
Together, we can make a difference! Your support is important to our work and our work is important to your campus community. Here's how you can get involved with advancing diversity and inclusion in higher education:
BECOME A TADOHE INDIVIDUAL MEMBER
TADOHE's most valuable resource is our membership. Individual membership has its benefits and is just $75, with a 50% discount for NADOHE members. Your individual membership gives you access to our TADOHE Connections network of contact information for diversity professionals throughout the State of Texas, our Members-only Portal of diversity-related job opportunities in addition to all of TADOHE's professional development opportunities. Your individual membership goes with you wherever you go. So if you move to a new city or are in pursuit of new professional opportunities, your membership goes with you. Click here for more information about membership types and prices.
BECOME A TADOHE INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP
We believe the best way for our initiatives to be successful is for all members of the Higher Education Community to actively get involved. Institutional Membership is an easy and efficient way of contributing to the great work of the Texas Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education. When your campus becomes a member of TADOHE, we support your institution with a number of outstanding benefits such as free registration for all state meetings, organization training, workshops, and professional development (i.e. Title IX, legal & legislative updates, best practices for diversity and inclusive excellence, crisis management, etc.). In addition, your campus members are given a discounted rate for our summer conference. As an added benefit, your campus can request our on-site diversity and inclusion training & development workshop for upper-level administrators at no cost.
JOIN A COMMITTEE
Want to join our efforts but not sure where to start? Volunteer your time and take advantage of this incredible opportunity to contribute while enhancing your professional skills and portfolio. It’s a great way to contribute to our cause of diversity and inclusive excellence, and every little bit counts towards paving the path for a better tomorrow. Click here for more information TADOHE's sub-committees .
MAKE A DONATION
Our organization always appreciates the generosity and involvement of people like you. Every contribution will go towards making Texas Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education an even better Professional Organization than it already is. If you have any questions, please email us at info@tadohe.com.
STAY CONNECTED
TADOHE is a chapter of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education