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First cohort of Clemson employees earn Strategic Inclusion Excellence Certificates

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Twenty-five Clemson University employees became the first to earn the Division of Inclusion and Equity’s Strategic Inclusive Excellence Certificate (SIEC) during a ceremony at the Madren Conference Center and Inn on October 19. The SIEC program was created to help faculty, staff and graduate students develop the skills needed to advance Clemson’s equity, diversity and inclusion.

“Due to COVID, it took almost two years for the first cohort to complete all of the modules for our inaugural Strategic Inclusive Excellence Certificate,” said Lee Gill, chief Inclusion officer and special assistant to the president for inclusive excellence. “These 25 individuals demonstrated a considerable determination to gain new insights into the importance of inclusive excellence at Clemson. The learning outcomes also provided an awareness of the richness of our differences and the strengths of our commonalities. We salute Clemson’s newest ambassadors as we all continue to work together, making Clemson University a better place.”

The SIEC program is part of a long-term plan recommended by the history task force and adopted by Clemson’s Board of Trustees in 2016 to develop a comprehensive set of actionable recommendations for how the University can better tell its complete history in a way that is “forthcoming, accurate and beneficial.”

The program supports the University’s strategic plan and is based on the American Association of Colleges and Universities’ (AAC&U) guiding principles for access, student success and high-quality learning.

The first employees to receive the SIEC are:

Kristin Goodenow                   CBSHS 

Rooksie Noorai                       Biological Sciences     

Denise Boyter                         Application Services  

Ann Marie Alexander              Corporate Partners & Strategic Initiatives    

Brad Jones                              Biological Sciences     

Dorothy Canfield                    Application Services  

Anna Lee McTeer                    Biological Sciences     

Aaron Bunch                           Wildlife and Fish Biology       

Shauna Hines-Farmer             Cooperative Education          

Claire Dancz                            Watt Family Innovation Center

Susan McKenzie Reeves         Watt Family Innovation Center         

Holly Vaughan                         University Housing     

Tara Weekes                           Clemson University Libraries 

McKenzie McNamara             Student Health Center           

Darlene K. Fink                        Application Services  

Jessica L. Serrao                      Clemson University Libraries 

Cierra Townson                       Counselor Education 

Jessica Owens                         Academic Success Center      

Laura Love                              Biological Sciences     

Marjorie Campbell                  CCIT Internal Operations       

Rebecca Nelms                       CCIT Internal Operations       

Angel Perkins                          formerly with South Carolina Botanical Gardens

Kimberly Williams                   CCIT Customer Support         

Chrystal Everson                     CCIT Internal Operations       

Kim Carter                               Gantt Multicultural Center

President Jim Clements (back row, center) honors the first 25 Clemson employees to receive the SIEC, Chief Inclusion Officer and Special Assistant to the President for Inclusive Excellence Lee Gill (5th from right) and SIEC program administrators.

More about the University’s Strategic Inclusive Excellence Certificate (SIEC)

The SIEC is based on academic research in organizational leadership development, behavioral and social sciences and education. The interactive curriculum features real-life best practices from various organizations and uses case studies, videos, personal reflections, scenario analyses and group discussions.

The workshops give participants the opportunity to:

  • explore their backgrounds, identities and cultures,
  • earn foundational concepts related to diversity, equity and inclusion,
  • identify equitable practices and policies to promote success for all students, faculty and staff, and
  • build interdisciplinary relationships to enhance inclusive excellence.

The SIEC is a three-semester experience. The certificate requirements for entering participants are:

  • Semester One: 101 Core Workshop and three Elective Workshops
  • Semester Two: 201 Core Workshop, two Elective Workshops and one Elective Experience
  • Semester Three: 301 Core Workshop, two Elective Experiences and Capstone Campus Action Project

Interested?

Faculty, staff and graduate students interested in earning the SIEC can register through Tiger Training.