EDI Certificate

The Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Certificate Program is a free, non-credit certificate option at UW-Superior that is open to all students, staff, and faculty. Certificate sessions are led by staff from the campus’ Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Department and select campus partners. Participation in this program provides direct experience in working with and communicating across differences while engaging in both personal and professional development. There are three key takeaways of the program:   

  • Gaining terminology and knowledge of diverse identities and communities
  • Understanding how to support and engage people in their own lived experience
  • Having the opportunity to participate in personal reflection and delve deeper into various topics as they relate to equity, diversity, and inclusion

None of the certificate sessions have pre-requisites, so you may take any session at any point in time. You can also attend sessions for personal knowledge or development without completing a certificate. If you want to earn a certificate, we offer both a Basic Certificate and Advanced Certificate as outlined in the following section.

Core Curriculum and Requirements

Basic EDI Certificate Curriculum

  • Embracing Diversity and Telling Your Story
  • Green Zone
  • Indigenous Identity
  • LGBTQ2+ 101
  • Supporting International Students
  • Supporting Growth in Nontraditional Students
  • Supporting Students with Differing Abilities
  • Understanding Historically Excluded and Marginalized Student Populations

Advanced EDI Certificate Curriculum

  • Complete the Basic EDI Certificate Curriculum
  • Bystander Intervention and Difficult Dialogues
  • Historic and Multigenerational Trauma
  • Power, Privilege, and Oppression
  • Unconscious Bias
  • Complete two (2) elective sessions
  • Complete one of the following:
    • Four (4) additional elective sessions OR
    • Six (6) service-hours related to equity and diversity initiatives

Completing the EDI Advanced Certificate:

For the final requirement of the Advanced EDI Certificate, you may choose whether to take four (4) additional elective sessions or complete six (6) service-hours related to equity and diversity initiatives.

Elective Sessions

Sessions that count toward the Advanced EDI Certificate elective requirements will be noted as “elective sessions” in the Campus Digest weekly session posts and in each session’s description. Elective sessions offered will vary from semester to semester. Here are some examples of classes that have been offered for elective sessions as a part of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Advanced Certificate:

  • Trans+
  • Being Out/Supporting LGBT+ Colleagues in the Work Force
  • Race and Racism
  • Supporting First-Generation Students
  • Traditional Ojibwe Storytelling
  • TwoSpirits: Sacred Intersection of Gender Roles and Identities 
  • Diversity Advocate 
  • Community and Policing
  • Veteran’s Suicide Prevention
  • Aspects and Impacts of Trans Violence 

You can find current elective sessions being offered through the EDI Department’s Campus Calendar or in the certificate-related posts in our Campus Digest. Any four electives that have not already been taken to satisfy the two mandatory elective sessions will count toward the option of additional electives requirement for earning the EDI Advanced Certificate.

Service-hours

If you choose to do the six service-hours instead of taking additional electives, you can do this work through your involvement at UWS (such as committee work, special projects, session facilitation, etc.), by volunteer work in the local community, or service in a regional or national capacity. You must submit a short reflection of the service work through ‘Jacket Hub after the hours are complete to fulfill this requirement. Fill out this form: Service Hours for EDI Advanced Certificate. It will include:

  • A description of the project or service you did for your six (6) service-hours
  • Reflections on how the certificate sessions impacted or supported the service hours you completed
  • The impact/experience you personally took away from these service-hours (in other words, what the service meant to you)
  • Your thoughts on how you will continue engaging in EDI work as you move forward – either what you plan to do or how you are thinking you’ll stay engaged in this type of work

If you have questions about completing the Advanced EDI Certificate or are interested in doing the service-hours and wish to talk about potential projects, please contact T Leeper (tleeper@uwsuper.edu) for additional information or support.


Tracking and Awarding of Certificates

We are using ‘Jacket Hub to track all progress toward earning the Basic and Advanced EDI Certificates. If you have any questions regarding sessions or need assistance in tracking progress, please contact the EDI Department (edi@uwsuper.edu) for support.

All certificates will be awarded at the end of the academic semester during which they were completed. If you have finished either certificate offering, you will receive an email invitation to attend and be recognized at our end of semester EDI Ceremony. A physical copy of the certificate(s) will be awarded at this ceremony, and a digital copy can be emailed upon request by contacting the EDI email listed above. If you do not attend the EDI Ceremony, you will need to send an email to EDI and schedule a time to pick up your certificate(s). If you are an off-campus, distance-learning student who cannot attend the ceremony or stop by campus, please email EDI with your current mailing address if you wish to receive a physical copy of your certificate.