ORLL Statement on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The Office of Residential Life and Learning (ORLL) strives to create inclusive residential spaces and communities at Tufts, which actively and warmly welcome people of all identities and from all backgrounds, engage students, and deepen connections. We commit to serving as advocates for our diverse student population and prioritize our community members’ abilities to communicate and support each other across differences, learn from one another, and promote positive change within our on-campus communities and in broader society.

We dedicate ourselves fully to the above mission and have worked intentionally on implementing these values into our work. Some of the ways we incorporate equity and inclusion into our daily operations are:

• Holding continuous equity and inclusion trainings for all our professional staff members, spearheaded by our Equity and Inclusion Committee, that focus on topics such as race, gender, and structures of power
• Creating intentional opportunities for our student staff, including our Resident Assistants, to learn about topics including social identities, privilege and oppression, and conscious and unconscious bias
• Continuously evaluating and improving our recruitment and selection practices for professional and paraprofessional staff, to build a diverse and inclusive team that reflects the culture of our campus community
• Consistently assessing our Housing Operations protocols and procedures to ensure they remain unbiased and equitable

Our Actions

• Our department read Radical Empathy by Terri E. Givens and discussed ways to apply its concepts to our self-work and work with students
• During our August 2021 RA Training, we had RAs complete a four-part online module surrounding social identities and inclusive practices
• During our April 2022 RA Training, RLCs facilitated an Equity & Inclusion activity that allowed for RAs to share important people, places, and traditions that have impacted their lives and identities with one another
• We collaborated with the University Chaplaincy for an RA in-service for the RAs to learn more about their resources and collaborate moving forward
• We developed a Land Acknowledgement to utilize in trainings and departmental events
• We developed an appeal process for residence hall lock-out fees in recognition of financial barriers this may present to our residential students