attendees of Office of Inclusion and Diversity event

ADVOCATES AND ALLIES

The Advocates and Allies program was developed at North Dakota State University through an NSF ADVANCE grant to help men better understand gender inequity, so they can provide a more inclusive environment for women.  Auburn University has adopted this program and developed workshops to help men faculty and staff members better understand biases and how they can be more supportive of their women colleagues.  The workshops are presented by men faculty/staff to men faculty/staff to facilitate frank and open discussion of these important issues.

MISSION AND OBJECTIVES

The Advocates, a subgroup of the Commission for Gender Equity, is a network of men working, in partnership with women in the Commission, to empower other men to be advocates for gender-equitable policies and practices as well as foster a culture of gender inclusiveness.

The main objectives of the Advocates group are to:

  1. Support the mission and priorities of the Commission for Gender Equity.

  2. Increase gender inequity awareness among the Auburn family and beyond, and equip everyone with the skills to address these inequities.

  3. Develop an expanding network of men allied with women to promote a climate of gender equity.

  4. Advocate for campus policies that improve conditions for gender equity.

WORKSHOPS

The 1.5-hour workshop introduces concepts and issues related to gender equity to initiate discussions of how gender inequities are manifested in the participants’ individual experiences and strategies for advocating for gender equity.

 

Two Spring 2023 sessions will take place in September in the Brown-Kopel Grant Hall: 

 

  • Wednesday, February 22, 3:00-4:30 pm: How to be an Ally: Discussion of Scenarios with Opportunities for Advocating for Gender Equity

 

  • Tuesday, March 21, 3:30-5:00 pm: How to be an Ally: Discussion of Scenarios with Opportunities for Advocating for Gender Equity

REGISTER HERE

 

The Advocates welcome requests to facilitate workshops with any interested groups and are working on alternative formats for different situations and contexts.  To request a workshop or for additional information please contact Jeff Fergus, ferguje@auburn.edu, 334-844-3405.

CURRENT ADVOCATES

  • Vinamra Agrawal, Associate Professor, Aerospace Engineering

  • Anthony Dannar, Instructor, Communications

  • Jeff Fergus, Associate Dean and Professor, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering

  • Matthew Miller, Associate Professor, Kinesiology

  • Robert Pantazes, Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering

  • Tal Peretz, Associate Professor, Sociology and Women & Gender Studies

  • William Rankin, Assistant Director, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering

  • Richard Sesek, Associate Professor, Industrial and Systems Engineering

  • Dan Svyantek, Chair and Professor, Psychological Sciences

  • David Timm, Brasfield & Gorrie Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

  • Charlie Wilder, Senior Analyst, Office of Academic Insights