Latest News from ODEI
The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is proud to host “An Evening with Reverend Dr. William Barber, II” on Friday, January 20, at 6:00 p.m. at the historic 16th Street Baptist Church.
The Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II is the President and Senior Lecturer of Repairers of the Breach; Co- Chair of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival; Bishop with The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries; Visiting Professor at Union Theological Seminary; and Senior Fellow at Auburn Seminary. For more than a quarter century, he has pastored the Greenleaf Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Goldsboro, North Carolina.
Dr. Barber comes to Birmingham to conclude UAB's annual recognition of Birmingham King Week by sharing his efforts to preserve Dr. Martin Luther King's legacy of a Poor People's Campaign. Dr. Barber will share how to embody the moral and socially just principles, inspired by Dr. King, and everyone's responsibility to continue its legacy.
The event is co-sponsored by UAB’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Institute for Human Rights, Division of Student Affairs, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, and the City of Birmingham Mayor’s Office.
The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Register at bit.ly/uab-williambarber. To request accessibility accommodations, please email
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) celebrates the rich diversity of our students, faculty, and staff and recognizes the diversity in our community during the holiday season.
As you prepare to celebrate the holidays, the Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) provides tips and strategies to ensure that you are creating an inclusive environment and planning appropriate activities and gatherings.
Educate, then Celebrate
An inclusive holiday season should not be limited to decorative flags and potluck dishes from different cultural and religious backgrounds. Consider an educational panel discussion, poster board presentations, or a shared slide show that allows employees to learn about underrepresented faith-based systems or religions. Also, consider that some of your employees may be non-religious, and provide opportunities to celebrate days that focus on advocating for all human rights. Given the wide range of ways people celebrate the holiday season, it is important to avoid giving the impression that one or some holidays take precedence over others.
Know Your Office
Engage in data collection (survey, email, direct communication) where employees can share the faith-based or religious holidays they celebrate. Be sure to communicate to employees that sharing information about their faith or winter holidays is voluntary. Ask participants to share the dates and methods of celebration of those holidays; the goal of collecting this information is to spread cultural awareness and foster inclusion during the winter holiday season.
Personal Holidays
Regular full-time employees in Workgroups A and F (Faculty) receive nine designated holidays and three personal holidays in 2022. UAB will be closed on December 23rd, December 26th, December 30th and January 2nd.
Personal Holidays or Vacation time may be used for faith-based holidays and cultural celebrations that take place on days when the University is open. As a reminder, all leave requests are approved at the discretion of the immediate supervisor.
Not a Zero-Sum Scenario
Remember that being inclusive of underrepresented winter holidays does not mean that you cannot celebrate Christmas. Inclusive excellence calls for collaboration and cohesion. Expanding the winter holiday festivities that your office celebrates asks participants to be mindful and compassionate towards all faith-based holidays.
Ignoring Faith and Religion can be harmful
Some might think that completely ignoring all religious and faith-based holidays is the best way to be inclusive. Faith and religion are important components of many employees’ lives and an important facet of diversity. It can impact how they approach their role, how they interact with their colleagues and students, and may underpin many other aspects of their identity.
Host a Two-Part Event
If you decide to host a holiday gathering for your employees, consider hosting a two-part event. The first phase of the celebration should be free of alcohol consumption and feature secular music. This could benefit employees from different religious groups, people who have experienced substance abuse disorders, or people who prefer to abstain from alcohol consumption. The event could feature words of appreciation, positive remarks, and moments of reflection. But always respect an employee’s decision not to participate in a holiday event or other celebration.
Inclusive Food
Be sure to provide food that is inclusive of the cultures and faiths that are represented in your department. Provide options that meet the dietary needs of your employees, including meals that are kosher, halal, vegan, or gluten free. Additionally, be mindful of the placement of food dishes. For example, you would not want to place shrimp or pork near vegan dishes.
Interfaith Calendar
Locate and distribute an interfaith calendar to promote awareness and intentional inclusion of underrepresented winter holidays. Be sure not to schedule any celebrations on any of the holidays. Click here to view an example.
The President and the Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the University of Alabama at Birmingham are currently seeking nominations for the 2023 President’s Diversity Champion Award, an annual honor recognizing significant achievements of faculty, staff, students and student organizations toward developing a more culturally diverse and inclusive university community.
The 2023 President’s Diversity Champion Award will include a new category, the Small Business Inclusion Advocate of the Year Award, to recognize an individual or department’s outstanding efforts in advancing purchasing, construction and professional service opportunities for diverse business enterprises.
Awards will be given in each of six categories (faculty, staff, undergraduate, graduate/professional student, student organization, and small business inclusion advocate of the year) for projects or activities that best reflect the implementation of unit and/or campus diversity goals. Nominees in each area must address the significance, implementation, and impact of the nominee’s action or project.
Any member of the UAB community can nominate a faculty member, staff member, student, student organization, or department for the awards. A nomination packet should include a completed nomination form, nomination letter, letters of support (up to three) and supporting evidence of the nominee’s work.
The deadline for nominations is Friday, Jan. 13, 2023.
Recipients of the award will be selected by the President’s Diversity Champion Award Selection Committee.
Click here to read the full guidelines and complete the nomination online.
The Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is proud to share that the University of Alabama at Birmingham is a member of the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD) and offers access to mentoring tools and support to be successful in the academy.
The NCFDD is a nationally recognized community, comprised of over 450 colleges and universities. As an independent faculty development center, the NCFDD is dedicated to supporting academics in making successful transitions throughout their careers and provides monthly webinars, multi-week courses, and writing challenges designed to help faculty, postdocs, and graduate students thrive in the academy.
"UAB is committed to supporting faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students with access to development opportunities and resources for their career success," said Pam Benoit, Ph.D., senior vice president for Academic Affairs and provost. "NCFDD programs provide members of our campus community with essential tools to enhance their skills, cultivate meaningful relationships, improve their productivity and establish a healthy work-life balance."
New UAB faculty, postdocs, and graduate students can activate their free membership by visiting www.facultydiversity.org/join. Returning faculty are encouraged to log in to view new resources and upcoming events.
“Our goal for the university’s NCFDD membership has always been to see faculty members, postdocs and graduate students elevate their work and research by tapping into the unlimited resources available to them,” says Paulette Patterson Dilworth, Ph.D., UAB’s vice president for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.
To learn more about NCFDD, visit www.uab.edu/dei/about/faculty-resources.
Anita Clemon, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, CAAP, assistant vice president for Institutional Equity, has announced she will retire, effective Aug. 31, after over 30 years at UAB.
She began her career in the Department of Medicine’s Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology. She later joined the Department of Pediatrics before transitioning to Human Resources, taking on a role in Employee Relations, then directing Employee Records and Compliance. She joined the Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in 2017. As AVP for Institutional Equity, Clemon is responsible for developing, implementing, and monitoring university programs, policies, and practices to promote and ensure compliance with the university’s affirmative action, equal opportunity, and nondiscrimination policies. She also serves as the Staff Affirmative Action Officer for the institution.
During her tenure, Clemon worked to get paid parental leave, been a member of the Oracle implementation project team, oversaw access to lactation rooms across the campus and hospital, and, most recently, in 2021, helped launch the Diversity Dashboard.
"Anita has been a great and trusted colleague. She has left an incredible legacy of a commendable work ethic and excellent service. We know that she will continue to impact society with her enthusiasm," said Paulette Patterson Dilworth, PhD, Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. "Her retirement marks the end of a chapter at UAB. As she begins the next chapter, we wish her well and that her story will be even more inspiring."
Clemon earned a B.S. degree from the Collat School of Business in 1990. She is a past president of the National Alumni Society, past president of the UAB Commission on the Status of Women, and a 1989 initiate of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., UAB's Iota Phi Chapter. An active community participant in the greater Birmingham area, Clemon is a recent graduate of Leadership Hoover, a 2018 Momentum Executive Class Alumna, a member of the Board for the Children’s Aid Society of Alabama, and was recently appointed to Board for the Birmingham Urban League.
“I hope I have left people better than I found them in the years I have been here because UAB has certainly left me better,” said Clemon.
A retirement reception will be in the AB Penthouse Large Conference Room Thursday, Aug. 25 from 3:00 to 4:30 pm. Light refreshments will be served. RSVP to