Called Kaleidoscope, TCU’s newest Employee Resource Group provides opportunities for faculty and staff to come together to learn more about multicultural and societal related events, issues and topics.

“This came from a lot of what we saw going on in the world in 2020,” said David Sommers, coordinator for Fraternity and Sorority Life, who organized the ERG with Stephen Dominy, associate director of Fraternity and Sorority Life; Reece Harty, a hall director in Residential Life; and Kristin Harris-McDonald, Ph.D., assistant director of training at the TCU Counseling & Mental Health Center.

“One of the DEI panel discussions held in the fall was a great aha moment where I thought, ‘I wish I could process more with people after hearing that.’ We want Kaleidoscope to provide a space and opportunity for TCU faculty and staff to learn more by looking at different viewpoints and asking critical questions of the work we do every day,” Sommers said.

Employee Resource Groups are employee-led groups comprising individuals with a common interest, issue or background. Backed by the TCU Office of Diversity and Inclusion, ERGs are an opportunity for employees to create an environment of belonging and promote an encouraging, supportive community.

The first meeting of the Kaleidoscope ERG is 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27, via Zoom (meeting ID: 981 7750 0745).

“The main purpose of this meeting is to gauge interest,” Sommers said. “We want to talk about goal setting and what we can accomplish during the spring semester.”

Kaleidoscope organizers developed numerous overarching topics to target, including white privilege and the white savior complex, cultural competence, the social and political climate at a historically white institution, bias and unconscious bias. They hope to develop an action plan after the first meeting.

“We want to let the ERG group members choose the specific direction we will focus on for the next month, including readings to help educate ourselves and the work and advocacy we can do at TCU and in the community. Our core target here is TCU staff and faculty members who desire self-growth and are very action oriented so that we can address our attitude toward anti-racism,” Sommers said.

“Now is the time to lean into our ERGs because they are really a great space to help us process things,” he added. “2020 has thrown a lot at us. As a Horned Frog family and community, ERGs are spaces where we can learn, grow and also build community. Each one of these ERGs allows for family to be built in a world that is consistently taking us through a loop.”

For more information on Kaleidoscope, email Sommers.

Additional ERGs at TCU:

Breathing Room provides support and career development to enhance the work environment for Black women faculty, staff and graduate students. Meetings and conversations are based on Six Dimensions of Wellness: physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, environmental and social. Contact Whitnee Boyd.

A League of Our Own provides community building among Latina faculty, staff and graduate students. The League provides an opportunity and a platform for those with similar cultural backgrounds, life and professional experiences to come together. Contact Cynthia Montes. 

Rainbow Alliance provides support and community building for members of the LGBTQ+ community at TCU. Gatherings, while social in nature, are designed to cultivate relationships across campus with the intention of better knowing members of our community and addressing the community’s needs. Contact Todd Boling. 

TCU Black Faculty and Staff Association brings together TCU’s Black faculty and staff to build a social network of camaraderie and support. The organization aims to promote the equitable recruitment, retention and advancement of Black employees, to facilitate professional and personal development opportunities, and to honor and celebrate the beautiful struggle of the Black experience with faculty, staff and students at TCU. Contact Stacie McCormick and Jane Mantey.

For more information about starting an ERG, contact Aisha Torrey-Sawyer, director of Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives.