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Keep Calm and Study On: Diversity and Inclusion Resources

LibGuide serves as a platform to support Butler University students, faculty and staff during remote learning through a variety of resources to engage students academically and socially.

In these new and turbulent times, diversity and inclusion has never been threatened more. For international students, these times breed uncertainty and confusion in regards to financial aid, visas, and completing classes from a different time zone and continent. For students with disabilities, new and unprecedented challenges are brought forth by classes being solely online. For LGBTQ+ students, new methods need to be secured in order to navigate technology based issues like dead naming and misuse of pronouns, as well as dealing with potentially unsupportive and abusive households. This LibGuide will cover all of these topics and more, in an attempt to assist students in returning to a new normal.

Diversity and Inclusion in the COVID Era

Things to Remember Throughout Social Isolation

  • You have allies--identify who they are
    • If you have been forced to move back in with openly transphobic or homophobic family members, take the time to identify your allies. This could be siblings, aunts/uncles, family friends, or old teachers/bosses, even friends outside your immediate circle. There are people who love and support you, finding them and relying on them is more important than ever.
  • Reach out to friends
    • You have spent the last few months or years building a support system. Now, more than ever, rely on that support system to get through difficult times
  • Use fiction to escape
    • Book Suggestion: Red, White, and Royal Blue 
    • Movie Suggestion: Love, Simon and Moonlight
  • ​Remember that you are not the problem
    • Being queer is a beautiful thing. Being queer is not an issue. 
  • Remember you are not alone
    • Dealing with homophobic or transphobic family members can be extremely isolating, but it is important to know that you are not alone. There are people in your life who love you and accept you for who you are, no questions asked. 
    • The Human Rights campaign compiled a list of online and phone resources for queer youth. If you need to talk to someone, take a look at these resources!

International Students

As a result of COVID-19, circumstances revolving around international students have never been more confusing. Many adjustments have been made by the federal government to assist international students in their transition to online learning and living far away from home or campus. Some of these adjustments include:

  • A federal program that oversees international students in the United States is working to be flexible with oversight requirements as colleges transition to remote teaching.
  • The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Student and Exchange Visitor Program has designed new guidelines for procedural adaptations for international students. These include expanding options for schools utilizing online education. 
  • The Department of Education expanded options for colleges to use distance learning technologies, so long as they include instructors maintaining significant contact with students.
    • The guidance of the Department of Education includes an allowance for colleges to make changes without going through the department's typical approval process, and it allows accreditors to waive certain requirements.

Asian Students

In the current political climate, there is a large amount of tension and Coronavirus related racism occurring that targets Asian Americans. As a result, the Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Council has developed a reporting platform for those experiencing this type of racism. Additionally, the National Association of School Psychologists has compiled educational resources for teachers and other educators to counter Coronavirus related stigma and racism.

HuffPost has also compiled a list of self-care tips for Asian Americans dealing with racism during the Coronavirus. Some of these tips include:

  1. Reaching out to friends who understand what you're going through.
  2. Avoid the media and television for a little while.
  3. Prepare yourself to go to the grocery store. 
  4. If you are discriminated against, always put your safety first.
  5. Read books written for and by Asian Americans.

Butler University COVID-19 Student Disability Services Procedures for Students

Testing Accommodations

Despite the fact that students cannot take exams in the SDS testing center, they are still able to receive their extended time. In order to secure this, continue to submit exam requests through SDS's online request form as usual. If students are unsure about how to navigate testing in their homes, they can reach out to SDS for assistance.

COPHS (College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences) Students

Exams for this college will be administered through ExamSoft exams. Instructions for this should have been sent out already. If you did not receive instructions, reach out to SDS.

Meetings with SDS Staff

If a student has regularly scheduled meetings with Hanna or Kathleen, they should have reached out to you about how to best move forward. They are able to provide these meetings via Zoom, and will set those up on an individual basis. 

If students need additional assistance regarding their accommodations or have additional concerns, they should reach out to SDS and the SDS staff members will be available to assist them via Zoom.

There are many applications available that could be beneficial for online learning. These resources include:

Apps for Dyslexic Learners

Apps for Visually Impaired Learners

Apps for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired

CONTACT

Email Butler University Libraries
Irwin Library: 317-940-9227
Science Library: 317-940-9937

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