In 2022, Michigan State University Federal Credit Union’s (MSUFCU) Learning and Development (L&D) team offered a required course called Cultivate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Course content was designed internally in collaboration with the HR and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) departments and incorporated concepts from universities and institutions such as the University of Michigan Program on Intergroup Affairs and the Cycle of Socialization created by Bobbi Harro.
Program Details
Primary topics in the coursework include exploring community guidelines that require learners to consider how they show up and interact in DEIB discussions; the Cycle of Socialization; social identities; microaggressions; micro-interventions; and reviewing the How to Be a Good Ally Guide created internally by the director of DEI, chief human resources officer, and vice president of HR.
In the two-hour instructor-led portion (virtual or in person), topics are reinforced through whole group and small group discussions and other social learning activities. This course features one hour of pre-work that includes watching videos, self-reflection, and setting a goal to be a better ally. It also includes a set of post-work reflection questions to be discussed with managers, as well as suggestions for continued learning, such as joining an Affinity Group, attending a presentation of the Ask Me Anything series (a series built on individuals sharing their story to build cultural competency), and attending a DEIB enrichment instructor-led course.
Officially launched in 2022, the Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series was adapted from Internet platforms such as Reddit. Through storytelling, MSUFCU creates the opportunity for employees to participate in social learning and to be exposed to unfamiliar or new viewpoints, prompting self-reflection. The Ask Me Anything Series had a full year of storytellers with more 200 employees attending sessions. Seven employees shared their stories on topics such as:
- LGBTQIA+ and Spiritual Identity
- Navigating Society with Achondroplasia
- Dwarfism
- Raising a Child on the Autism Spectrum
- The Importance of a Name and Why Pronouns Matter
- The Journey of Advocating for Your Child’s Needs
- Widowed at a Young Age
A new component of the training was the Manager/Lead/Trainer sessions. Rather than just offering the same content covered with all employees, MSUFCU designed sessions to first cover the role managers/leads play in learning transfer and reinforcing learning.
For post-work application, employees highlight one Ally Action Step they can take in the next 90 days to be a better ally in how equity and inclusion influence the credit union’s success. They discuss this with their manager in either a monthly coaching session or quarterly conversation in the month following the training (managers are prepared for these conversations in their version of the DEIB training). In that meeting, they also review takeaways, application, and additional learning opportunities.
As added opportunities for reinforcement, the L&D department in collaboration with DEIB, hosts a set of enrichment courses each year throughout the year, many of which include and build upon DEIB-related concepts. Employees and managers are encouraged to recommend these options for their team members in the year following their training, as well as to explore the DEIB blog, which posts monthly. All employees also are encouraged to publicly praise their teammates all year using the credit union’s employee recognition platform. Each post correlates to MSUFCU’s core values. Cultivate Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging received 226 recognitions.
Results
As part of the Gallup Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging survey, employees rate their peers’ behavior related to demonstrating appreciation for diverse individuals. Question #12 of the survey states, “Employees at the credit union appreciate others whose backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences are different from their own.” Employees rated one another 4.33 out of 5 on this question, up from 4.27 in 2021.
“My supervisor creates an environment that is trusting and open” is another question in this survey, asking employees to rate their leaders’ effectiveness at creating inclusion and belonging. Employees rated their leaders 4.45 out of 5 in 2022, up from 4.31 in 2021.
Overall, on the benchmark question, “Everyone at this organization is treated fairly regardless of ethnic background, race, gender, age, disability, or other differences not related to job performance,” employees rated MSUFCU at 4.43, an increase from 4.35 the year before.
