By Kevin Keenan, communication intern in the Office of University Relations
A new school year at Marquette University is underway which means there are many familiar and new faces on campus, including those of employees.
Marquette is home to several employee resource groups (ERGs). The primary objectives of ERGs are to promote a sense of community, build personal and professional networks, enhance employee support and retention, and assist in attracting new employees to Marquette to foster a diverse and inclusive community.
Here is a quick rundown of each ERG at Marquette, including some words from the director(s) about why their ERG is important, how it enhances campus and more:
Hispanic/Latinx Faculty and Staff Association
The Hispanic/Latinx Faculty and Staff Association is a place where members gather and share their successes and concerns with colleagues who perhaps could give insight and advice or a shoulder to lean on. It is a community that understands firsthand the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion at Marquette and in greater society as well as how it impacts and improves the well-being of all.
The Hispanic/Latinx Faculty and Staff Association is dedicated to the advancement and contributions of the Hispanic/Latinx community at Marquette University.
The group is committed to the Catholic, Jesuit value of inclusiveness, and supports the success of Hispanic/Latinx students, staff and faculty. The group serves as a campus resource to raise awareness of Hispanic/Latinx issues and needs, promotes the richness of the Hispanic/Latinx culture, and helps strategize ways to increase inclusion and interaction among the different cultures represented by Marquette’s faculty and staff.
“As the ERG community has grown, more people learn about the different groups they identify with and are drawn to,” says Yvonna Rosa-Collins, co-director of the Hispanic/Latinx Faculty and Staff Association and anatomical lab coordinator in the Biomedical Sciences Department in the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences. “In five years, we would like to have a community where all are welcome to share in fellowship support, and a good meal more frequently.”
Yvonne Printz, college division counselor, also serves as co-director of the ERG.
For more information, contact Yvonna Rose-Collins or Yvonne Printz.
LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group
The LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group organizes social and educational events for faculty and staff who identify as LGTBQ+ or as allies.
The group aims to build a supportive and affirming atmosphere for LGBTQ+ staff and faculty at Marquette and create an environment where members can bring up issues of concern, share ideas for events, experiences, and connect with one another across campus.
The camaraderie fostered through the group has been valuable and has led to great ideas that have been implemented on campus, such as “We Are Marquette” rainbow stickers that faculty and staff have put outside of their offices. The stickers have made such an impact on students who love the visibility.
“Students have formed relationships with our members where they can confide in them and find the support they need,” says Patrick Correia-Harker, co-director of the LGBTQ+ ERG and assistant director of national recruitment in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. “To me, ‘culture of inclusion’ means that people can live authentic lives while being welcomed, valued and respected. Therefore, our ERG is so important because we have built a community where we support each other and help create a sense of belonging.”
Rick Boyd, teaching instructor of physics in the Klingler College of Arts Sciences, also serves as co-chair of the group.
For more information, contact Correia-Harker or Boyd.
Marquette Black Faculty and Staff Network
Marquette’s Black Faculty and Staff Network members actively take part in creative and innovative ways that support university employees, student communities, alumni groups and the university’s engagement in Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin.
The purpose of the group is to advocate and support Marquette’s efforts to attract employees from diverse backgrounds, providing guidance and support to students, and encourage greater participation in the life of the university.
“The Black Faculty and Staff Network resource group supports Marquette’s mission to strengthen Marquette’s commitment to equity and inclusion,” says Latrice Harris-Collins, interim executive director of the educational opportunity program.
For more information, contact Harris-Collins.
Marquette Moms Employee Resource Group
Marquette Moms is an ERG in which mothers who are faculty and staff at Marquette can share milestones and complications that come with being a mom, ask for help, find commonality with others at important life moments, seek balance, make friends, become a part of a community, and more.
“Our children differ in age, and we are very different people, but we are all parents, and trying to do the best we can for our children,” says Brigid Kinsella-Alba, director of the Marquette Moms Employee Resource Group. “I think we do this by creating different ways and levels for people to connect. Whether it’s the Teams chat, Mother’s Day luncheon, service opportunity, or in-person check-ins, we try to make sure each member feels like they belong.”
For more information, contact Kinsella-Abla.
Marquette Social Professionals Employee Resource Group
Marquette Social Professionals (MSP) welcomes all Marquette employees to join peers from across campus in a variety of social events and activities throughout the year.
Through social engagement and interaction, MSP seeks to foster strong employee connections between professionals from different disciplines, offices and initiatives to form a well-rounded understanding of how various roles contribute to the university’s mission and success.
“Basically, the only thing that is a given that participants have in common is that we all work at Marquette. Hopefully, though, by bringing people together outside of their job duties, we find out we have so much more than that in common,” says Kirsten Boeh, MSP chair and communications coordinator in the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences. “It is more than just social, though. From a business perspective, building empathy and awareness of other jobs on campus improves productivity. As you meet people across campus that you would not normally run into within the typical workday silos, you become aware of other resources, strategies and opportunities.”
For more information, contact Boeh.
Sustainable Marquette Employee Resource Group
The Sustainable Marquette Employee Resource Group supports Marquette’s guiding values and pledges to pray for, learn about, assess, act upon, and advocate for climate justice.
By providing a platform for shared resources, workshops and discussions, the group seeks to engage faculty and staff in incorporating sustainable practices into their personal and professional lives.
Chelsea Malacara, sustainability and energy management coordinator for Facilities Planning and Management, says the group uses listservs to send out notices about workshops and other professional development opportunities being offered by various sustainability-related organizations.
The group has also started a quarterly newsletter that Malacara says shines a spotlight on Marquette employees who are real sustainability champions, gives book and podcast recommendations, highlights Marquette sustainability news, and promotes events hosted by the ERG.
“ERGs are a way to create a sense of belonging to this community beyond the job description,” Malacara says. “I believe it leads to happier employees and makes up the campus culture.”
For more information, contact Malacara via email or via the Sustainable Marquette Employee Resource Group website.
Women of Marquette Employee Resource Group
The Women of Marquette Employee Resource Group is a support network that promotes internal and external events for women, in collaboration with campus partners.
The group’s goal is to connect and empower women across campus and affirm and enhance their contributions to the university community.
The Women of Marquette ERG will empower professional, personal and spiritual growth through career development and educational workshops, volunteer opportunities, networking, information sharing, mentoring, and speaker panels.
“Employee support and engagement is imperative to recruitment and retention of our amazing faculty and staff,” Baseheart, founder and co-chair of the Women of Marquette Employee Resource Group, says. “We have such an incredible community of women at Marquette my goal is to better connect us all.”
For more information, contact Baseheart.
Womxn of Color ERG
The Womxn of Color Employee Resource Group aims to affirm and build community among Marquette employees who identify as “womxn of color” (LGBTQ+ inclusive) through programming, social events, community engagement and networking opportunities.
The group’s objective is to provide resources for underrepresented women in a variety of formal and informal ways.
There are challenges unique to women with different identities across race, gender and socioeconomic status. The Womxn of Color ERG provides a space to share and grow with these challenges in the company of others who can relate.
“The Womxn of Color ERG seeks to provide just such an environment where all are welcomed, supported, recognized and valued,” says Sheena Carey, chair of the Womxn of Color Employee Resource Group and lecturer in the Diederich College of Communication. “Because our group is multiethnic with multiple identities, we reach across and connect to all the other ERGs and work in concert with their efforts to provide support in areas that may be found lacking in our workplace.”
For more information, visit the Womxn of Color ERG website or contact Carey.
