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Building Belonging: An Employee Professional Development Program
Program Description
Building Belonging is a professional development program that supports Cal Poly employees in expanding their knowledge and strengthening their skills to foster a welcoming and safe university community. The program emphasizes belonging as a foundation for campus wellbeing and student success, while encouraging participants to actively foster a culture in which every member of the Cal Poly community feels valued and supported.
This program introduces shared institutional language and provides employees with centralized educational resources. Workshops are connected to key initiatives across Cal Poly and the CSU, including the CSU Mission, student success priorities, and university and systemwide strategic plans. Through interactive, reflective, and community-centered learning opportunities, participants will learn practical strategies for creating inclusive campus environments and engaging in meaningful dialogue with colleagues. Workshops are designed to meet participants at any stage of their learning, regardless of prior knowledge or experience.
Program Overview
Workshops are designed to serve employees across all units, departments, and divisions. The program consists of three workshops, which may be taken individually or in any order. Each workshop will be offered once per quarter during the 2025–2026 academic year: in person at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo during fall and spring, and virtually in winter to ensure access for all employees, including those at Cal Poly Maritime Academy and the Solano Campus. While there is no requirement to complete all three workshops, participants who wish to do so are welcome to spread them out across different quarters.
This program is offered by the Office for University Diversity and Inclusion (OUDI) in partnership with Employee and Organization Development (EOD) and the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology (CTLT). We encourage managers to support their teams by encouraging participation—helping staff contribute meaningfully to a campus climate that reflects and supports the needs of our increasingly diverse Cal Poly community.
Workshop Descriptions
Below you will find the titles and descriptions for our Building Belonging academic year 2025-2026 workshop series. These workshops are designed to give you an overview of the learning opportunities available this year through this program.
Workshop I: One Cal Poly
This workshop will introduce participants to the Building Belonging series and provide essential context about the people, initiatives, and mission that make up Cal Poly. Attendees will gain a foundational understanding of shared campus language and federal designations, as well as institutional knowledge and tools to help them feel more confident and supported in their roles. This session will cover the demographic breakdown of students, staff, and faculty of the Cal Poly SLO and Cal Maritime Academy, and introduce key campus initiatives, particularly those focused on improving campus climate and fostering student success. Finally, the workshop session will highlight the important role every employee plays in creating a welcoming and safe environment for all members of the One Cal Poly community and why this work matters within the context of our educational mission.
Workshop II: Cultural Humility in Practice
Cultural humility is the ongoing practice of self-reflection and self-evaluation, grounded in a willingness to learn from others, allowing us to develop mutually beneficial relationships. This workshop will introduce participants to the concept of cultural humility as a framework for personal and professional development, aligning with Cal Poly’s commitment to create a more welcoming and safe campus environment. Whether you are working with students or interacting with colleagues, this workshop will engage participants to identify how they can approach their work in ways that provide an opportunity to learn about themselves and others. Through behavior-based scenarios, participants will gain tools to foster effective and respectful interactions with individuals and communities from backgrounds different from one’s own.
Workshop III: Communicating with Care
This workshop will focus on promoting positive interpersonal communication, a core skill for supporting a respectful and welcoming campus climate for every member of our Cal Poly community. Participants will learn about the difference between intent versus impact, learn to identify and respond to words or actions that are harmful, practice interpersonal dialogue, and be able to give and receive feedback. This session aims to equip staff with practical communication strategies for use in the workplace that promote empathy, self-awareness, and mutual respect.
Facilitators
Diana Ortiz Giron, M.Div.
Diana Ortiz Giron (she/her/ella) is the Director of Programming and Education in the Office of University Diversity and Inclusion (OUDI) at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She oversees a team of student interns and graduate assistants, manages the office’s signature events, and co-creates professional development opportunities for staff employees. Diana’s previous work experience includes managing a peer education intergroup dialogue program, overseeing affinity-based student affairs programming, and facilitating diversity education learning opportunities. She holds a B.A. in History with a minor in Chicana/o Latina/o Studies from Pomona College and an M.Div. in Religion, Ethics, and Politics from Harvard University.
Sarah Macdonald, Ph.D.
Sarah D. Macdonald, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) is a sociologist and educational developer passionate about educational equity and inclusive teaching, learning, and working environments. At Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, she is an Assistant Director in the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology, is Senior Director of Innovative Pedagogies in the Office for University Diversity and Inclusion and teaches in the Social Sciences Department. Dr. Macdonald is a passionate teacher who has taught undergraduates in sociology and media studies at University of California, Berkeley; Mills College; and Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. She holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.A. in Sociology and Russian from Smith College.
