Ithaca College

The 7th annual Engaging Communities Luncheon event will be held on Tuesday, March 8th, 2016, from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. in the Emerson Suites. Join us for this annual event that explores and celebrates the notion of community and diversity. This year’s event promises to be really special as we explore the topic of Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Implications for Higher Education, our guest speaker is Dr. Derald Wing Sue.

Dr. Sue is renowned for his presentations on the topic of Microaggressions. He can truly be described as a pioneer in the field of multicultural psychology, multicultural education, multicultural counseling and therapy, and the psychology of racism/antiracism. He has done extensive multicultural research and writing in psychology and education long before the academic community perceived it favorably, and his theories and concepts have paved the way for a generation of younger scholars interested in issues of minority mental health and multicultural psychology. He is author of over 150 publications, 17 books, and numerous media productions.

Dr. Sue is currently a professor of psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University. Aside from his interests in multicultural counseling and diversity training, he is the recipient of countless awards and honors such as The Society for the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues with the Mentoring and Leadership Award. He held numerous positions throughout the APA, including president of Division 45, Society for the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues. Dr. Sue has written several books, including "Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation," "Counseling the Culturally Diverse: Theory and Practice" and "Overcoming Our Racism: The Journey to Liberation."

The American Psychological Association describes him this way:

“His deep interest and passion led him to becoming one of the most prominent voices in cross cultural studies. With over 150 publications under his belt he is the most cited Multicultural Scholar today.”

Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Implications for Higher Education

Research on the manifestation, dynamics and harmful impact of microaggressions on socially devalued groups have become of high importance to the fields psychology and education. Microaggressions are the everyday verbal, nonverbal and environmental slights, snubs or insults, whether intentional or unintentional which communicate hostile, derogatory or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership. In many cases these hidden messages may invalidate the group identities or experiential reality of target persons, demean them on a personal or group level, communicate they are lesser human beings, suggest they do not belong with the majority group, or relegate them to inferior status and treatment.

While microaggressions are generally discussed from the perspective of race and racism, any marginalized group in our society may become targets: people of color, women, LGBTs, those with disabilities, religious minorities, and so on. The most detrimental forms of microaggressions are usually delivered by well-intentioned individuals who are unaware that they have engaged in harmful conduct toward a socially devalued group. These everyday occurrences may, on the surface, appear quite harmless, trivial or described as “small slights,” but research indicate they have a powerful impact upon the psychological well-being of marginalized groups, and affect their standard of living by creating inequities in education, employment and health care. This presentation will focus specifically on the manifestation, dynamics and impact of microaggressions on institutions of higher education.

To register for this event, complete a registration form by using the following link:https://form.jotform.com/60308603523144

This event is free and open to all members of the Ithaca College community, however, seats are limited. Lunch will be served and a sign language interpreter will be available. Ithaca College encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please call Michelle Rios-Dominguez (4-1506) or simply use the registration form to request an accommodation. Please direct questions and/or concerns to Michelle Rios-Dominguez, mriosdominguez@ithaca.edu or ext. 4-1506.

Engaging Communities is annual event sponsored by the Office of Human Resources. This year's events is made possible in partnership with the Office of the Provost and the Center for the Study of Culture, Race, and Ethnicity.