All faculty and staff are encouraged to complete the unconscious bias e-learning module, which takes approximately 25 minutes and can be accessed through Workday Learning.
A downloadable discussion guide accompanies the module to aid in more in-depth conversations across academic and administrative units on campus. We hope this online module and discussion guide serve as conversation starters for understanding how unconscious bias impacts campus communities.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is an accessible online module created for Brown faculty and staff to provide an overview of what unconscious bias is and how it works; its implications on diversity and inclusion goals; how it shows up in daily campus interactions; and how we can address and navigate unconscious bias.
Unconscious bias is part of a larger system that maintains institutional inequities and creates narratives that perpetuate biases. However, institutions are made up of individuals, and these individuals hold unconscious biases. Thus, unconscious bias at the individual level contributes to the larger systemic issue. That’s why it’s important that we, as individuals, address our unconscious biases. By not doing so, there can be a temptation to depersonalize the work, blame the system and make it appear as though we are the exception to unconscious bias. For instance, if a search committee fails to invite a single candidate from a historically underrepresented group for a job interview, they may say, “Well, it’s the field that’s racist and has barred access to HUG candidates, not us.” Therefore, the best way to address systemic biases is to first unpack our own unconscious biases.
The unconscious bias e-learning module was created to inform and educate faculty and staff and to ultimately serve as the start of more in-depth conversations across academic and administrative units on campus.
The Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity and University Human Resources partnered with IBIS Consulting Group Inc. to develop this e-learning module tailored for Brown.
The module was developed following a yearlong iterative process of focus groups and conversations with Brown faculty, students and staff and input from several campus partners throughout multiple phases of project development.
Members of the Brown community have access to Understanding the Impact of Unconscious Bias in a University Setting: A Module for Faculty and Staff through Workday Learning. The module can be accessed through any computer, tablet or mobile device. Minimum Required Browsers include Internet Explorer 9, Firefox 3.5, Google Chrome, and Safari 5.