Office of Culture, Access and Belonging

The CANR Office of Culture, Access and Belonging develops and supports various initiatives, resources, hiring decisions and events.

2020-2021 Plans & Accomplishments

• Hosted spring semester webinar series focused on Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI).
• Hosted summer webinar series focused on DEI.
• Collaborated with Women Staff Advisory Committee for Antiracism Seminar Series.
• Co-Chair of MSU Racial Equity Task Force.
• Member of DEI Reopening Committee.
• Member of DEI Strategic Planning Committee.
• Member of Community Engagement Steering Committee representing DEI Committee.
• Member of Athletics Steering Committee represented DEI Committee.
• Hosted Listening Session for faculty and staff over concerns of COVID, Climate, and Pre-Presidential Election in Collaboration with CANR International Programs.
• Hosted Panel Discussion with resources for Faculty and Academic Staff over concerns of COVID, Climate and Pre–Presidential Election.
• Associate Dean served on East Lansing Police Oversight Study Committee.
• Associate Dean served on East Lansing Human Relations Commission.
• Provided Anti-Racism training to Lansing Police Department.
• Met with Secretary of State Racial Equity Task Force to share best practices.
• Hosted CANR DEI Welcome for CANR Community.
• 8 out of 12 CANR departments/schools have developed Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committees.
• Developed a Culturally Inclusive College (CIC) Sharing Form to share Unacceptable Behavior and also recognize and highlight Inclusive Behavior.
• Developed a College of Agriculture and Natural Resources DEI Strategic Plan.
• Hosted a webinar in collaboration with National MANRRS that focused on careers, interviewing during COVID.
• Created a “You Belong Here" Campaign that recognized faculty and staff that created an environment of equity and inclusion.
• Hosted a Virtual ACT Future Faculty Program in which 17 postdocs participated in a weekend of networking, workshops and content sharing. The ACT Future Faculty Program was a joint initiative with Tuskegee University and National Society of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences.
• Book Discussion on White Fragility by the CANR Office of Student Affairs.
• Created the DEI Assess Action and Response Team in MSU Extension.
• Collaborated with the Agriculture and Agribusiness Institute in developing a DEI Webinar Series.
• Participated on a national panel addressing racism sponsored by White Men Full Diversity Partners.
• Participated in a national panel sponsored by US Farmers and Ranchers to address diversity in the workforce.
• Participated in a national panel addressing diversity, equity and inclusion sponsored by Advising Conference and Community.
• Collaborated with the Department of Entomology to receive the Creating Inclusive Excellence Grant to bring in speaker, Dr. Anthony Abraham Jack (March 2021).
• Quentin Tyler was a recipient of MSU’s Excellence in Diversity Awards.
• CANR created a room for the MSU Student Chapter of Minorities in Agriculture and Natural Resources (MANRRS), for students to have a safe space and a sense of belonging.
• Provided Antiracism, Bias Training to All Faculty and Academic Staff Search Committees.
• Served on College of Natural Sciences Associate Dean for DEI Search Committee.
• Served on Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives Multicultural Coordinator Search Committee.
• Served on RHS Associate Director for DEI Search Committee. Associate Dean for DEI served as keynote speaker for Minnesota Fall Extension Conference focusing on Anti-Racism, DEI in Times of Uncertainty.
• Member of MSU Neighborhood Student Success Collaborative.
• Co-Chair Together We Grow Task Force on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Higher Education.
• Received the following grants that focused on increasing diversity in CANR:
  • Poitra, C., Millenbah, K., Chau., Stephanie., Tyler, Q. Growing Native American Student Pathways into Agriculture. Submitted June 2020. Funding:  $138, 020.  USDA NIFA
  • McKendree, R.B., Farrell M., McGowan, O., McKim, A.J. Hodbod, J., Tyler, Q., & Everett, M. 2020
  • Collaborative approaches to Building Food, Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Human Sciences Content and Career Learning In Urban Michigan. Grantor:  United States Department of Agriculture.  (281,000) Funded Period:  2020 – 2023
  • Dowtin, A., Vander Yacht, A., Tyler,. Q.& Young,. D 2020 Urban-WildFIRE (Forestry Integrative Research Experience): A TSU and MSU Collaborative Learning Opportunity.  Grantor:  Forest Service Agency, United States Department of Agriculture.  (85,300). Funded Period:  2020 - 2023
  • Bridging Student Learning in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion through Virtual Reality. 2019 A Collaboration among School of Planning, Construction and Design, and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (10,000). Catalyst Grant, Michigan State University

• Commitment to Inclusive Excellence (CIE) (20,000) 2019 Advancement, Cultivation, and Training Future Faculty Program. Michigan State University Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives.
• Developed CANR DEI Alumni Award and have awarded two recipients.
• Hosted an Inclusion and Leadership Summit with over 100 participants in CANR and MSU.
• Created CANR DEI Alumni representative on Alumni Board.
• Hosted a MANRRS Webinar on opportunities for the economy and food supply chain during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic.
• Served as committee member of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative celebration.
• Served as a committee member of the Big Ten Academic Alliance Conference – Women in STEM Committee.
• Collaborated with the National Society of MANRRS to provide a diversity training to Bayer.
• Presented to the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture Food and Environment a presentation on Racial inequity and being an Ally.
• Collaborated with the AFRE Department on the Closing Bell Podcast to discuss Racism in Agriculture.
• Facilitated Anti-Racism and Unconscious Bias Training to the School of Planning Construction and Design.
• Facilitated Anti-Racism and Unconscious Bias Training to the School of Packaging.
• Facilitated Anti-Racism and Unconscious Bias Training to the Department of Plant Soil and Microbial Sciences.
• Facilitated Anti-racism and Unconscious Bias Training to the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering received Anti-racism and Unconscious Bias Training.
• Facilitated Inclusive Language training to the Department of Forestry.
• Provided Inclusive Language Training as part of STEM Teaching Essentials Workshop.
• Provided Inclusive Language Training to College of Natural Sciences Teaching Assistants.