DEI is Essential to the Educational Enterprise:
A Position Statement Issued Jointly by TNG Consulting, ATIXA, and NABITA
TNG’s mission is to enhance the holistic safety and well-being of individuals, schools, and organizations by empowering systems-level solutions to reduce the risk of violence, discrimination, and other harm. This mission has direct parallels between how we serve our clients and how we serve our employees.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) are more than words at TNG. We strive to create an equitable culture that increases opportunities at all levels of our company’s structure. We are committed to ensuring all team members know they belong at TNG and their input is valued. We embody the principles we teach our clients within our DEIB priorities.
TNG Consulting’s Strategic Priorities
At TNG, we understand that promoting DEIB is an internal and external initiative. We are committed to leveraging our purchasing power to promote DEIB by establishing and maintaining a robust supplier diversity program.
At TNG, we recognize the importance of ensuring DEIB are central to our mission. To this end, one key initiative we are focusing on is increasing our engagement with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other minority-serving institutions (MSIs). By engaging with HBCUs and MSIs meaningfully, we hope to foster authentic relationships with diverse communities.
At TNG, we believe in the importance of DEIB in all aspects of our work. We recognize that diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds bring unique strengths to our team and make us stronger as a whole. As part of our commitment to DEIB, we prioritize recruiting, retaining, and developing diverse talent across all organizational roles and functions.
To achieve this, we actively seek out and encourage applications from individuals who identify as members of underrepresented populations, including but not limited to people of color, women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, individuals with disabilities, and veterans. We also work to create an inclusive workplace culture where all employees can thrive and grow professionally, regardless of their background or identity.
Our goal is to create a culture of DEIB in everything we do, and infusing DEIB into our external marketing materials, promotions, and a Community of Practice is one way we are working towards this goal. By publicly promoting our commitment to DEIB, we hope to inspire others to do the same and create a more equitable and just society for all.
Creating a sense of belonging is critical to our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB). We believe all employees should feel valued, respected, and included, regardless of their background, identity, or lived experience. To achieve this goal, we have established a strategy focused on gathering and assessing current TNG climate data and using these insights to allocate appropriate resources toward internal DEIB education, programs, and training.
Our DEIB Offerings
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Offerings
ADA/Section 504 Foundations for Higher Education
This course is designed to equip Title IX Coordinators and disability/access administrators with a thorough understanding of the disability laws that regulate an institution’s efforts to offer reasonable accommodations in postsecondary academic environments. Participants will gain knowledge about the legal frameworks that apply to institutional recipients of federal funding, principles for determining reasonable accommodations, strategies for implementing the process in higher education, the grievance process, best practices in organizational structure, and how the accommodation process can support individuals during pregnancy and related conditions.
Review Upcoming OfferingsDiversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Offerings
Intersections with ADA, Section 504, and IDEA, for K-12 Education
This course is designed to comprehensively introduce the interaction and intersection between disability laws and Title IX compliance and processes. It is aimed at K-12 Title IX Coordinators, disability/access administrators, and other professionals who need to understand the essential disability laws that relate to Tit le IX regarding student discipline, accommodations, and adjustments. The course covers the elements required for a well-developed accommodations process and the necessary grievance procedures. It then takes a deep dive into the unique and multi-faceted aspects of how Title IX processes, such as supportive measures, emergency removals, determinations, and sanctioning, may need to interface for students with disabilities.
Review Upcoming OfferingsDiversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Offerings
Collaboration and Support: Addressing the Intersection of BIT, Conduct, and Disability Support Workshop
Given the shared goals of student development, access, support, accountability, and community safety, it is not surprising that behavioral intervention teams (BITs), student conduct, and disability support often address overlapping concerns. This overlap emphasizes the need for discussion and planning on how these areas intersect, especially regarding student behavior and conduct, hospitalizations, and returning from a leave of absence. This workshop will assist institutions in developing approaches that align with best practices and provide adequate support to students.
Review Upcoming OfferingsDEIB Resources
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) are words that carry many meanings for members of our educational institutions. Verbally committing to DEIB is a start. The real work begins with DEIB action. This resource guide is designed to provide institutions with a compilation of relevant information needed to implement DEIB goals into action. This guide is revised continuously and as appropriate.
ATIXA’s DEIB Community of Practice
ATIXA membership is an investment in professional excellence. It signals a commitment to best practices for advancing gender equity within schools and colleges. ATIXA’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Community of Practice expands that commitment by considering best practices for advancing more than just gender equity within schools and colleges.
Purpose
The DEIB Community of Practice aims to establish, promote, and maintain a learning and employment environment that advances diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in colleges, universities, and K-12 districts.
Goals
- To establish DEIB-specific resources that can advance equity from an intersectional lens
- To strategically incorporate DEIB into ATIXA’s products and services
- To assess campus and K-12 environments on attitudes, perceptions, symbols, and institutional practices related to DEIB
- To assist in educating and assisting faculty, teachers, staff, and administrators in their efforts to embed DEIB into the curriculum and co-curriculum
Membership Criteria
Membership into ATIXA’s DEIB Community of Practice requires an ATIXA membership at any level. To remain active on the DEIB Community of Practice, members must:
- Maintain an active ATIXA membership
- Must regularly attend the Community of Practice’s monthly meetings
How to Join
If you are interested in joining ATIXA’s DEIB Community of Practice, contact Jessica Harris, ATIXA Senior Program Coordinator at jessica.harris@atixa.org
TNG Consulting’s DEIB Committee
| Aaron L. Austin, Ed.D. Consultant, TNG |
Kevin Hesser Program Coordinator, ATIXA |
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|---|---|---|
| Patience Bartunek, M.Ed. Chief of Staff to the Managing Partner, TNG |
Alisha Carter Harris, M.S. Senior Consultant, TNG |
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| Megan Birster Vice President, Strategic Development, TNG |
Michelle Issadore, M.Ed. Chief Operating Officer, TNG |
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| Sharon Perry Fantini, Ph.D. Partner, TNG |
Emily Sabalbaro Content Marketing Manager, TNG |
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| Courtney Grisillo, SHRM-CP Human Resources Manager, TNG |
Brett A. Sokolow, J.D. Chair: TNG Board of Directors; TNG Management Committee; ATIXA Advisory Board |
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| Mandy Hambleton, M.S. Senior Director, Content Development, TNG; Vice President, ATIXA |
Saundra K. Schuster, M.S., J.D. Partner, TNG; President, ATIXA |