IGD Institute

A woman describing something gestering with her arms while three other people in the room pay attention intently.The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) is offering the IGD Institute (IGDI) during the Spring Semester of 2025.  

The IGDI, open to members of our SJSU community (students, staff, faculty, and administrators), to be a part of ODEI's effort to buld individual capacity, skills and awareness.  The IGDI provides participants with content and process knowledge associated with the design and facilitation of Intergroup Dialogue in Tertiery Education.1, 2  The Institute also supports our IGD program as it prepares participants to facilitate stand alone dialogue events, as well as IGD dialogue groups to be held during the fall semester of 2025.  Content reviewed at the Institute can help improve teaching, and interaction across different social identity groups - practical skills for helping create a more inclusive campus climate at SJSU.  IGD is available to all SJSU students and employees, regardless of race , color, sex, religion, nation origin, and other protected statuses

A group of approximately 30 people sitting on chairs in a circle while listening to the person in front speaking.Tentative Schedule: 

SJSU Campus (ie: non-Zoom) Location To Be Determined

  • Friday, March 28, 2025, 10am - 4pm
  • Friday, April 11, 2025, 10am - 4pm
  • Friday, April 25, 2025, 10am - 4pm
  • Friday, May 2, 2025, 10am - 4pm
  • Friday, May 9, 2025, 10am - 4pm

IGD Institute Goals

The overall goals for the IGD Institute are:

  1. to foster understanding of the intergroup dialogue model for engaging social identities, diversity, and social justice.
  2. to train and support a cohort of Facilitators (students, faculty, staff, and administrators) who will acquire the skills and capacity for engaging with the campus community on issues related to campus climate and issues of equity, diversity and inclusion .
  3. to develop institutional capacity through collaborations and access to resources and tools to support the ODEI’s ongoing efforts to create an inclusive campus at SJSU. 

IGD Participant deep in dialogue.Apply Today!

 If you would like to join us for the IGD Institute, we ask that you please fill out an application. 

Applications are open now and will be open Until March 14, 2025.

Apply Now!

Questions?

Here are a number of Frequently Asked Questions.  Should you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact craig for more information.

What is Intergroup Dialogue?

Intergroup dialogue in tertiery education programs invite people who represent different social identity groups that are in conflict, or have a history of conflict, to engage in meetings over an extended period of time to talk about issues regarding community, diversity, conflict, and social inequality/oppression.  There are a variety of models of intergroup dialogue that include two community, emergent theme, and other configurations of participants.  A large number of research studies have shown that intergroup dialogue is an impactful practice that helps develop empathy, decrease bias, and moves participants to social justice related actions. 

What do you mean by the "IGD program dialogue groups in the fall of 2025"?

ODEI will be hosting a number of dialogue groups to meet over the course of 8 weeks during the fall semester of 2025.   Each of the groups will meet for approximately 3 hours during each of the 8 weeks during the semester.  The schedule for the fall semester of 2025 is yet to be determined. 

What is a "stand alone dialogue" and how is it different from the IGD program?

Unlike the 8-week IGD program dialogue groups, ODEI has, and will continue to support one-time events that occur over the course of the academic year that will include opportunities for people to come together in dialogue on a given topic or variety of topics.  For example, on January 16, 2024, SJSU held events associated with the National Day of Racial Healing, which might include opportunities for small group, one-time dialogues.  We hope to invite trained facilitators from this institute to assist with facilitation for programs like these.  

Do I have to attend all sessions?

If you wish to be considered for service in facilitating one of the groups that will meet in fall semester of 2025 8-week IGD dialogues, you would need to atttend all of the institute sessions.

Will this institute occur via zoom?

We will be holding the institute in person, and on campus. 

Should you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact craig for more information.

References:

1 Zúñiga, X., Nagda, B. A., Chesler, M., & Cytron-Walker, A. (Eds.). (2007). Intergroup dialogue in higher education: Meaningful learning about social justice. Washington, DC: Association for the Study of Higher Education.
2 Gurin, P., Nagda, B. A., & Zúñiga, X. (2013). Dialogue across difference: Practice, theory and research on intergroup dialogue. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.