The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and Office of Access, Equity and Equal Opportunity (AEEO) are thrilled to announce the launch of Rice's first official Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) program.
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are voluntary employee groups whose primary focus is to foster a diverse, inclusive workplace aligned with the values of the University. ERGs provide employees the space to connect around a shared characteristic such as gender or military service or career stage or interests like parenting or wellness.
Goals of an ERGs are to:
- Advance Rice's mission and values, and advance the university's commitment to promoting and sustaining an inclusive campus climate and diverse workforce.
- Create an open forum to share common interests/concerns and support one another in creatively addressing those concerns;
- Contribute to the professional and personal growth of their group members;
- Provide a resource to university leadership regarding staff/community issues, needs, and policies.
University Provided Resources
ERGs approved by DEI and AEEO will be eligible to access certain university resources, such as financial support, administrative support, meeting space and training.
Criteria and Procedures
Groups seeking to form an ERGs must 1) have executive buy-in (approval from their supervisor to allocate a part of their work week to working on ERGs related activities); 2) have at least three current employees expressing interest in membership; 3) have a mission that aligns with the university's mission and core values; 4) complete a proposal application.
For more information, email: ergs@rice.edu.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Are there any developed norms or guides for Rice ERGs similar to the one that MIT has?
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Since this is our first year, we don't have norms, but we do have some expectations.
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Will there be any training and norm-setting for the leadership roles of the ERGs?
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There will be check-ins where members of the ERGS planning team will be meeting with successful applicants about their proposals to check on their progress. These sessions may include training on managing budgets and other project related activities. The meetings will also make sure ERGs are on track to meet the expectations of the ERG program.
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Are there standard templates for groups to create their Mission and Goals?
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At this time, there are resources available online that can assist with meeting a mission statement, but additionally what is important is the ERG proposal and state purpose meet the expectation of the ERG program and are consistent with the mission of the university. A program not consistent with the mission of the university will not be successful.
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Is there support for identifying employee interest across staff and faculty?
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Once a proposal is selected the ERG committee will assist in promoting the opportunity for membership.
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In the initiative description, committee members are mentioned. Who are these committee members? De we mean ERG members? ERG leaders? Someone else?
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The office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Human Resources, and other campus partners comprise the ERG committee.
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It sounds like a complete plan has to be generated as part of the application process. Would this be a rough draft? Coming up with a specific plan without formal meeting with anyone that's interested in a leadership role in the group feels wrong.
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A rough draft of the plan is fine, but it should include enough detail to convey the scope and benefit of the overall project.
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Who might be official ERG sponsors? How would they help the group?
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Supervisors are the ERG sponsors and will support their employee in participating in the ERG.
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What if I'm unable to get sponsorship from my supervisor?
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Human Resources will reach out to the supervisor.