As part of National Civility Month in August, Old Dominion University’s Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity (OIED) is encouraging the Monarch community to be aware, culturally competent and engaged with one another.

The Monarchs “ACE” Civility initiative includes opportunities to learn more about civility through training, reading materials and a social media visual campaign.

Throughout the month, OIED will share definitions of civility, tangible ways to display civility and positive affirmations in daily social media blasts.

Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to participate in a social media visual campaign around practicing civility in the workplace; digital communications; the virtual environment; and face-to-face interactions.

You can self-record a video of yourself describing “what civility means to you” at this link. To log in, please use your ODU Microsoft Outlook account.

Vector Solutions training on civility in a professional setting is also available to faculty and staff.

Additionally, ODU Libraries has curated a list of reading materials focused on understanding the differences between cultures, families and individuals, allowing for one’s own self-reflection.

“By bringing awareness to civility during National Civility Month, we want to ensure that this is something that will be long-lasting for our campus community,” said Millicent Lee, coordinator for diversity and inclusive excellence in OIED. “We want to increase behaviors that make us aware and respond to the needs of our diverse population.”

The Monarchs “ACE” Civility initiative is aligned with the University’s Monarch Plan for Inclusive Excellence and 2023-2028 Strategic Plan, which states: “We nurture a climate of care, concern, and civility where respect for self, others, the institution, the environment, and the global community is a top priority.”

Lee said the campaign is meant to jump-start a continuing push for civility on ODU’s campus. On Oct. 31, OIED is partnering with the Center for Faculty Development on a panel titled “The Importance of Civility and Cultural Humility in the Academic Workplace.”

To learn more about how to participate in ODU’s Civility Month efforts, click this link.