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Staff & Faculty
Employee Resources Groups
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are internal formal Ross communities for both staff and faculty. The purpose of an ERG is to create an intentional community of support for individuals with certain historical/contemporary identities. These groups are open to all that wish to participate, but the focus of the group is to provide a space for voices and experiences of those that the group intends to center. Moreover, the ERGs are essential to individuals with common experiences to take space and foster a community of support. Their aim is to provide active opportunities to shape the culture of our Ross community as outlined in our pillars. While they focus on celebrating and sharing identity and community to create belonging, we aim to avoid creating limits on ERG spaces and reinforcing exclusionary practices.
Forming an ERG
Any member of the Ross staff or faculty can propose an ERG as long as it meets the following criteria:
- Membership is open
- Focus of the group is to support individuals with historically and/or contemporarily minoritized identities
- An ERG for the same identity does not already exist
- A defined purpose and explanation for how the group will contribute to enhancing the culture of belonging for the community it serves.
(example: The purpose of this ERG is to take space and center the experience of LGBTQIA2s+ staff at Ross. This group will provide an opportunity for members of the community and allies to come together and share experiences, stories, and learn together while also advocating for opportunities for change to better enhance belonging)Â - Successful completion of an application to form the ERG addressing the aforementioned criteriaÂ
Interested in forming an ERG?
Current ERGs
Asian Staff Support Network
This group aims to provide opportunities for Asian staff members to:
- Share their rich cultures and experiences among themselves and the Ross staff community
- Facilitate personal and professional growth, and
- Contribute to a positive and collaborative work environment at Ross.
Contact: Lysa Wang
Early Career Professionals
This group is being formed to provide space for early career professionals at Ross to connect while also creating a personal network to foster an inclusive environment of support. This group is open to all Ross staff, but aims to center the voice and experiences of individuals within the early stages of their careers.
Contact: Hannah Berasley
Parents of Ross
Raising children creates many challenges and barriers for parents in the workforce. For example, there are many parents of young children (10 or under) that are often dealing with childcare issues, mental health support, support from their supervisors, and the stress that is added with raising young children. The purpose of this ERG is to develop a formalized group to talk about these challenges with and crowd-source ideas for navigating a career while also navigating parenting. It is our aim to create a support system that will aid in increasing the members’ sense of belonging at Ross.
Contact: Nick Garcia or Lucy Calzavara
Black@Ross
The mission of the Black@Ross Employee Resource Group is to provide a welcoming space dedicated to cultivating an environment that allows black faculty, staff, and those who serve as allies to flourish through connection, resource sharing, and social programming. This group is a supportive community dedicated to uplifting one another, sharing our experiences of being black at the Ross School of Business and U of M, and helping our community to navigate challenges and celebrate success.
Contact: Diane Brinson-Days
Latinx ERG
The first and primary purpose of the Latinx ERG group is to build community, uplift each other, and learn from one another. Additionally, this group aims to build support across the multitude of identities that are part of the Latinx community at Ross and come together to discuss our experiences, joys, life, and challenges. We also hope to bring in allies to support and hear our experiences and improve our way of being here at Ross and the University. Â
Contact: Michelle Pava or Diana Perilla
Professionally: First@Ross
This group is being formed to provide space for first generation college graduate professionals at Ross to connect while also creating a personal network to foster an inclusive environment of support. This group is open to all Ross staff, but aims to center the voice and experiences of individuals who are first generation college graduates working at Ross. Â
Contact: Elizabeth LaFray
Trans/Nonbinary ERG
The Trans/Non-Binary ERG will serve as a network and resource for transgender and non-binary staff and faculty, and fosters awareness of trans / non-binary employees and their contributions. We aim to improve the experiences of trans / non-binary employees, and to strengthen relationships with Michigan Ross student and alumni communities.
Contact: Melissa Cox