Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee

International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Today is designated by the United Nations as an international memorial day to commemorate the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, as well as the millions more victims of Nazism during the Second World War. January 27 was chosen as it is the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp in 1945.

The day is also a call to develop educational programs and preserve the true historic accounts of these events to prevent another Holocaust from happening. This is particularly important given recent rises in antisemitism, such as the hostage attack at a Texas synagogue, as well as Americans’ lack of knowledge about the way Adolf Hilter came into power or the scale of the Holocaust. 

To learn more or take part in commemorating victims and survivors, you can explore online resources at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

A look back on 2021

With 2022 now underway, we wanted to take a moment to share what the ASR DEI Committee accomplished last year, as well as what we are continuing to work toward in the months ahead.

Projects in 2021

• Developed the DEI Hiring Principles of Commitment, Accountability, Representation, and Empathy (CARE)
• Reviewed ASR’s hiring checklist to incorporate CARE principles throughout the hiring process and beyond
• Piloted a process to reduce unintentional bias by redacting identifying information from job applicants’ resumes/cover letters (we will determine if this becomes a recommended practice within ASR)
• Continued to host DEI Community of Practice Coffee Hours as a space to informally discuss DEI topics

Goals for 2022

• Determine opportunities for more focused educational presentations through collaboration with other groups
• Explore the addition of DEI competencies into the annual ASR performance appraisal and staff onboarding
• Explore the DEI impacts of hybrid/remote work spaces

We recognize that this work is ongoing and takes commitment, intentionality, and collaboration from all of us. As always, we welcome sharing any feedback or recommendations with your unit representative or a member of the committee, which is available on the ASR intranet.