As part of its Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) program, CANSSI regularly organizes EDI workshops and training sessions for the statistical sciences community, often in partnership with Academic Impressions, a leading provider of leadership, personal development, and skills-based training opportunities to faculty and staff in higher education.
We invite you to join us for this 1.5-hour online workshop led by Sandra Miles, Head of Practice for Team Development at Academic Impressions.
This session can be used to fulfill the CANSSI EDI requirement for CANSSI-supported researchers.
During this virtual workshop, we will explore the ways in which feelings of defensiveness and discomfort can be very common when engaging in conversations around favoritism and unfairness. Even those who have done extensive reading on topics related to conflict management can find themselves fumbling if they haven’t yet reflected on how their personal feelings may impact the ways they show up in the world—and in these difficult conversations. To get more comfortable engaging in these dialogues, we must first lean into the discomfort of individual reflection and actions that prepare us to enter into them in an open and effective way. You will be given a workbook of activities, tools, and resources to help you move beyond simply understanding these key concepts. Throughout the workshop, you will begin the hard work of interpreting how favoritism can show up in every aspect of the work we do, and how an orientation around fairness improves relationships, morale, and trust.
After participating, you will leave with tools to identify a propensity towards favoritism and become more intentional in your interactions with colleagues and students.
Faculty who are ready to move beyond a baseline readiness to effectively engage in difficult conversations. You will be equipped with tools and best practices to help you feel more comfortable participating in these dialogues in the future.
Sandra Miles, PhD
Head of Practice for Team Development, Academic Impressions
Sandra has spent most of the last two decades serving as a leader and administrator in higher education. Specifically, she has had extensive experience in managing crisis, strategic planning, developing leadership programs, working with persons with disabilities, mediating disputes, and serving as a Dean of Students, Chief Student Affairs Officer, Chief Diversity Officer, and Deputy Title IX Coordinator. In 2022, Sandra joined Academic Impressions full-time as the Head of Practice for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, due to her experience with the organization as a subject-matter expert who facilitated trainings and workshops in higher-ed, as well as to her passion for making DEI concepts resonate for individuals from all walks of life. In 2024, she transitioned to specialize in the team development space supporting the growth of trust and effectiveness of high-performing teams among leaders in higher education.
Sandra completed her doctoral work at Florida State University in 2012, earning a PhD in Higher Education Administration. She also completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Central Florida. In addition to her career and educational achievements, Sandra is on the editorial board for EVOLVE Magazine – First Coast Edition; is a former Chair of the NASPA Center for Women Board; is a former National Director of the Black Female Development Circle, Inc.; and is the current President of the Palm Coast-Flagler County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.