About the FM JEDI Team

Introduction Letter: English / español

The Facilities Management Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity Team (JEDI Team) was founded in fall 2018 with the goal of working on inclusion and diversity efforts to help our department meet the diversity plan set forth by the Division of University Operations. The JEDI Team actively advocates for and works on getting information to Facilities Management (FM) employees about trainings and resources related to these topics, and following up on other inclusion needs specific to our department. We act as a support for the department in facilitation of the Principles of Community; other related topics such as diversity in the search process; and engage in efforts to increase our community’s awareness with the aim of fostering a sense of belonging and understanding. In January 2021, the JEDI Team updated their name from the FM Diversity Team to better encompass the charge of the group and to align with the CSU Principles of Community.

Questions, ideas, or feedback for the team on past, current, and future JEDI Team initiatives? Please email Fac_diversity_team@colostate.edu to share your thoughts.

JEDI logo (triangles that fit together along the left and bottom border. Words: Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion JEDI Facilities Management at CSU

FM JEDI Team Members

Richard Adzgowski, Operations – Custodial
Harrison Bridge, Remodel & Construction Services
James Gilbert, Remodel & Construction Services
Julia Innes, Campus Planning (JEDI Team Program Assistant)
Chuck Johnson, Capital Construction
Rusty Pearson, Remodel & Construction Services (JEDI Team Co-Chair)
Mike Shortall, Campus Planning (JEDI Team Co-Chair)

Thanks to all of our former members who have served on the team as well!

Interested in joining the team? We all come with different perspectives and backgrounds.The JEDI Team sincerely welcomes diverse perspectives from Facilities Management, working toward our goals in a creative, collaborative manner. We meet in person on the third Wednesday of the month from 1:30-3:00p.m. with a hybrid option. If the timing of the meeting doesn’t fit with your schedule, reach out to us so we can brainstorm a way for you to participate. We have various working group opportunities that meet at different times, and we can work with your schedule if you want to get involved.


FM Diversity Plan

In 2018 the Division of University Operations (DUO) established goals with a focus on Diversity, Equity, and Campus Climate:

  • DUO Diversity Goal 1: The Division of University Operations will actively support efforts to increase recruitment, hiring and retention of employees from marginalized and excluded populations in all units within the Division. 
  • DUO Diversity Goal 2: The Division of University Operations will actively cultivate an inclusive institutional climate through opportunities for training, increased awareness of diverse cultures and identities, and positive reinforcement of measures taken to promote inclusive excellence.

Facilities Management outlined specific actions FM would take to meet the goals set forth by the DUO Diversity Plan. The FM Diversity Plan is a living document, an ongoing effort by the JEDI Team. Items continue to be accomplished even while new action items and initiatives come up and the list grows and changes.

Facilities Management is committed to ensuring CSU and our department is a rewarding, inspiring, productive and inclusive community for all employees, students, and visitors.


2024 current efforts include:

  • JEDI BREAK – connecting with FM employees on how to make JEDI goals & initiatives relevant to FM, have conversations about JEDI topics, receive feedback on what we’re doing well and what we can work to improve (more info below).
  • FACILITIES FRIENDS – a collaboration between the JEDI Team and the FM Engagement & Recognition Committee that welcomes new employees to FM (more info below).
  • JEDI RESOURCE LIBRARY – see the “resources” section of this page for all the details.
  • UNDERSTANDING, PREVENTING, AND SUPPORTING AROUND MICROAGGRESSIONS – Training for FM, facilitated by Naomi Nishi, Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for CVMBS – Wednesday, 3/27/2024 (A.M. Session: 9:30-11:00, P.M. Session: 4:00-5:30)
  • VETERANS DAY LUNCH & LEARN – November 2024 – Featuring a conversation with FM employees who were in the U.S. military before FM.
  • JEDI Team is working with a third-party consultant on a JEDI AUDIT for our department, Facilities Management. The purpose is to (1) Evaluate successes and areas for improvements in implementing 2018 Division of University Operations established diversity goals. (2) Establish a current baseline assessment to provide to the incoming AVP of FM. (3) The baseline benchmark allows FM to review JEDI objectives and initiatives without bias. (4) Develop data-driven plan with relevant and tangible goals for FM for the next three to five years. (5) Assess department rating for Multicultural Organizational Development (MCOD) model. An audit would meet stage 2 strategies of MCOD. If you would like more information about what this process involves, reach out to us at: Fac_diversity_team@colostate.edu.

JEDI BREAK

Join FM JEDI Team representatives for conversation. Stop by and say hello, ask questions, provide feedback, or just try a treat.

When: Third Wednesday of the monthTimes: 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. & 3:30pm – 4:30 p.m. 
Location: Edison Conference Room, Facilities Management North 

The JEDI Team aims to increase awareness of diverse cultures and identities and contribute to FM culture, wanting employees to feel they belong and are included. If you would like JEDI Team reps to come chat with your group about JEDI or your group would like to share thoughts with us on JEDI initiatives that would feel relevant for FM employees, we’d be happy to be included. Please reach out to us. Fac_diversity_team@colostate.edu 

FACILITIES FRIENDS

The FM Engagement & Recognition Committee (ERC) and Justice Equity Diversity Inclusion (JEDI) Team launched a collaborative effort in Spring 2023 called Facilities Friends. Read about it in FM News – Issue 177 Facilities Friends English / español.

The goal:

Contribute to new FM employees’ sense of community, helping them feel valued and welcomed to CSU Facilities Management.

How the program works:

A seasoned FM employee invites a new FM State Classified or Admin Pro employee for coffee or tea and a casual tour of campus in their first few months of working with FM. They informally answer questions or share information about employee resources and CSU. A month later they meet back up for further conversation and a meal at one of the dining halls on campus. It’s an opportunity for colleagues to meet across the FM sections and across their various work locations and roles.

Please reach out to us with questions or if you would like to participate in the program as a seasoned FM employee: Fac_diversity_team@colostate.edu.


Communications

Below are FM communications related to justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and related initiatives or information. Visit the FM News page to find a comprehensive list of past FM Communications, including other topics.

Facilities Focus – JEDI Team Quarterly Newsletter Updates 2024

Facilities Focus – JEDI Team Quarterly Newsletter Updates 2023

Other FM JEDI News 2023

Facilities Focus – JEDI Team Quarterly Newsletter Updates 2022

Other FM JEDI News 2022

Facilities Focus – JEDI Team Quarterly Newsletter Updates 2021

Other FM JEDI News 2021

Facilities Focus – JEDI Team Quarterly Newsletter Updates 2020

Other FM JEDI News 2020

Facilities Focus – JEDI Team Quarterly Newsletter Updates 2019


JEDI Core Competency in Annual Employee Reviews

Video available with subtitles: English (https://vimeo.com/601317197) Spanish (https://vimeo.com/609923954)

JEDI Core Competency & Definitions Tipsheet

Competencia Fundamental JEDI

Video disponible con subtitulos: Inglés (https://vimeo.com/601317197) & español (https://vimeo.com/609923954)


Principles of Community within Facilities Management

To learn about the Principles of Community, visit: https://inclusiveexcellence.colostate.edu/resources/principles-of-community/.

What assumptions do we carry about the terms inclusion, integrity, respect, service, and social justice? What do these words mean in the context of our jobs, in relationships with our colleagues, and interactions with our customers? Discussing tangible and real-life examples of the Principles can spark further conversation and awareness of what these concepts look like in action, helping us to perceive how often we do engage with the Principles within our department.

How do I start a conversation about the Principles of Community with my team? Check out this Tip Sheet for Supervisors. One supervisor recommendation is to enter the discussion by focusing on “the professional, the positive, and the practical,” exploring how these concepts show up in our work environments daily. We asked FM employees to share examples from within their sections. Below are their responses.

Inclusion

  • When a leader does not take credit for the successes of the team, instead, they give credit to the team members, recognizing their contributions, expertise, and effort.
  • Who is invited to attend a meeting and give input? Are all the relevant parties who are impacted part of the conversation?

Integrity

  • When an employee is underperforming, a supervisor needs to address performance, but a supervisor also needs to ask themselves what they are or are not doing to contribute to the problem. How can the supervisor improve to help their employees grow?
  • Am I complaining? If so, how can I be proactive instead? What do I need to be doing to help the situation?
  • Be accountable—when I can’t make it to a meeting, I send a note to the organizer in advance to let them know.

Respect

  • When using shared equipment in our operation, returning it with full tanks of gas, cleaned up, blades sharpened, and the equipment is ready for the next user.
  • We have to learn to work with people of different opinions in order to advance the mission of the organization. Even if others are difficult, stubborn, or closed-minded, we need to find common ground. Or are we the one being closed-minded? We need to let go of ours egos and place the mission first.
  • Including people from many facets of Facilities at the beginning of a project shows respect for the different services Facilities staff can provide. This also allows everyone to understand project goals from the beginning and helps to create a realistic budget at the start.
  • Sticking to people’s given names is a sign of respect. Don’t assume an employee is okay with a nickname given to them; make sure to ask them what name they are most comfortable with.
  • Sending a meeting agenda out in advance is a sign of respect for people’s time.

Service

  • If the incorrect trades shop is dispatched to a building issue, the dispatched employee will try to reroute the call to the correct shop and try to coach the customer as to why it would be the other shop for future similar issues.
  • When working with other groups, especially groups outside of Facilities Management, what can we do to make the process better and work more effectively for the both of us?
  • We recently went out of our way to do a wildlife rescue getting some goslings off the roof of GSB. Geese are a nuisance to our operations and the Outdoor Services group spends a ton of time cleaning up after them, yet our staff saved these geese because of the campus community’s concerns for the goslings ability to survive on the roof top.

Social Justice

  • Outdoor Services reached out to the Office for Accessibility for their guidance to help improve sidewalk grinding programs to create smoother ADA routes into the core of campus for all sidewalk users.
  • When clearing the sidewalks of snow, FM employees not only clear the ramps and sidewalks, as is required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), but also make sure to clear additional space for a person in a wheelchair to maneuver into a turn from the sidewalk onto the ramp.
  • Are opportunities to participate on committees given to employees who are not in standard leadership roles? All employees should be offered opportunities to engage and enact their initiative, to develop skills and professionally develop in roles that may otherwise be limited, to make an impact within and further contribute to the department, no matter what position level they are at or what job classification.

Download the poster:


Resources

JEDI Resource Library for FM

Who is the resource library for?

  • It’s for FM employees.

What is the purpose, or what are the goals, for the library?

  • Allow FM employees to experience different perspectives. By sharing these perspectives, colleagues can better understand each other and the various societal forces that influence us and impact our lives – both in and out of the work environment.
  • Educate and raise awareness of different experiences and historical systems that impact our work and personal lives today.
  • Focus on inclusive resources that offer explicit awareness tools and discussion for interaction in the work environment and which support the Principles of Community. 
  • Amplify marginalized voices and communities.
  • Help start and guide difficult conversations about complicated topics.

How does it work?

  • It’s free.
  • Borrow an item from the JEDI Team for a month or longer, as needed – or 6 months if you check it out from the Morgan Library.
  • Contact if you are interested in an item: fac_diversity_team@Mail.colostate.edu
    • Option 1: Books can be delivered to you at work. Let the JEDI Team know what FM group you work in and where at CSU we should drop it off.
    • Option 2: Books can be picked up during JEDI BREAKS. These occur the third Wednesday of the month, 10-11 and 3:30-4:30, in the Edison Conference Room in Facilities Management North.
    • Option 3: The Morgan Library delivers books through Campus Mail.

How does the JEDI Team decide what items are selected for the library?

  • The resources in the FM JEDI collection are added with the intention of upraising traditionally marginalized voices.
  • We choose materials that we hope will contribute to a well-rounded world view, content that falls within the CSU Inclusive Physical and Virtual Campus policy’s understanding of diversity. Topics include:
    • age
    • culture
    • different ideas and perspectives
    • ability
    • ethnicity
    • first generation status
    • familial status
    • gender identity and expression
    • geographic background
    • marital status, national origin
    • religious and spiritual beliefs
    • sex, sexual orientation
    • veteran status
    • leadership & inclusion
    • hiring & retention of diverse workforce
    • socioeconomic barriers
    • language barriers
  • Process for inclusion in the library:
    • At least two JEDI Team members read or review the item, or item is recommended by the CSU Office of Inclusive Excellence or another related expert
    • Champions traditionally underrepresented group
    • Provides resources to help with discussion of JEDI topics
    • Bonus – when items are available in print and electronic text or audio, or when content can be accessed in various formats (e.g. books, videos, podcasts, magazine articles, etc.)
    • Bonus – when items are available in English and Spanish

Can I recommend an item for the library?

  • FM Employees are welcome to provide feedback on how to improve this experience, including suggestions on topics of interest, books, or other relevant resources for the library. fac_diversity_team@Mail.colostate.edu

What is available in the resource library?

More recommendations:

Facilities Management Resources

APPA: https://www.appa.org/diversity-equity-inclusion/

CSU Resources

Supporting the CSU community—resources that can help employees engage and succeed at CSU:

Glossary of Terms

We thank the VPD office for sharing these concepts. For more understanding around these concepts, please visit: https://inclusiveexcellence.colostate.edu/notes-from-the-vpd-qa-how-leaders-can-take-action-to-advance-equity/.

  • Diversity: CSU Diversity Statement includes differences across “age, culture, different ideas and perspectives, disability, ethnicity, first generation status, familial status, gender identity and expression, geographic background, marital status, national origin, race, religious and spiritual beliefs, sex, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, physical appearance, medical diagnosis, documentation status, and veteran status with special attention given to populations historically underrepresented or excluded from participation in higher education.”
  • Anti-Blackness: Addressing anti-Blackness at CSU requires centering the needs of Black students, staff, and faculty, while also addressing the broad and complex culture of anti-Blackness, which is maintained through more than just individual racist actions.
  • Inclusion: Whereas ‘diversity’ often simply acknowledges that differences exist, inclusion makes those differences meaningful; differences in identity and experience are embraced and included in how things get done. Systems, projects, and programs are created with the needs and talents of a diversity of people and groups in mind, such that people of all identities and backgrounds feel welcomed, valued, and affirmed.
  • Equity: Addresses the conditions – including policies and practices, not just individual actions – that either suppress or uplift the status of those who are members of marginalized groups. An equity mindset does not look at all things equally, but rather focuses on investing attention and resources on areas that improve the condition for those who experience disproportionate burden. “You can’t have equality if you don’t do equity work first.”
  • Whiteness: Not just referring to people who are white based on skin color or identity, but participation in a culture of norms and values that uphold white supremacy. This can show up in daily institutional practices, as well as personal responses that reflect a culture of whiteness. Most people who are socialized in a culture of whiteness will unconsciously internalize it and will need to become aware of whiteness in order to unlearn it.
  • White Supremacy: Not just referring to neo-Nazis or notorious hate groups, but a whole set of cultural norms, values, beliefs, assumptions, policies, practices, and beliefs that reinforce assumptions about white people and whiteness as supreme over other groups that are not white. This can show up as implicit assumptions about an inherently greater value or degree of worthiness and competency among those who are white or embody whiteness.
  • Privilege: Access to power, resources, and assets (as well as a certain degree of protection) that could be used to disrupt systems of inequity. Until it is acknowledged and leveraged as such, privilege often inadvertently perpetuates inequities by giving some people unfair advantages and benefits that are not available to marginalized groups. Leaders with positional power have more privilege to leverage and push for institutional changes.
  • Allyship: When someone uses their privilege to work with and uplift marginalized groups through concerted and deliberate action, including efforts to remove barriers that prevent equal opportunities for disadvantaged groups.

Employee Climate

All CSU employee climate information can be found on the Office for Inclusive Excellence website: https://inclusiveexcellence.colostate.edu/data/employee-climate-survey/.