Thread by @lesliemb

Here's the deal with Boise State: There's one guy who has these horrifying ideas about women and wants to limit our opportunities. But there are HUNDREDS of faculty and staff pushing in the opposite direction.

By attending workshops, engaging in other relevant opportunities, and reflecting on our learning, Boise State employees can earn the BUILD certificate (BUILD = Boise State Uniting for Inclusion and Leadership in Diversity).

BUILD's offerings introduce faculty and staff to the research and evidence-based practices that we need to know if we're to make Boise State a welcoming place for everyone.

And yes, *everyone*—e.g., Black folks, trans folks, veterans, first-generation students, blind or D/deaf folks, older students, students who are parents, Christians, Muslims, international scholars and students, and more. Everyone.

I'm told by someone in the know that more than 500 faculty and staff have signed up to earn the BUILD certificate. (I don't know how many have completed it, but it takes a while.) I have earned the certificate, and I continue to engage with the program's excellent offerings.

So while Yenor may be in the headlines, know that SO MANY of us who work at Boise State are trying very hard to create a more inclusive and welcoming curriculum, learning environment, work culture, and overall experience for the entire Boise State community.

This is not work that can be done overnight. And we're doing it under constant threat of budget cuts from the legislature. We're surveilled, too: the IFF uses FOIA to request syllabi, email, and other materials. And then they willfully misinterpret the docs they receive. . .

. . .to fit their political agenda to narrow educational opportunities for Idahoans and others. It's infuriating, as we're the ones with mountains of evidence about what works for students, what helps people get jobs and better engage with the world in meaningful ways.

And we're not going to do this work perfectly, even under ideal conditions. We're always learning, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are moving targets. We'll stumble.

I see your impatience for change. I, too, feel impatient.

But please know—whether you're a current student, a prospective student, a student's parent, or just someone curious about what the hell is going on at the university—that we are doing some really important but arduous work on top of all of our other responsibilities.

Gradually we are turning the giant ship a few degrees, and over the long term, we'll end up in a better place as an institution. You may not see us making that turn or doing the work, but so many faculty and staff are fighting the good fight in ways large and small.

And to be clear, in this thread, I'm not speaking on behalf of the university. But I do speak from my experience as someone who has worked at #BoiseState for more than a decade—and who has done so alongside faculty and staff from all corners of the university.