The Offices of Equity and Inclusion and Human Resources launched the UMass Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) as of Spring 2020. This initiative will provide UMass staff and faculty with resources for professional development, networking, and mentorship, while also promoting the recruitment, retention, and advancement of employees who are underrepresented in our community. This initiative is one of many ways the University works to invest in our workforce, and make UMass a workplace of choice.
We encourage Supervisors to provide release time to staff members to participate in ERG programming throughout the year.
Please contact a member or members of the steering committees to join the ERGs of your choice.
Employee Resource Groups
UMass Allies for Illness and Disability Access (UMAIDA) Network
Promoting a supportive network and work environment that is inclusive and accessible for all individuals with lived experience of disability, deafness, illness (chronic and mental), injury, neurodiversity and their allies. The group also focuses on ways to support the recruitment, retention, professional development and career advancement of employees with disabilities.
Steering Committee: Samm Nelson (she/her), IT Digital Accessibility and Assistive Technology Specialist; Marcie Savoie (she/her), IT Digital Accessibility and Assistive Technology Specialist; Adam Ware (they/them), Associate Dean of Special Collections and University Archives, W. E. B. Du Bois Library
UMass Faculty and Staff of Color Network
Fostering connections and developing community for employees from underrepresented groups at UMass Amherst, and promoting an inclusive work environment.
Steering Committee positions are currently vacant. If you are interested in joining as a steering committee member, please contact Susan Weldon.
UMass LGBTQIA+ Network
Cultivating a more welcoming and respectful campus community for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual individuals and their allies, with a primary focus on the retention, advancement, and edification of UMass Amherst staff and faculty.
Sign Up to Get Involved in the LGBTQ+ Network
Steering Committee: Cas Rego-Martin (Engagement Coordinator, Office of Equity & Inclusion); Andee Browne-Tatro (Web Administrator, College of Humanities & Fine Arts); and Paige Mooney (Assistant Director of Career Development, Isenberg School of Management).
UMass Veterans Network
Working to make UMass Amherst a workplace of choice for veterans, reservists, and guardsmen, while fostering a community to support and encourage networking, career development, and mentorship.
Contact erg-vets@umass.edu to join.
Steering Committee: Candace Berrena (Talent Acquisition Consultant, Human Resources) and Jeremy Forgue (Labor Relations Analyst, Human Resources).
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SEE ALSO: The University Women’s Network (UWN) is a longstanding organization on the UMass Amherst campus that dedicates itself to promoting the personal and professional development of its members by networking, educating and supporting, and also collaborating with other campus organizations throughout the state, such as Massachusetts Women in Public Higher Education (MWPHE).
The University Women's Network is an independent ERG. To learn more about their work and membership, please visit the University Women's Network Website.
