Below are affinity groups available to faculty and staff.  To add your affinity group to this list, please contact Julie.nash@ndsu.edu.
 

Coalition of Disable Academics (CoDA)

CoDA is open to all NDSU faculty who identify as having visible or invisible disabilities (permanent or temporary), chronic mental or physical health conditions, or being neurodiverse.

CoDA also welcomes allies. Our goal is to provide support and advocacy for disabled faculty on campus and conduct outreach related to disability and accessibility.

Our group operates under two guiding principles:

1. Identification within the disability community is not dependent on having a diagnosis from a medical provider given the systemic barriers faced by many, particularly those from marginalized groups. 
2. CoDA members are not required to attend a certain number of meetings or events and should not feel obligated to disclose their experiences and diagnoses.

For more information, contact Melissa Vosen Callens (melissa.vosen@ndsu.edu) and / or join the group’s Blackboard page. To join the page, search “CoDA” under the Organizations tab on Blackboard.

Faculty Parents and Guardians

The Faculty Parents and Guardian group is a newly formed group (January 2023) to help support each other through struggles and joys of parenthood. Do you struggle with or have ideas for childcare, healthcare, activities, work-life balance, adjusting to new priorities, sleep deprivation, resource sharing, and more? If so, please reach out to get receive more information on upcoming sessions.

International Faculty

The International Faculty Group is a newly formed faculty affinity group (Fall 2022) which aims to create a community of support for NDSU’s international faculty members. They hope to organize social events, both formal or informal, such as a monthly meeting on campus and a once-a-semester social event which includes families. Their hope is that these interactions will provide mentoring and socio-emotional support to group members across departments and colleges, and lead to meaningful relationships and collaborations which help members to thrive at NDSU. The long-term goal is to connect to our international students, support and improve international enrollments, and NDSU’s global visibility as a land grant research institution. 

We use the term “International” loosely and welcome faculty members from different countries or regions outside the USA, as well as affiliated partners or faculty members who are interested in international work, research, or topics. Please reach out to the group leadership listed below with any questions or ideas for the group. 

Pride Network

The Pride Network is an organization of LGBTQ+ faculty and staff. Events are held for socialization and discussion throughout the year.

Women in Research (WIR)

WIR is an NDSU organization that provides a platform for all NDSU female researchers to exchange their research, grant-writing, teaching, and other professional experiences. The group meets regularly to share research agenda, perspectives, and skills that are beneficial for the female-scholar community at NDSU. The group welcomes all female faculty as well as female research scholars and scientists to attend regular sessions and meetings. For more information, please visit their webpage.