UCAR

UCAR’s Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) create space and connections among staff members with support from the Office of Access, Culture, and Opportunity (OACO).

ERGs are generally formed around particular identities but can also encompass DEI-related interests. ERGs embody our spirit of welcoming and supportive spaces, and their work has helped to lower barriers to participation of people from many different backgrounds and create a more caring organization that better meets the needs of our employees. Some of their successes include partnering with HR to create a policy to support active military on deployment, provide internship opportunities for military service members transitioning to civilian life, expanding gender-neutral restrooms throughout our facilities, providing more expansive gender options in our workforce management system, and creating an Accommodations Library that contains items to help neurodiverse employees to adapt their workspaces and environment.

Table material for A5 ERG at Juneteenth

ERGs are grassroots-led and formed by staff members as outlined in policy 6-20 Employee Resource Groups at UCAR (requires staff login). ERGs must meet the following requirements in order to be established: 

  1. Have a clearly stated purpose, which helps to achieve UCAR’s ACO goals and mission.
  2. Support a common interest or identity. For example, employees may choose to form an ERG around racial or gender identity, veteran status, disability status, LGBTQ+ status, or other similar characteristics.
  3. ERGs cannot support or be organized around a specific religion or political affiliation as this could be interpreted as promoting these interests and is prohibited by UCAR Policy 3-4.
  4. Meet a need for support not currently being met by an already established ERG.
  5. ERGs must be open to all UCAR/NCAR employees regardless of identity.

The leadership of each ERG meets monthly together with the ACO team to discuss organizational priorities, ideas, and support needs from UCAR and peers. The ERGs are provided with communications support and some funding to support their programming.

If you’re interested in creating a new ERG please contact OACO@ucar.edu or see policy 6-20 for more details.