Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are employee-led groups formed around common interests, common bonds, or similar backgrounds.

erg_logoERG members create a positive work environment at MIT by actively contributing to the Institute's mission, values and efforts specific to inclusion, such as recruitment and retention. All of MIT's ERGs are open to any employee.

All About ERGs

ERGs are one example of the variety of MIT-sponsored activities that all staff, including support staff, are encouraged to attend. Participation in these kinds of activities may provide long-term business benefits for MIT and professional and personal development for the participants. Participation in ERGs also contributes to a strong sense of "one community" at MIT.

Purposes of ERGs

  • They create an open forum for staff who share common interests/concerns to meet and support one another in creatively addressing those concerns and
  • They provide a resource to MIT leadership regarding staff/community interests, needs, and policies
  • They advance a respectful and caring community

Guiding principles for ERGs

  • All ERGs are open to all employees
  • ERGs promote diversity, openness, understanding, and inclusiveness
  • ERG participation by employees is voluntary
  • ERGs adhere to MIT's policies and procedures
  • ERGs strive to provide long-term business benefit to the Institute as well as professional/personal benefit to participants

Benefits of ERGs at MIT

ERGs help to create an inclusive workplace by:

  • Serving as a vehicle for leveraging MIT's distributed leadership model
  • Contributing to an inclusive workplace through recruiting and retention, and by providing an informal welcome to new employees and networking and mentoring opportunities for their members
  • Creating an open forum for staff who share common interests/concerns to meet and support one another
  • Providing a resource to MIT leadership regarding staff/community interests, needs, and policies

A look at ERG activities

Recent ERG activities have included:

  • Basics of Investing & Retirement Basics Seminar
  • Linguistics & STEM Education for Liberation: The MIT-Haiti Initiative colloquium
  • An ERG Member Appreciation Lunch
  • Hosting the Disability & Intersectionality Summit 2018 at MIT
  • Careers in IT at MIT recruitment session
  • The Art and Skill of Networking interactive workshop
  • Trans Rights Community Town Hall
  • Networking event for PRIDE at the Media Lab with other Boston-based LBGTQ ERGs
  • “Out and Asian” panel presentation featuring MIT community members
  • Brown Bag lunch talks, Coffee Hour discussion groups, and After Hours meet-ups

Current ERGs

MIT is pleased to support the following Employee Resource Groups.

African, Black, American, Caribbean (ABAC) ERG

Co-leads: Virginia Johnson johnsov@mit.edu (VPF), Natalie Petit npetit@mit.edu (Sloan)

Interested in getting involved?

ABAC Mission Statement

ABAC strives to promote an environment that fosters and promotes productivity and creativity of all its employees. Our goal is to increase awareness of cultural differences within our own community and the MIT community at large. We seek to create a welcoming environment to help employees feel supported, and have a "home base" to help foster trust and inclusiveness on the MIT campus.

We strive to promote individual and collective growth through various resources and networking opportunities, focusing on areas such as recruitment, retention and development opportunities.  Additionally, we work to strengthen the values of MIT by being inclusive and open to differences so that everyone feels valued and welcomed.

This group is open to all members of the MIT community.

Asian Pacific American (APA) ERG

Lead: Rupinder Grewal rgrewal@mit.edu (OSP)
Community Outreach Coordinator: Eugenia Beh ebeh@mit.edu (Libraries)

Interested in getting involved?
Asian Pacific American ERG Mission Statement

The mission of the MIT Asian Pacific American Employee Resource Group is to foster networking, professional development, mentoring, and leadership opportunities with a focus on the recruitment, retention, learning, and advancement of Asian Pacific Americans at MIT.

The group is open to all faculty and staff in the MIT community.

Objectives:
  • Embrace a culture of inclusion and build awareness and appreciation for diversity
  • Facilitate networking and career development opportunities by connecting members with similar professional and personal interests
  • Facilitate informal mentoring opportunities by providing guidance, advice, and training as well as sharing the exciting work being done throughout MIT
  • Sponsor professional and personal development workshops, seminars, and lectures featuring distinguished speakers
  • Ensure that information about events of interest and members’ achievements is effectively distributed throughout MIT
  • Foster awareness of Asian Pacific American issues

Disabilities ERG

Co-lead: Pauline Dowell pdowell@mit.edu (HR)
Interim co-lead: Mary Ellen Royer maryelle@mit.edu (HR) 

Interested in getting involved?
Disabilities ERG Mission Statement

The mission of the Disabilities Resource Group is to advance awareness and inclusion for people with disabilities at MIT. To support MIT's mission through increasing the diversity of our community to more accurately reflect the diversity of the world at large. To provide a safe space for people with disabilities and their allies to share their stories and be heard, understood, and supported. "Nothing about us without us."

This group is open to all members of the MIT community.

Latino ERG

Co-leads: Idalia Cuevas icuevas@mit.edu (Materials Research Laboratory), Vivian Ruiz ruizvn@mit.edu (International Scholars Office). 

Interested in getting involved?
Latino ERG Mission Statement

Develop a network within the MIT community to promote the cultural diversity and professional development of its members, and thereby creating a supportive environment for the Latino/Hispanic community and contributing to the success of MIT's mission.

We seek to foster respect and awareness by contributing to the inclusive environment that results from a diverse community, assisting departments, labs and centers in attracting and recruiting the best candidates, enhancing the professional development of employees, and recognizing members' achievements.

This group is open to all members of the MIT community.

Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgender, Queer (LBGTQ+) ERG

Lead: Lana Scott lmscott@mit.edu (Office of Digital Learning).

Interested in getting involved?
Mission and Objectives of the LBGTQ+ Employee Resource Group

The mission of the LBGTQ+ Employee Resource Group is to promote an inclusive community for lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgender, and queer employees. The LBGTQ+ ERG will support MIT’s efforts to diversify staff and faculty, and will work to recruit and retain LBGTQ+-identified employees. The LBGTQ+ ERG will serve as a visible, accessible resource for LBGTQ+-identified employees and their allies and will provide LBGTQ+-focused networking, educational and social opportunities for the MIT community. The LBGTQ+ ERG is open to all MIT faculty and staff.

Objectives:

  • Affirming LBGTQ+ Identity
  • Building LBGTQ+ Community
  • Cultivating LBGTQ+ Equity

Millennials ERG

Co-leads: Justin Crim jcrim@mit.edu (UPOP), Kara Cunningham kbcunnin@mit.edu (Office of the Registrar), Kristin McCoy kmccoy@mit.edu (Office of Undergraduate Education)

Interested in getting involved?
Millennials Mission Statement

The MIT Millennial Employee Resource Group seeks to engage members of the MIT community interested in topics and issues specific to the millennial generation, those born in the 1980s and 1990s. We seek to encourage understanding and growth across all generations of MIT employees. Through building a supportive network and professional development for all members of our community, we will create more opportunities and sense of belonging for all. We strive, through all endeavors, to give back and support the goals and work of the Institute as a whole by focusing on areas such as recruitment and retention.

The group is open to all faculty and staff in the MIT community.

Women in Technology (WIT) ERG

Co-leads: Olimpia Estela Caceres-Brown olimpia@mit.edu, Heather Vigeveno (MIT Professional Education) vigeveno@mit.edu.

Interested in getting involved?
Women in Technology Mission Statement

The mission of the Women in Technology ERG is to cultivate an inclusive environment that supports and encourages women to advance their skills and leadership potential through connection, mentorship, collaboration and discussion. This group shall serve as a forum for women to find their voice and be heard within the MIT community.  Through networking, socializing, and professional development we hope to attract and retain women into MIT’s IT positions.

This group is open to all members of the MIT community.

To Learn More

For more information, contact the co-leads of any ERG or email staffdiversity@mit.edu.

For information on ERGs at Lincoln Laboratory: Contact Chevalier (Chevy) Cleaves, Chevy.Cleaves@ll.mit.edu.