November 16, 2023 - Suzanne McGinnis and Laneshia Conner (Employee Affinity Groups)

Behind the Blue

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 16, 2023) – At the start of every academic semester here at the University of Kentucky, there is often discussion regarding the importance of belonging for our students. But, what about our employees? UK was recently recognized for the sixth consecutive year as a great college to work for, according to a survey conducted by ModernThink. One of the reasons UK received that honor is because of its efforts to create spaces for employees to find belonging.

Employee Affinity Groups at the University of Kentucky (EAGs@UK) are voluntary clusters of employees who share common interests. These groups play an important role in building community, articulating collective concerns, and promoting employees’ holistic wellbeing. EAGs@UK also advance the university’s goals and strategic priorities around creating a campus culture of inclusion, belonging and expansion. The primary focus of EAGs@UK is to advance inclusive excellence by supporting the connection, collaboration, work life and wellbeing of every employee throughout the institution.

Susanne McGinnis and Lanesha Conner serve as co-leads for two of the university’s EAGs: McGinnis with the Asian and Asian American Affinity Group, and Conner with the African American, Black, African Diaspora Affinity Group. On this episode of ‘Behind the Blue’, they talk about UK’s Employee Affinity Groups and their mission to build community, help members provide support for one another, and advocate for the needs of minority employees on campus.

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