On Support, Action and Next Steps
Dear College of Ƶ Community,
Sincethe murder of George Floydon May 25,crucialwork has beenacceleratingacrosstheUS, as well asglobally,to dismantle racism andbegin toredress its harms. At the same time, though, we have seen a continuation of theterribleanti-Black violence that has persisted inthis country for so long – including in thehorrifyingshooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha on Sunday. Racist violence, and racism in all its forms, are inhumane and appalling. They have gone on far too long and created immeasurable harm to individuals and communities across generations. We must come together, now, to end them.Blacklivesmatter, andprogressis urgently needed – across the country, as well as here, on our own campus.
Thestaff of theCenter for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI)and our Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer (CDEIO) will host a virtual gathering on Wednesday, September 2nd,from 8- 9:30 pm,to provide a space for solidarity, discussion and support. They will share an invitation and more detailsfor this gatheringin the nextfewdays. Students are also welcome to contact any of the CDI or Dean of Students’ staff or the Wellness Center for individual conversation, and our CDEIO, Dr. García, is available to support staff and faculty, as well as students.
On July 2nd, I wrote to youto share.Since then,my cabinet colleagues and I havecontinued totalkwith Black alumni, students, staff and faculty,andreadthe experiences that students and alumni have shared on social media.It is clear thatBlackstaff, students and faculty continue toexperiencebias, racism,stereotypingandexclusionon our campus.This iscompletely unacceptable.We are opening formal investigations of specific concerns regarding discrimination that have been raised (through the filing of reports or through other mechanisms, including social media), and also continuing to act with urgency to create a campus that is just and deeply welcoming for all. In this letter, I will provide brief updates on the central commitmentsand actionsfor changewe sharedin Julyas well as on new efforts.
Like so many people on our campus, Ƶ’sBoard ofTrusteesisalso committed to ensuring that Ƶ lives up to its founding mission as “a place of studies for all.” The Boardhasconvenedatask force with a focus on anti-racism, equity and justice, and will be communicating with the campus community soon about its charge, membership and plans.
Below are our the current updates on commitments and actions announced July 2nd.This list is a summary of actions taken so far and upcoming next steps. We know that there is much more that is needed, and are continuing discussions with staff, faculty and students to find the best ways forward. We will keep updating the community regularly.
1.Build an inclusive and anti-racist campus culture.
- Requiredtraining forallstaff, students and faculty, focused on understanding structural racism and on the actions that create an inclusive equitable community. Anti-racism trainings ofthe Board of Trustees and ofSecurity and Protective Servicesas well as for RAstook place inJulyand August. Faculty workshops this summer also included these areas of focus.Anti-racism trainings will continue through the year and on an ongoing basis, and we will hold multi-day trainings for staff and faculty next summer.The faculty has voted to requireantiracisttraining of allacademicdepartments annually.
- Contributions to diversity, equity and inclusion will be part of professional assessments for all faculty and staff. Building and supporting a diverse team, proactively creating an inclusive culture, ongoing learning and action will be part of thetraining,expectations andevaluations of all campus managers and leaders. Expectations have been set incabinet andwill be conveyed broadlythrough trainingsat the start of the academicyear, andassessedin this year’s reviews.
- Review and revise our bias incident-reporting and response process, including increased support resources for those bringing forward concerns, for example, atrained individual serving as an ombudsman, and accountability for acts of racism or discrimination. Weare contractingwith an Ombudsperson and have interviewed those holding this role at peer colleges to develop the most effective structure.In addition to their resource role,this individual will alsosupportassessment of our draft bias incident-reporting and response processes to make themmoreeffective inachieving just outcomes. The draft process will be shared with the campus for review and comment by Oct. 1.
- Grow the diversity of our student body and of our faculty, staff and campus leadership.
- Continue to buildproactively-inclusivehiring practicesfor staff and faculty, and ensure equity in evaluation, compensation and promotion;The training, oversightand roles of diversity advocates in faculty hires and promotion decisions are beingreviewed andstrengthened, and equivalent processes for staff hiring and evaluation developed.We will ensure that diverse student voices are included in promotion and tenure reviews of faculty members, and thatallexternal reviews of academic and administrative departments include assessments of equity and inclusive practice. Our ombudsperson will collaborate withthe CDEIO andhuman resources to strengthenpractices ensuring equity inevaluation, compensation,promotionand response to concernsfor staff.
- Sustain and broaden thenew facultymentoring program and other actions enacted this yearas a result ofthe faculty retention study.The new faculty mentoringprogram is being continued, andfurtherstrengthened based on feedback ofparticipants.We will also conduct interviews for staff andforfacultywho were not part of the original retentionstudy anduse those to further develop plansto support the thriving of faculty and staff of color throughout their careers at Ƶ.
- Continue to develop opportunities for students, staff and faculty of color to build connections on campus and beyond it.Dr. García is continuing this work, whichhas includedthe formation and supportof aBlack Staff and Faculty Caucusas well as othercampusgroups, andas well asworkshopsthrough the Ohio Five Consortium.
3.Strengthen resources for students to learn about of issues of racial justice, and to develop capacities to lead, collaborate and make a difference in their work after graduation
- Immediately enact targeted fundraising for Africana studies, CDI and other academic programs and co-curricular programs which focus on racism and justice.This work is underway, and Africana studies will hire several tenure-track positions over the next two years.
- Develop resources for faculty teaching in courses that meet the Diversity, Power and Privilege, Global Engagement and Social Justice/Religion requirements. (To be completed this academic year,along with an initial review of the diversity, power and privilege requirement, as recommended both by students and by the faculty who initially developed the proposal for this requirement.)
- Revise new student orientation and leadership training for RAs and student organizations to strengthen learning about racism, cultural competency and creating inclusive community.Dr. Garcíaand members of the Dean of Students’ officerevised the new student orientationtrainingand programmingto focus oninclusion andantiracism, andadditionaltrainings are being enacted now.RA,ARCHerand other trainings have also includedextendedantiracism components.
4.Ensure safety and broaden support for student wellnessand thriving.
- Collaborate with outside experts on equity,raceand justice to find ways for our campus security and protective services team to become an even better resource for the safety and well-being of our campus community.EffectiveAugust 17th, Security and Protective Servicesis being led byJoe Kirk.Director Kirkhas been associate director for9years andis looking forward to developing a community- based approach including aboard of students,staffand faculty with whom SPS will collaborate.Director Kirkwill continue to workwith Dr. García and others tostrengthen the department’sregulartraining, policiesand practice in equity and inclusion, and to provide clear informationabout the circumstances in which the local police department mustbe calledtocampus.
- Increase the availability of counselors of color for students.We are working to make it possible for a newcounselor of color to be available to Ƶ students early this fall.
- Access and equity as regards accommodations.We will review our processes for ADA accommodations to ensure they areequitablefor all students, including those who may have difficultyaccessingmedicalassessments, and that they are broadlyand proactively communicated.
5.Increase support and opportunity for students.
- Immediately undertake focused fundraising for the Black Student Equity Fund, Black Legacy fund, funds for DACA students and First-Generation students, as well as for scholarships, emergency funds, and funds for opportunities such as internships and study away.This fundraising isunderway.
- Clarify and ease access to resources,supportand housing.Following the guidance of students, wewillmake sources of funding for individual students and student organizations clearer and easier to apply for.We will create a transparentwebsite,andensure that faculty advisors, student org advisors and others who may behelpingstudents are aware of the funds available and how to access them.We will also work with Scot Council to make it easier for student organizations that support Black and other historically marginalized students to receive funding for their activities, including events that aredesignatedspecifically for organization members.We willclarify the roles of Deans and CDI staff so that students and student organizations know where best to seek support.We will make it easier for those student organizations in the historic houses (Men of Harambee, Women of Images, African Students’ Association) to access and sustain housing that supports their mission.
6.Engage with the community in the City of Ƶ.
- Collaboratewith local leaders on anti-racist initiatives and on work to create an intentionally welcoming community. The CDEIO is working with local leaders, including the local NAACP chapter,on possible collaborations and areas for action this coming year.
My thanks go to every member of the College of Ƶ community who is working hard to make our community better. Special thanks to those students, staff, faculty and alumni who have shared their experiences and ideas, providing crucial insights into the painful experiences and harms of racism at Ƶ and ways to address them. We will work together, relentlessly, to create change everywhere on our campus, so that those harms end, and Ƶ becomes the truly just and welcoming place for learning to which our mission calls us.
Sincerely,
Sarah Bolton
Posted in Announcements on August 28, 2020.
