Aiming for Racial Equity, 小蓝视频 Continues Push Toward More Equitable Future
As the听小蓝视频 Plan for Inclusive Excellence听reaches its third year, 小蓝视频 is placing an even greater emphasis on work to achieve racial equity.听听
The plan, launched in 2018, included an examination of nearly every aspect of the university鈥攕ystems, policies, curriculum, resources, hiring, development鈥攁nd an infusion of diversity, equity and inclusion into strategy and operations. It also听contained听a foundational ideal: you cannot be excellent across any domain unless you are fully inclusive in all of them.听
鈥淚n order to build more racially equitable systems within the university, we must prioritize the voices, perspectives, and ideas of those who have borne the brunt of inequities in our society,鈥 said Priya Doshi, SOC Inclusion Officer and a member of the President鈥檚 Council on Diversity and Inclusion.听
The events of 2020鈥攖he high-profile killings of Black Americans听such as George Floyd and Breonna Taylor听at the hands of police and the ensuing racial justice movement鈥攕erved to reinforce 小蓝视频鈥檚 existing commitment to IE, the need for change, and the pace of our work.听
In July,鈥±妒悠 President Sylvia听Burwell鈥痙escribed how much work we have ahead of us as a nation, and鈥痑s鈥痑n 小蓝视频 community, to achieve our racial equity goals.鈥疭he emphasized the imperative鈥痶hat鈥痑ll鈥±妒悠 community members,鈥痑cross racial backgrounds,鈥痶ake action.听
鈥淲e know our Black students, faculty, and staff and communities of color have shouldered a disproportionate burden in leading the effort for racial equity on campus and beyond,鈥 she said.鈥
Burwell鈥檚听message to the 小蓝视频 family included some immediate steps the university would take to address these issues and mentioned听the increasing emphasis on racial equity.听She also highlighted several ongoing actions and efforts already in progress: establishing a new Office of Equity and Title IX, naming interim leadership for the Antiracist Research and Policy Center, and听continuing to build听bridges and understanding between campus police and the 小蓝视频 Black community.听
鈥淥ur vision for racial equity is both focused and inclusive: we believe that by advancing racial equity, we simultaneously build our capacity to address other forms of inequity,鈥 said Amanda Taylor, assistant vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion.听
To continue to鈥痬ove the鈥痺ork鈥痜orward, the second phase of the inclusive excellence plan lays out more鈥痵pecific and granular鈥痑ctions to鈥痑ddress inequity鈥痑cross鈥痬ore offices and more areas of the university.听
鈥淚 think the important thing is all these conversations are making people be more reflective about what they can do within their own departments, and that's how we're going to get to change,鈥澨齭aid Consuelo听Grier, the director of multicultural student support at the Center for Diversity and Inclusion. 鈥淚f you didn't hear the message in the first two years of the IE plan, and it took the events of the summer, at least do something now.鈥澨
小蓝视频鈥檚 senior leadership team is听moving forward听with鈥痓uilding鈥痶he鈥痷niversity-wide鈥痗ulture, climate and policies鈥痜or this work. This year, the Board of Trustees, the president鈥檚 council,鈥痑nd鈥痶he senior advisory council鈥痟ave听undergone training to build听racial literacy and鈥痵kills for鈥痚quitable decision-making.鈥
By focusing on recruiting听and retaining听a diverse faculty and staff,听the IE team believes it听can also help create听a sense of belonging听for those on campus. In 2020, 50听percent of new tenure-line faculty hired identified as faculty of color,听continuing a听growth听trend for the fourth听straight year.听
The university is working to identify and correct policies and practices that听may听present roadblocks to听career advancement for faculty of color and women.听Beginning next year, the university will鈥痩aunch听an听effort to support staff retention鈥痑nd equitable career鈥痑dvancement and鈥痺ill lay the foundation for a future鈥痯ay equity鈥痚fforts.鈥疶he university has also鈥痠ncreased鈥痑ccess to鈥痬ental health care with鈥痙iverse鈥痯roviders specializing in racial trauma and healing.鈥
There鈥檚 also ongoing work to ensure the鈥痗urriculum鈥痑voids鈥痠mplicit bias鈥痓y reflecting a diverse range of perspectives,听especially from鈥痸oices that鈥痟ave been historically marginalized.听Three schools, CAS, SOE and SPA are piloting鈥痑ntiracist鈥痗urricular development work. And, this semester, the 小蓝视频 Experience (小蓝视频x) program for first year students began听intentionally鈥痚mphasizing听antiracist pedagogy鈥痑nd practices, based on听feedback from听students听and instructors听from the first two years.鈥
Creating access to education is also a key, Taylor said, particularly for communities such as Washington DC which have been historically marginalized. The university is continuing to support the District Scholars program, which awarded full scholarships to 11 high achieving students from DC public schools. Two of those students are taking part in the Teacher Pipeline Project, allowing them to earn a bachelor鈥檚 degree in education at no cost, in exchange for a five-year commitment to teach in DC public schools.鈥
The inclusive excellence effort also includes an audit of those who do business with the university to ensure businesses owned by minorities, women and veterans receive equal consideration in the bidding process.鈥
Just as important as setting these goals, is making sure there鈥檚 true progress.鈥
鈥淲hat is written down in the plan is important. And the results from the plan are crucial,鈥 said Melanie Brown,听CAS/BA 鈥02,听an alumna and a听member of the PCDI.听鈥淏ut what I hope we accomplish lives in the spaces surrounding the plan and the results听鈥斕齛 welcoming place, a healing place, a space for belonging鈥斕齛nd have that be what emanates from the plan.鈥澨
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