Anti-Racism at SIUE

Dear campus community,

We recognize that transparent communication regarding the status of the 78 ARTF recommendations remains a concern. In response, weekly messages moving forward will now provide detailed updates about the status of each recommendation, grouped by theme.

Moreover, as shared in our update on Friday, Feb. 19, we will launch a dashboard to track actions in progress and identify those that have been completed. The dashboard will be placed on the Anti-Racism at SIUE website (Anti-Racism Taskforce page) and will be updated monthly. We are hopeful that the dashboard will be live within the next week or so. 

Today’s update focuses on those recommendations that address the relationship between the Edwardsville and East St. Louis campuses. 

East St. Louis Shuttle Service 

A cost-benefit analysis assessment is underway to determine the feasibility and anticipated usage of such a service.

East St. Louis Aesthetics 

Vice Chancellor of Administration Dr. Morris Taylor will make monthly meetings to the East St. Louis campus to discuss improvements to the aesthetics. Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Dr. Denise Cobb has also worked with East St. Louis Center (ESLC) Executive Director Dr. Timothy Staples to better understand the concerns and to identify opportunities to work with Facilities Management to address space needs.

East St. Louis Indirect Cost Recovery Distribution 

Provost Cobb and Chancellor Randy Pembrook have worked to ensure that the ESLC retained important indirect cost recovery (ICR) that can be invested in the students, families and programs we serve. We are excited about the plans that Dr. Staples has offered. Additionally, the chancellor and provost have initiated discussions with the dean of the Graduate School to ensure that ICR distributions meet the needs of the ESLC programs.

Repair the Relationship between East St. Louis and Edwardsville 

Vice Chancellor of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Dr. Jessica Harris has put together a working group to develop a concrete action plan to address the marginalization experienced by the East St. Louis campus. This plan will address the needs of the ESLC programs and the Charter High School. Additionally, Provost Cobb is pleased that Dr. Lydia Jackson is now serving as a liaison to facilitate better support between the East St. Louis and Edwardsville campuses. The new working group is comprised of the following representatives from each of the campuses:  

Florence Chears-Lawrence (East St. Louis Center) 
Connie Frey Spurlock (Edwardsville) 
TiJauna Ingram, (East St. Louis Center)  
Lydia Jackson (Co-Chair) (Edwardsville) 
Carolyn Jason (Co-Chair) (East St. Louis Center)  
Howard Rambsy (Edwardsville) 
Pamela Saffore (East St. Louis Charter High School) 

We thank all involved for their time and dedication to these important efforts.

Sincerely, 

Randy Pembrook, Chancellor   
Denise Cobb, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs   
Jessica Harris, Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Rachel Stack, Vice Chancellor for Advancement   
Morris Taylor, Vice Chancellor for Administration 
Jeffrey Waple, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs