Anti-Racism Task Force Questions
The Four Areas to be addressed are as follows:
- Sustained and Effective Communication: How do we develop a structure so that we have ongoing dialogue and education about the issues that are most important?
- How do we confront our own inherent biases and change our ways of thinking?
- Could we create an ongoing SIUE speaker series on the topic of racism, justice and equity?
- How do we enhance the Sustained Dialogue format to get more people involved including students, faculty and staff?
- How do we use Diversity Day and our Spring Diversity Summit to focus on particular topics that are timely and relevant?
- What other potential partners in the area (city and county governments, corporations, chambers, etc.) may want to be part of building this dialogue locally?
- How do we create environments, so people of different backgrounds talk to each other on a regular basis in unstructured (i.e., apart from “formal” SIUE) settings? In short, how do we get to know each other in a deeper way?
- Are there parts of the co-curricular journey where all students confront deep conversations about race?
- Can the Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Campus Center serve as a research center, education hub and community connector (for instance, relationship with East St. Louis), relative to anti-racism efforts?
- How do we implement anti-racism training for all members of the campus community—faculty, staff, students, administrators? (“growth, learning, etc.” in addition to “training”)
- What messaging needs to come from SIUE leaders and how should it occur?
- What responsibility do we have in influencing the region through effective communication on issues of social justice?
- How can we do better in elevating/promoting our Black colleagues’ work, both research and creative activities? What is the role of all scholars to engage with the community and communicate their work?
- Access and Success: (D&I Strategic Plan Goal 1: Enhance recruitment for students of underrepresented groups for both undergraduate and graduate programs and improve retention and graduation rates):
- How do we make SIUE more available to Black, indigenous and other students of color? Can we expand current scholarship funding available to students from these groups? Can we create new scholarships and race-conscious policies?
- How do we increase retention and graduation rates for students for Black, indigenous and other students of color using current programs such as the African American Male Initiative, as well as new programs?
- How do we develop partnerships and pathway programs (e.g., Charter High School, other area high schools, TRIO Upward Bound, East St. Louis programming, NCCJ St. Louis’ Anytown program, St. Louis Alive and Well, Relationships with HBCUs)?
- What University policies present barriers for student success?
- Curriculum: (D&I Strategic Plan Goal 3: Build a community that fosters learning, scholarship, and creative activities that reflect understanding of global diversity and a commitment to inclusion and social justice):
- What occurs in a student’s first week at SIUE and in the SIUE Experience to initiate or deepen reflection and promote equitable integration?
- What occurs in a student’s first semester and FST 101 to deepen reflection and learning about inequity and racism?
- What occurs as a part of curricula in all majors to continue these reflections?
- How can the IMPACT Academy and the Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Campus Center have a greater effect in integrating inclusive and equity minded teaching into the classroom?
- Are there barriers to certain academic disciplines (e.g., STEM) that need to be eliminated?
- Are there particular discipline areas (e.g., Social Justice), minors (Black Studies, anti-racism studies), tracks, graduate certificates, and/or research areas that should developed and/or expanded to address racism, injustice and inequity?
- How do we prepare SIUE students to be leaders and advocates for social justice and equity?
- How do we teach our students about resources to deal emotionally and psychologically with pain and outrage when the world appears most unjust? How do we help students to develop tools to address social issues?
- How can elements of SIUE (e.g., our Criminal Justice Program, our Police force) create environments that improve current conditions for Black, indigenous and other students of color?
- How do we integrate the curricular and co-curricular student experience with respect to racial justice?
- How do we encourage interdisciplinary connections on matters of diversity, equity, inclusion and racist education?
- Faculty and Staff: Hiring, Retention, Promotion:(D&I Strategic Plan Goal 2: Increase and retain the number of faculty, staff and administrators from underrepresented groups):
- How do we augment the Strategic Hiring Initiative to more successfully recruit Black, indigenous and other faculty and staff of color? Can cluster hiring within designated disciplines be an effective approach?
- How do we better equip our search committees to challenge racism and enhance the diversity of SIUE? How do we address inequities in our current search process?
- How do we increase the number of mentors that students have to inspire them, to challenge them, to instruct them?
- Could we invest in Black, indigenous and other graduate students of color (e.g., doctoral scholarships; leadership training), so they might become SIUE faculty and staff of the future?
- Similarly, can we create partnerships with HBCUs to develop pipelines for future faculty and staff?
- How do we enhance faculty P&T processes and staff development to increase retention of Black, indigenous and other faculty and staff of color at SIUE?
- How do we recognize faculty contributions to diversity and inclusion efforts in the P&T process?
- What opportunities exist to promote Black, indigenous and other faculty and staff of color to leadership positions? Can Leadership Academies and/or Fellowship Programs build capacity?
- Can we enhance our own faculty and staff through Scholar in Residence programs in partnership with HBCUs through year-long SIUE residencies?
- How do we support advocacy by our own faculty and staff?
- What University policies present barriers for faculty and staff retention, promotion and success? Also review government and agency regulations that present barriers (SUCSS).
- How do we acknowledge and reward the invisible labor of Black, indigenous and other people of color?
