Racial Justice Updates

Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021

Subject: Racial Justice updates

Dear Colleagues,

As we commence a new semester, the Division of Academic Affairs reaffirms its commitment to racial justice. Plans are underway for campus-wide responses to the insurrection and this country’s long history and very present threat of racist and anti-Semitic violence.
 
An initial, reflective discussion is scheduled for tomorrow, January 29, 3:00-4:00 PM in Zoom: https://bridgew.zoom.us/j/94682264055. The discussion will be facilitated by Jabbar Al-Obaidi (Communication Studies), Michael DeValve (Criminal Justice), Diana Fox (Anthropology), Maggie Lowe (History), Kevin McGowan (Elementary & Early Childhood Education), and Tina Mullone (Dance). Facilitators aim to create a space for colleagues to reflect on how we’re each managing in the wake of the attack at the Capitol and the continuing danger of domestic terrorism, to build community around difficult topics and our own vulnerabilities, and to underscore the importance of being connected.
 
The Curriculum and Co-Curriculum subcommittee of the Racial Justice Task Force, in collaboration with programs across the division, will be offering discussions and workshops weekly this semester on antiracist and decolonial curricula and pedagogies, facilitated by faculty and librarians. The sessions comprise conceptual topics, such as decoloniality and intersectionality, as well as pragmatic examples of teaching and learning practices that promote racial equity. As the calendar of sessions is finalized in the coming days, we will share it with you and highlight upcoming offerings, both live and asynchronous.
 
In addition to workshops and discussions on racial justice in teaching and learning, we recommend this Antiracist Educational Resources Inventory (BSU login required) created by BSU faculty and librarians and colleagues in the Division of Student Success and Diversity. The resources are designed for curricular and co-curricular use on a rich set of topics, from active allyship to understanding systemic racism. Each source includes a summary and citation.
 
You can still access asynchronous presentations from last month’s OTL Conference. They include teaching and learning practices for online courses and for racial justice. In these initial days of the semester, we highlight for your consideration Melissa Winchell's slides on antiracist syllabi and Matt Salomone’s and Lee Torda's work on antiracist grading.  
 
With gratitude,