11/29/2016 A Discussion about Racial Climate at Brock University Overview of the Racial Climate Task Force 1
11/29/2016 Racial Climate Task Force The Brock University Racial Climate Task Force was initiated following an incident of Blackface that occurred at Isaac’s Halloween Pub in October 2014. The first RCTF meeting was June 2015. Racial Climate Task Force Terms of Reference Our Mandate: • Advocate for the development of programs, services, policies, procedures, and protocol at the unit level, and campus-wide, that improve and enhance the racial climate on campus. • Identify and facilitate opportunities for increased cooperation, collaboration, and synergy amongst campus units, groups, and committees that have an interest in the racial climate on campus; track the outcomes and impacts of any collaborative offerings. 2
11/29/2016 Racial Climate Task Force Terms of Reference Our Mandate (cont’ d): • Identify and implement formal and informal means of purposefully engaging Brock students, staff, and faculty to seek out their impressions and opinions about the racial climate on campus, and their ideas for how it can be improved. • Assist with communication activities to inform Brock’s internal and external communities about improvements related to the racial climate on campus. • Advise the members of the S enior Administrative Council on issues, challenges, opportunities, and outcomes related to the racial climate on campus. Racial Climate Task Force Terms of Reference The RCTF includes representation from the following stakeholder groups: • Aboriginal Student Services • Brock University Students’ Union • Faculty representation • Graduate Students’ Association • Human Rights and Equity Services • Brock International: International Student Services/ESL Services • Student Justice Centre • Student Life & Community Experience • Student Ombuds office Additional campus partners are invited to attend particular meetings based on topics to be discussed, and/ or to participate in relevant working groups 3
11/29/2016 Members of the Racial Climate Task Force (2016/ 17) Front Row (left t o right ): Cate Talaue, Carole Moss, Brad Clarke (Chair), Julia Wood, Dolana Mogadime S econd Row (left t o right ): S andra Wong, Alana S harpe, S hannon Kitchings, Laura Hughes Back Row (left t o right ): Kim Radersma, S imon Black, Arthur Chen, S am MacAndrew Not pict ured: Phoebe Kang, Istafa S ufi, Zanab Jafry S hah, Olivier Kayitaba, Nona Bader, Zuzanna Kucharski RCTF Meeting Cycle and Format Meetings of the Task Force shall normally be held on a monthly basis. Working groups may be formed to undertake specific initiatives. For 2016/ 17, the group has discussed bi- weekly working group meetings to alternate with the larger RCTF meeting. The RCTF working groups that we would like to introduce for 2016/ 17 include: • Education, S ervices, and S upports • Research and Assessment • Policy Review and Development 4
11/29/2016 Racial Climate Task Force S uccesses and Challenges White Privilege S ymposium Canada • First symposium of its kind in Canada • Over 420 people attended – Brock students, staff, and faculty – Niagara community – K-12 teachers, staff, and admin from across Ontario • 7 keynote speakers • 18 concurrent workshops • Y outh Action Proj ect • Networking and social events 5
11/29/2016 White Privilege S ymposium Canada S pecial thanks to the following for their vision and leadership, and their commitment to making the WPS C a success! • Dr. Dolana Mogadime, WPS C Program Director • Kim Radersma, WPS C Program Coordinator • Dr. Eddie Moore Jr. WPC Founder White Privilege S ymposium Canada WPS C participant feedback during and following the event was very positive. Examples include: • “ I am so proud to have been part of this conference! It's great to have concrete ideas and action items to provide to my organization so that we can do better. amazing, simply amazing, so looking forward to the next one” • “ Fantastic symposium; one of the best I have attended; well organized; great variety of topics/ speakers; incredibly inspiring. This was an amazing conference. Kudos to the organizers. Hope you will consider hosting this again!” • “ I wanted to say a huge THANK YOU and congratulations for an amazing White Privilege S ymposium! I cannot believe the quality and calibre of the speakers and workshop facilitators! I learned so much and am so excited to bring it into my work and share with colleagues. The other two UofG folks who were there and I plan to do some kind of lunch and learn presentation for our colleagues, and we are seriously looking into hosting the S ymposium in the future. Thank you thank you thank you for all of your hard work to bring it to Brock and set a shining example for others to follow!” 6
11/29/2016 White Privilege S ymposium Canada WPS C attendee feedback cont’ d: • “ The variety and caliber of speakers was outstanding” • “ This was one of the best conferences I have attended in a long time. The agenda, speakers and community that was developed was outstanding. The whole conference exceeded my expectations” • “ Thank you for planning this much needed event. We need to create more spaces and events like this” • “ The conference theme was handled frankly but with sensitivity. The affordable registration fee made it possible for me (retired person) to hear about current and emerging research and practices in dealing (with) the sensitive but socially relevant topic of "White Privilege". Thanks for the courtesy parking. Kudos for involving high school students” • “ This was truly a well organized and impacting event. Every keynote hit a different target in a way that had me continually question who I was and my role in social j ustice. A safe space was created in the gathering of incredible individuals. This was definitely a weekend to remember. Thank you” White Privilege S ymposium Canada Joint Call for Papers As part of our knowledge mobilization efforts to support and continue the conversation inspired by WPS C, we are collaborating on a double issue j ournal to be published by the: 1. Understanding and Dismantling Privilege Journal 2. Brock Education Journal All WPS C attendees are encouraged to contribute their voices to the conversation on impactful social change. We invite contributions in various forms, including: - Research - Tools and strategies - Narratives - Case studies - Counter story - Life stories - Creative works - Community action plans 7
11/29/2016 BUS U’s Halloween Costume Protocol • Implemented in October 2015. Includes proactive and reactive measures • The initiative garnered positive national and international media attention, including: CBC, CHCH, Toronto S tar, National Post, Toronto S un, 570 News, 610 CKTB, Daily Mail UK Training and Awareness Opportunities A variety of training and awareness opportunities have been developed and offered, including: • Anti-Racism workshop • Deconstructing Bias training • Challenging Cultural Appropriation workshop • Teaching Mandela leadership workshop • More are being considered 8
11/29/2016 Racial Climate Task Force - Challenges In its first year and a half, the RCTF has made good strides to address factors contributing to the 2014 Blackface incident and the campus response, and in providing high- quality educational experiences for members of the Brock community. As the RCTF prioritizes our efforts for 2016/ 17 and beyond, we are significantly restricted by a lack of institutional resources (i.e. budgetary and human) and institutional infrastructure (ex. data, policy). Racial Climate Task Force - Challenges Brock is lacking in our current ability to even identify or quantify racialized students, staff, and faculty, let alone connect with them to understand and improve their experiences as a racialized individual on campus. A limited amount of information about the demographics of the Brock student population and their experience(s) with race and racism is available from benchmarking surveys such as CUS C and NS S E. (CONS IDER: How/ if t o include specific st at s from CUS C/ NS S E) In recent months, the University of Toronto and Dalhousie University have implemented campus diversity and anti-racism surveys and other strategies toward substantive equity in hiring and addressing racial violence. 9
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