Anti-Racism Consultation Committee
April 25th, 2016 | 7:30-9:00pm EDT
In Attendance
Kijai Corbett
Joanne Corbin
Rory Crath
Denise Goitia
Dri Huber
Irene Rodriguez Martin
Fred Newdom
Peggy O’Neill
Manuel Ortiz
Denis Vidal
Laurie Wyman
Marianne Yoshioka
Absent
Yvette Colón
Elizabeth Gonzalez
Nina Gonzalez
Gabrielle Holder
Cole Hooley
Katelin Lewis-Kulin
Kai Lynch
Emely Velez
Agenda
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Welcome, who is on the call, review of agenda and minutes
Our half day meeting (Sunday, June 5th): agenda planning
a.
Anti-Racism Task Force: Clarifying its role and relationship to the ARCC
Follow up from petition items
a.
Update about the Critical Conversations training for students
Transparency and communication to the SSW community
Syllabi Updates Survey
Anticipating summer campus climate
Agenda setting for next meeting
1. Welcome, who is on the call, review of agenda and minutes
2. Our half day meeting (Sunday, June 5th): agenda planning. We identified the following
agenda items for our half day meeting
a. What data do we wish to collect/monitor to understand our progress toward
the anti-racism commitment
b. Clarifying how SSW community members may join the ARCC
c. Clarifying the role and relationship of the Anti-Racism Task Force to the ARCC
i. Now that the ARCC has become the central body to organize and
coordinate activities around the Anti-Racism committee, the Task Force
has struggled to understand its role. We will brainstorm what the
future of the Task Force may look like
d. Developing an action agenda for 2016-2017
e. Developing a plan for how we can keep SSW community members informed
about the work of the ARCC and introduce new students to the ARCC
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f.
Understanding the Critical Conversations facilitation model: A discussion about
the model and how it works
3. Follow up from petition items: There is additional information regarding three of the
petition items
a. Item 6: All faculty will be required to attend at least one Pedagogy and Diversity
meeting per summer for consultation on skillfully incorporating anti-racism into
pedagogy.
i. As we discussed last meeting, while all faculty will be encouraged to
attend P&D, we have committed to training all instructors in the Critical
Conversations facilitation model (Kang & O’Neill, 2016). While it is our
intention to also train all students and staff, we will prioritize the
training of the faculty this year
1. We have provided introductory training to resident faculty and
those adjunct faculty who attended the Winter Faculty Meeting
and will re-offer the training at the start of each term
2. We are in process of developing an evaluation plan of the
model which will may include booster sessions to support
instructor’s use of the model
3. We will make sure that the P&D co-facilitators are well-trained
in the model so that they can support instructors’ use of the
model
ii. Peggy O’Neill will provide more information to ARCC members about
the model ahead of the June 5th retreat so that we can have an
informed conversation together about how we can inform students
about the model
1. We will set aside some time at the June 5th retreat to discuss
the model. This will not be a training but a time for discussion so
that everyone on the ARCC can provide information. Folks who
have been trained can work with Peggy to identify ways to
structure and inform the discussion re: how to provide
discussion with students – Rory, Laurie, and Idene
b. Item 7: Administration will work with students to design and implementation
mid-term feedback form as an “instant evaluation tool” to assess whether antiracism pedagogy is adequately reflected in each course.
i. In our last ARCC meeting, we identified some possible questions and a
format by which we can implement this feedback mechanism. We are
mindful that to be maximally effective, adjuncts should be invited to
participate in the development of this feedback mechanism rather than
pushing it on them. To have them participate fully, we will work on
developing the midterm feedback tool this summer and roll out for
summer 2017
ii. This summer, how can students bring feedback questions into the
classroom?
1. Perhaps a question about midterm feedback could be added to
Smith Speaks
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iii. Given there has been a clear student voice to request feedback, how we
can we move on this item rather this summer?
1. Can the sequence Chairs and/or course coordinators gather the
kinds of feedback questions currently used by some faculty and
circulate these questions to their instructional faculty to engage
them in discussion.
2. We can reach out to student leaders to help us formulate useful
questions and get suggestions re: what works and what doesn’t
work so that we have good information for next year
iv. Our aim is support an instructional culture where there is open space in
the classroom to gather feedback; we encourage feedback to be more
holistic about teaching style, content, and process
v. We will develop a proposal to start this work more ground up.
c. Item 11: Smith curriculum will demonstrate value for diverse and multimodal
ways of knowing by including non-peer reviewed materials such as blog posts,
multi-media, poetry, and visual media to include authors, and creators of
knowledge who are not based in traditional academic institutions.
i. We sent out a survey to instructors to gather information about what
kinds of materials they are using in the classroom that bring in diverse
perspectives and ways of knowing. The 20 participating instructors are
using different kinds of readings, materials but there is a variation
ii. The survey itself provided information to instructors that the school is
interested in them bring in a range of materials
iii. The proposed research elective to gather and identify these resources
did not enroll. Nonetheless Professor Park and Professor Crath will offer
this as a thesis option to 4-12 students. We will need to advertise
iv. The midterm tool can also provide feedback re: other sources of
knowledge and they have to be particular to a course
v. Can we provide student testimonials re: what they gain from having a
range of material from different perspectives and voices incorporated
into the classroom?
vi. Can the student Curriculum Committee together with E4 create an
annotated student database of materials (e.g., what is it, what class it
can be used in, and why it’s important)?
vii. We have to recognize what many instructors are doing already and
elevate the visibility of the use of these materials, help instructors to
support each other in identifying new materials
4. Transparency and communication to the SSW community
a. We have identified the following activities to provide information to the SSW
community:
i. Providing agendas and executive summaries of our meetings on the
website and linked in the Buzz. Moodle is also an option but it gives
access only for a limited time
ii. Hosting a Town Hall early in Term 1 to discuss the work of the school
over the past 8 months
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iii. Create a Play Back option similar to the College where information is
provided electronically with an open comment period so that feedback
can be incorporated
iv. Tabling with materials: Beginning first few weeks, we will organize
tables in the dining hall and Seelye to provide information, conversation
one on one regarding ARCC and its work. We will all take shifts
v. Utilize some of the Friday’s Dean’s open hours to discuss ARCC with
have ARCC members in attendance
5. Syllabi Update Survey: see above 3.c.i
6. Anticipating summer campus climate: Before we table or hold a town hall, it is
important to provide an update communication to the community by May 15 to remind
folks about what has transpired, and what the ARCC has been working on over the past
8 months; the communication should highlight the above activities where folks can learn
more, executive summaries of meetings can be attached.
i. We will work with E4 as well to get information out to the student
community.
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