HSU preps to launch the 2021-2026 University Senate Anti-Racist Action Plan for the Spring 2022 semester
In a zoom meeting on Dec. 20, Dr. Elavie Ndura, Assistant Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Campus Diversity Officer, announced that the new 2021-2026 University Senate Anti-Racist Action Plan is prepped for implementation and launch for the Spring 2022 semester.
The meeting was hosted by a graduate student collective as a follow-up discussion with the senior administrative leadership team at HSU, and invitees regarding the polytechnic prospectus, and the state of the institution.
“It is an Anti-Racism Action Plan that outlines programming and professional development activities that will enhance the HSU community’s collective capacities and commitments to advancing racial inclusion, equity, and justice,” said Ndura in an email to El Leñador.
The 2021-2026 University Senate Anti-Racist Action Plan grew from a University Senate meeting on Oct. 27, 2020. The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion invited participants to view the University Senate and shared governance with a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens. They discussed and made anonymous notes on three questions:
1. White Supremacy by Design: What are some examples of white privilege or white supremacy in the culture and practices of the Senate?
2. Belonging: Are there particular ways or times that have made you feel like you do belong? Do not belong? How might those experiences be related to your racial identity?
3. Change: How can the Senate be reorganized/restructured to better challenge white supremacy?
The Anti-Racism Action Plan sets the stage for a focused set of particular anti-racist priorities linked to institutional goals noted within. According to the plan, anti-racism and commitment to equity will inform all dimensions of the collective work: representation, outcome prioritization, and processes for deliberation and discussion.
The Action Plans’ strategic goals include retaining faculty and staff, fostering an inclusive employee community, and prioritizing student needs across HSU’s campus. One of the plan’s overall outcomes is that the University Senate reflects the needs of the campus community and the commitments as a Hispanic and Minority Serving Institution.
The plan includes that at least one-third of University Senate actions will need to prioritize the needs of BIPOC students. Also, the percentage of BIPOC elected and appointed senators and committee members will need to be representative of the BIPOC faculty and staff campus populations when it’s launched.
To increase the actions centering around BIPOC students’ needs, the University Senate will collaborate with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee to train leadership on assessing and building policy while applying a racial equity lens.
The plan includes that the presiding Senate Chair, Monty Mola, will structure opportunities for Senators, faculty, staff and students to engage with the broad planning processes for annual agenda creation and prioritization.
Ndura believes the plan is very advanced and hopes to have it launch and begin implementation as the spring 2022 semester begins.
“The Anti-Racism Action Plan is still in development, ODEI is in the process of gathering feedback from campus stakeholders on Draft #4,” said Ndura in the same email. “Once the draft Plan has been revised, we will share it with the campus community and seek partners who will support its implementation.”
According to Ndura, a campus wide announcement that will be sent when the Spring 2022 semester starts.