The advisory council was formed last fall in response to the Special Presidential Task Force on Racial Justice, which emphasized the importance of “hearing and believing the voices of students of color.”
Raising Student Voices
The Student Racial Justice and Equity Council has been formed and is meeting on a monthly basis.
The advisory council was formed last fall in response to the Special Presidential Task Force on Racial Justice, which emphasized the importance of “hearing and believing the voices of students of color.”
The council is facilitated by Dr. Kevin McGowan, associate professor of elementary and early childhood education and academic director of the Martin Richard Institute for Social Justice; and Sharon Pitterson-Ogaldez, director of the Lewis and Gaines Center for Inclusion and Equity. It is composed of 10 students who share their thoughts and recommendations about BSU’s ongoing work for racial justice and equity, and encourage other students to do the same. The members of the council received training in peer-facilitation skills to aid them in their leadership role and attended a student dialogue group on racial equity at BSU called Speak Your Piece.
Listening In
“In Their Words: Why Belonging & Rapport Matter to our Graduate & Post-Traditional Students’ Learning Success” is the name of a presentation recently delivered to the campus community. Anne Spain, director of the Office of Teaching and Learning, shared her research on this topic and was accompanied by a panel of BSU graduate and post-traditional students who spoke about their own experiences. Classroom interventions were also discussed, particularly those that encourage a sense of community and equity in student learning.
Resources
Those looking for resources related to social and racial justice and equity can find plenty via BSU’s website.
The Maxwell Library has put together a comprehensive list of anti-racism resources. A wide variety of books, including some specifically about race and higher education, are featured, as are helpful websites and articles. There’s also a recent video of Dr. Angela Y. Davis speaking at the University of Houston.
The Martin Richard Institute for Social Justice has its own list of resources that link to books and articles, as well as podcasts, relevant social media pages, videos, children’s books and more.
Finally, the Division of Student Success and Diversity has an online database of scholarly papers and other documents on topics ranging from allyship and decolonizing the curriculum to intersectional oppressions and a list of ongoing anti-racist projects at BSU.