2020-2021 Diversity Equity and Inclusion Report

This report details the activities, events, conversations and meetings that have taken place in the 2020-2021 year in the College of Education as we challenge systemic racism and dismantle white supremacy. Guided by our Vincentian mission and the need to take action, the College of Education embarked on a year-long journey to build a culture supporting diversity, equity and inclusion while engaging as many of the stakeholders and constituents in conversation and in action. This stakeholder group included faculty, administration, staff, students, community and university partners. All existing structures, labels and titles became irrelevant as the college, person to person, human being to human being, grappled with the racist events occurring nationally and locally.

Following informal discussions in the wake of George Floyd's killing, the initial step in the process was to develop a written response that captured our beliefs, our college mission, our commitment and our pledge of what could must be done, the Statement of Support and Commitment. In this statement, the College of Education committed to the following actions:

• To prioritize justice and systemic change through a Vincentian lens;
• To work in an inclusive and collaborative manner in developing systems that create a campus and society that unequivocally rejects anti-Blackness and white supremacy;
• To display compassion and civility while challenging ourselves in this historic moment;
• To work with students, staff, faculty, and administrators to address structural racism and other systems of power, privilege and oppression within our college and university;
• To host and participate in anti-racist conversations with staff, faculty, students and administrators during the next academic year;
• To enhance our curriculum to build deeper understandings of and empathy for peoples impacted by racism;
• To incorporate anti-racist pedagogy in preparing our students to combat racism and prejudice in order to develop their capacity to advocate for their own students and clients;
• To collaborate with local organizations to support their work of creating equitable environments and access to those environments for those disadvantaged by racism;
• To strengthen existing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within the college;
• To scrutinize our own practices, procedures, and policies that perpetuate structural racism and exclusion.

Thus the charge was outlined and our work could begin. As a result, to meet these goals, a variety of action steps took place, some concurrently and for different audiences, all equal in importance, impact and resources committed to them.

DEI Organizations Formed

Four groups emerged from this call to action. These groups formed into working groups and committees, each with a set of goals and objectives and plans for continuing the anti-racism work beyond this academic year.

Advancing Antiracism, Inclusion and Equity Organizers (AAEIO) , a group created by Dr. Hilary Conklin in conjunction with COE faculty and staff joined by DePaul University colleagues Ann Russo, Director of The Women’s Center, and Mycall Riley, LGBTQA Resources Center Coordinator. This group created events and facilitated discussions regarding systemic racism with the COE.

Another group, Supporting Students with Antiracism Group, created by faculty member Dr. Amy Feiker-Hollenbeck and staff member, Alyssa Hepker along with a number of faculty and staff members in the COE, focused on work with students in the college to address antiracism. This group meets monthly and over the past year they organized and hosted the fall forum, compiled and shared resources for students needing support during the pandemic, compiled and shared student feedback from a variety of student events with the college, created a video in outreach to students of color, created a student climate survey, and organized the subgroup “Curricular Conversations and Tools”.

Curricular Conversations and Tools Group, led by Dr. Chris Worthman,  supports faculty and staff in addressing curricular and pedagogical issues, as well as student issues related to DEI. Actions include a survey to all faculty, summer training and planning for next year center with a focus on fostering inclusive learning environments, incorporating diverse, perspectives and voices in the curriculum, workshop to strengthen course and explore instructional practices and strategies and plan activities for next year’s full COE meetings.

The Coordinating Council created by Dean Zionts and organized by Erin Rice and Barbara Rieckhoff that consists of faculty, staff, and student members that meet periodically to help to coordinate and consolidate all of the DEI events and activities within the college, help publicize them, and generate reports on college DEI activities.

Discussions and Events

Anti-Racism Discussions for the COE Faculty and Staff took place at college level faculty meetings. College wide anti-racism discussions engaging all COE faculty and staff were held throughout the entire academic year from June 2020 through May 2021. Beginning last June with open discussions of recent events at that time, faculty and staff came together to determine how to make positive change. White affinity group discussions were held to create a safe space for white faculty to broaden their understanding and identify ways to support colleagues of color. Monthly COE Anti-racism meetings were held throughout the academic year with facilitation by DePaul colleagues, Mycall Riley and Ann Russo. The long standing partnership with Facing History and Ourselves provided the opportunity for a workshop for faculty and staff and resources to further guide conversations and allow reflection on identities. Additionally, faculty and staff were engaged in a series of book discussions, podcasts and film discussions that were focused on increased knowledge and understanding, building relationships inside the college, and continued commitment to carry on this work.

Looking Forward

This work is only beginning. As the academic year wraps up, faculty and staff are holding listening sessions with students involved in the DEI work this year to get their feedback and plans are in place to distribute a climate survey to all current students that will help inform our DEI work into the 2021-2022 academic year and beyond. In addition, faculty and staff recently voted to approve the Committee for Racial Justice and Systemic Change , a joint committee of faculty and staff that will take the place of some of the ad-hoc groups that formed over the past year. Doing this will formalize the importance of and strengthen the presence of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the College of Education. To echo the Statement of Support and Commitment, we said "We pledge to hold ourselves accountable to engaging in these actions. We invite you to hold us accountable as well."