Anti-Racism Team Steering Committee

June 17, 2003

 

 

Present:  Phyllis May-Machunda, Abner Arauza, Ron Jeppson, Amy Phillips, Steve Pletta,

               Donna Rosh, Ryan Sylvester and Warren Wiese

 

Absent:  Tracy Clark, Ben Blair, Yoke-Sim Gunaratne, David Crockett, Linda Palmer, Veronica

   Michael, Judy Peterson, Rose Bakke, Brian Oxton, Aya  Reid,

 

 

• Review of Anti-Racism training lists by individual department and unit.  Corrections/updates made.
• Phyllis distributed “Cultural Competency or Capacity?”  Discussion about which are we trying to build, competency or capacity?
• Reports/homework from last meeting.
  • Steve reported about his work with Judy on topics of racism in general and at MSUM
  • Suggestion to develop informational piece for new students and new employees.  Information to include would be contact names and numbers for those making complaints.  Student Senate should be more aware of what we do.  They could be a contact to the task force; Senate President preferred.
  • Cliff suggested as a unit participant with Career Center connection.  Hendrix Health Center and Minority Student Affairs could also be contact points.
• Donna reported on racism contact persons and current brochure.  An effort to have TOCAR and Steering Committee individuals listed as contacts should be made.  Donna also distributed an IFO brochure regarding racism, a review of questions regarding discrimination complaints.
• Distributed AFSCME policy regarding discrimination, which IFO also follows.
• Suggestion to have some of anti-racism training information inserted into racism brochure and have mandatory session for new students or distribute at something like Freshman English.  Use it as an assignment to infuse information; writing across the curriculum, etc.  For the bottom line, have something by the beginning of the academic year to have racism information and contact numbers.  Also, follow-up with Dragon News.
•  Brochure would list student communication and contacts.  Tear-off information and “click here” for e-correspondence.  Establish designated mailbox for this action.  List classification of names in brochure, i.e., name, student, faculty or administrator, etc.  Make an effort to have anti-racism brochure at different tables where Steering Committee members are.  Put them in student organization mailboxes.
• Steve Pletta, Judy Peterson and Amy (as consultant) will develop a draft for the next meeting. 
• Phyllis shared three drafts of logo developed in graphic design class.  Anti-Racism Team agreed on “circular” logo by consensus, as most versatile and able to add the four institutions if wanted, or just MSUM.  Phyllis will need to contact artist and see how institutional names or acronyms would relate to the logo.  Noted that the YWCA needs to be included as well.
• Discussion begins about unit designation, questions and concerns.  Clarification of student participation; individual student groups vs. interspersed in all other areas.  Important to have students give input in all areas.

 

Your Homework on Unit Development

 

Please work with your partner(s) to prepare this information about your unit for our July 24^th meeting.  

 

 

I.          Areas of decision-making and planning:

• Identify who are the participants for each unit, potential participants for each unit.  Include those already trained and those yet to go through training.  (Faculty, staff, students and community members).
• Also identify a couple of members you would like to have from another unit to be in your unit (cross-unit membership)
• Identify number of participants in units;
• Identify recruitment strategies which speak to the needs of your specific unit
• Identify strategies for attracting community members
• Select outreach and communication  techniques
• Timing:  when do unit meetings begin?

 

 II.       Implementation of logistical plan

• Meeting times, place, listserve, structure for feedback to Student committees.
• Unit chairs need to share plans with team and ask questions before September.

 

III.       Agenda for unit organization, first meeting and content

• Goal to gather input for team to develop antiracism plan by end of Spring 2004

• Ask unit members to collect multicultural history
• Provide a review of TOCAR including the mission
• Provide education about racism; especially institutional racism
• Current efforts; what’s being done now on campus
• Structure of TOCAR; what we’re trying to accomplish
• Why we need help

 

IV.       Look at goals, ‘markers’, measurements, vision, communication

• Compare with  continuum from training.  Where is your unit on the continuum?  What additional concerns need to be taken into account?
• What should be some of the markers of our progress?  The process itself will provide some “markers” inherent in process and product

 

 

The next meeting will be held July 24 from 9:30 – 11:30 am in MacLean 268 with lunch and continuing discussion at Warren Wiese’s after.