As you know, in late November I invited our students to an Open Forum, held on January 14, 2016, to discuss our campus climate and their experiences related to racial diversity, equity, and inclusion. For those of us there, we heard students share their anger, hurt, frustration, and instances where they have felt marginalized and encountered a lack of cultural awareness – instances blunting their sense of belonging. Following that, we held a forum for faculty and staff, on February 2, 2016, where similar instances and experiences were expressed by colleagues. This memo will outline a framework, with some beginning steps, for how we will continue to work toward a campus environment where everyone is safe, respected, and valued.
As I have reflected on what we have heard in the forums to date, it has been challenging on many levels. First and foremost, the negative experiences that were shared do not reflect our Christian identity. This must be our starting point and foundation. Dr. John Perkins reinforced this thought in a 2009 Winter Response issue, where he said, “An understanding of the biblical mandate for reconciliation should begin with Jesus Christ. Without his suffering and subsequent victory over pain and death, there would be no reconciliation of God to humanity. Christ’s agony was far beyond our comprehension, and yet without it, we would still be separated from God. We are called to enter into Christ’s pain by taking up our own cross and following the Great Reconciler.” We are to be a community where “all the members of the body, though many, are one body” (I Corinthians 12:12).
The very nature and person of Christ, His teaching and exemplary life as God’s son, and his death and resurrection provide for us the possibility of living as a community where God has “torn the veil” by removing all divisions. In addition, the Holy Spirit, as revealed through the Holy Scripture, instructs us as to the value and prioritization of embracing, fostering, and living into the call to be reconcilers, transcending differences and appreciating and respecting each person’s humanity and uniqueness in the image of God, thereby reflecting the Kingdom of God. Therefore, any aspect of racial bias or exclusiveness is a breakdown in the community we are called to be. Our own Free Methodist tradition, with its founding mission and consistent proclamation of class, race, and gender inclusion, is a direct contributor to our University’s identity and prospect of the practices of reconciliation.
But, we live in this time as it relates to the Kingdom of God, defined as the “already, but not yet;” implemented in part by us, here and now. It is the very concept that we each have a role in implementing the Kingdom of God that has personally compelled me to pray, reflect, listen, read, consult with experts, and reorient my own life to more fully engage in intercultural relationship opportunities – all helping to shape my understanding of the various gaps and barriers to fully being a community where all people can flourish.
Some of the most informative and formative conversations I have had since the academic year began have been with various student groups that have recently formed. One group, “Students for Change,” desired we host a second all-campus forum. Thus, we have worked collaboratively with this group of students to design and promote another forum to be held on Tuesday, March 1, 4:00-6:00 p.m., in Upper Gwinn. I hope you will be able to attend, as we continue our dialogue and learning around these important matters. Additionally, at the Faculty and Staff Forum held on February 2, a request was made for another, more focused forum, specifically for our faculty and staff of color. I have consulted with a number of faculty and staff, and have requested their assistance in the design and hosting of this event, for which planning is underway.
A second student group, “SPU Petition Coalition/SPU Justice Coalition,” authored a petition identifying three areas and delineating several strategies for how we might better reflect and live into our core values, convictions, and commitments regarding racial diversity, equity, and inclusion here at SPU. I have reached out to the petition’s authors and have suggested we find a time to meet in recognition of their desire for collaboration and dialogue. We have yet to meet, but I look forward to doing so soon.
However, at this point, I believe we can extend beyond forums and conversations, by identifying specific strategies and actions for us to pursue. I sense the urgency, and am motivated to fulfill our commitment to our students and their future – responding to the very call of Christ on our lives – corporately and individually. The steps I identify below align well with the areas of concern identified in the SPU Justice Coalition petition. Although many of the details will require substantive conversations, thought, and effort from many SPU stakeholders, we will utilize the following framework and timelines to mark our progress. Here are action steps I have identified at this point:
- I have engaged Dr. Pete Menjares as a consultant, through June, to assist in the progress we intend to make in this area. Dr. Menjares knows Christian higher education well, as he has served as a faculty member and Chief Diversity Officer at Biola University, as well as president at Fresno Pacific University. Currently, Dr. Menjares is a consultant and Senior Fellow for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). As you see Dr. Menjares on campus over these next few months, please greet him warmly.
- In consultation with the chair of our Board of Trustees, Dr. Doug Backous, we canceled the planned agenda for the Wednesday evening meeting of the Board this week to allow Dr. Menjares to lead a special session related to how the Board of Trustees can best engage in and influence these efforts. He will be leading the Board in designing a plan, by June 1, 2016, that will identify consistent and continued Board involvement and leadership. We are blessed to have Dr. Menjares, not only to serve on our Board of Trustees, but as an expert resource for the Board.
- I have requested Dr. Menjares work with me in designing a specific Intercultural Engagement and Growth plan for the Senior Leadership Team by June 1, 2016.
- As you may have heard, I have committed to hiring a Chief Diversity Officer that will serve as a member of the Senior Leadership Team. A number of groups across campus (i.e. Reconciliation Task Force, Faculty Diversity Committee, Staff of Color Task Force, etc.) have already been thinking about this role, developing recommended responsibilities and exploring potential structural impacts. Their work will feed into any further conversations necessary to fully consider the optimal role and structure of this position for our community. I intend to finalize the position profile and post the position in a timeframe that allows for a successful hire within the 2016-17 academic year. This is one area where I would specifically like to include the students who formed the SPU Justice Coalition to dialogue about the thoughts related to this role, as stated in their petition.
- By July 1, 2016, we will build out a diversity, equity, and inclusion intra-website that will serve to identify and mark our progress related to various data points and reports, as to what we have done, are doing, and will be doing. I also commit to producing and distributing an Annual University Diversity Report, with historical reports to be catalogued on the site. The first University Diversity Report will be compiled at the conclusion of 2016-17, and will include reports and progress on the areas identified through our collective work moving forward.
- Grounded in our theological understanding and calling as disciples of Christ, and in partnership with a cross-campus committee, we will develop an Institutional Statement on Racial Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, by October 1, 2016, that will articulate our commitments and guide our actions.
- The Cultural Understanding and Engagement requirements will be implemented, beginning in 2016-17. The following learning outcomes are associated with this addition to our curriculum:
- Understanding patterns and histories of inequity,
- Understanding culture/s, dynamics of cultural and racial, ethnic, and gender differences, interpersonally and societally,
- Preparing students for vocations with cultivation of diverse workplaces, conflict resolution, peacemaking, and community development; and
- Articulating reconciliation as participation in God’s reconciling work in the world.
Along with the integration of these learning outcomes, an assessment plan will be developed to ensure we are achieving the intended objectives for learning and growth of our students. I have asked Provost Van Duzer to finalize this assessment plan and detail its timeline by September 1, 2016.
- As part of developing a comprehensive fundraising campaign, we will identify various programmatic and operational elements of our work in this area as an opportunity for the broader SPU community to join alongside and support our efforts. I expect this portion of the campaign to be developed by September 1, 2016.
- Another component noted in the SPU Justice Coalition petition was for us to develop an anonymous reporting system for inappropriate racial speech and behavior by SPU employees and student leaders. I also believe such a system can be a positive component of establishing a safe, welcoming, and positive environment where all members of our community can flourish. I have asked our university counsel to explore various options and legal requirements for instituting such a system, including how it would relate to existing discrimination complaint procedures, and I have requested a report and recommendation be submitted to me by April 15, 2016. Additionally, I have requested university counsel to review our anti-retaliation policies by the same date (which protect people who participate in university complaint procedures), specifically considering how we can best broaden the awareness and impact of the policies as a complement to any new reporting system.
- After listening to many of our students, one area I believe we could make real progress in is “informal interactional diversity.” This level of diversity speaks to the “frequency and quality of intergroup interaction as keys to meaningful diversity experiences during college” (Gurin, Dey, Hurtado, & Gurin, 2002). For this action step, I am requesting Dr. Bo Lim and Dr. Jeff Jordan take the lead in developing a plan to increase “informal interactional diversity” within our co-curricular and residential programming. I know this will require time to ensure a depth and breadth of conversation with key University stakeholders, and thus the report and related action steps will be published by November 15, 2016. It is expected that the incoming Chief Diversity Officer would assist in influencing the final design and effective implementation.
- The final two areas I would like to identify, in regard to a current plan, also relate to two areas identified in the SPU Justice Coalition petition – hiring and training. The following are my expectations to assist us in shaping our recruitment practices as it relates to gender, racial, and ethnic diversity, and incorporating a greater emphasis and intentionality in our onboarding and ongoing training and personal growth and development:
- A recruitment protocol will be developed for search committees and those involved in the hiring process intended to help obtain diverse applicant pools.
- A plan for onboarding and orienting all new employees, that contains a diversity component that addresses the University’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation from a mission and biblical perspective, will be developed and implemented.
- A plan for developing faculty around intercultural competencies, culturally responsive teaching, and mitigating micro-aggressions will be developed and implemented.
- A plan for developing staff around intercultural competencies and mitigating micro-aggressions will be developed and implemented.
Given the comprehensive scope of these elements, the meetings and dialogue that will be necessary, and the recognition of the accountability and responsibility for such matters, within various units and roles across campus, I am asking Provost Van Duzer to lead this particular action step. He will work with cross-campus groups and individuals comprised of faculty, staff, students, and particularly, Human Resources, and produce a status report on the above action steps for the community by September 1, 2016. Again, we will look to the assistance of our new Chief Diversity Officer to assist with the design and implementation of some of these programs.
- The final element of the SPU Justice Coalition petition relates to training and preparation around intercultural dynamics for student leaders. We will also be working in this area, and I anticipate a definitive action plan to develop once we engage in dialogue with the authors of the petition, other interested students, and faculty and staff who work alongside our students as they fulfill their various leadership roles.
Finally, let me say that, as we progress through the key action dates mentioned above, I commit to keeping you regularly informed of progress and results.
Thank you for all you have done, are doing, and will do to enable us to be the type of community we all desire to be. As I have said before, it is my hope that SPU is known, not just for its robust conversation on the most important topics of the day, but also as a place noted for its respect of and love for one another. I’m looking forward to working with you to this end.
Gurin, P., Dey, E., Hurtado, S., & Gurin, G. (2002). Diversity and higher education: Theory and impact on educational outcomes.
Harvard Educational Review, 72(3), 330-367. http://dx.doi.org/10.17763/haer.72.3.01151786u134n051