Action Plan for Students at Brooklyn College
October 5, 2020
Dear Brooklyn College colleagues,
We are pleased to announce more progress from the Implementation Team for Racial Justice. On September 23, 2020, we hosted two listening sessions focused on racial justice for students. We have also received many suggestions on how better to support students from a number of groups on campus.
At the listening sessions and via our Community Feedback Form, students expressed concerns about the lack of diversity on the faculty as well as within the curriculum. They want faculty to undergo training on how to handle discussions about race and racism in the classroom. Students want access to more mental health support from a diverse range of professionals. They requested additional forums to share about these issues going forward. Finally, they want each School at the College to enhance student input on the curriculum and faculty. In response to these concerns and suggestions, as well as others we received, we recommend the following action plan:
1. Student Forums to Discuss Racial Issues
The Undergraduate Student Government will host forums for undergraduates and the Graduate Student Organization will host forums for graduate students to provide a safe space for their respective constituents to dialog on race and racism. The Student Governments will announce dates soon.
2. Student Advocates
Assistant Dean Moraima Smith is the Student Ombudsperson who can help students with any concerns. In addition, the Office of Diversity and Equity has designated staff to assist students with issues related to Title IX, harassment, and discrimination. The College will disseminate this information widely to students.
3. Faculty Discipline
The College policy for student complaints against faculty directs students to speak with their faculty member informally as a first step. Students, however, expressed a fear of retaliation. Therefore, the Implementation Team recommends that the Policy Council revise the policy to better support students by offering another option of consulting with the Student Ombudsperson or the Office of Diversity and Equity.
4. Mental Health Support
The College will hire additional mental health counselors to provide more assistance to students during remote learning and to help the counselling team better reflect the diversity of the student body.
5. Student Representation on Departmental Curriculum Committees
Each academic department is required to have student representation on its curriculum committee. The Implementation Team recommends that Chairs ensure there are student representatives on all curriculum committees, publicize their committee rosters, and ensure diversity of student representation.
6. Faculty Training
As an initial matter, the Office of Diversity and Equity will enhance its implicit bias training for faculty and offer it three times each semester. The Implementation Team encourages all faculty to attend. The Office will also explore the development of additional training, in collaboration with others across the campus, that will focus on how to manage healthy discussions of race and racism in the classroom.
7. Student Advisory Councils
The Implementation Team recommends that the Dean of each School at the College develop a Student Advisory Council, if they do not already have one, to enhance student representation in the curriculum and operation of the Schools.
8. Diversity of Students Appointed to Faculty Council Committees
The Implementation Team recommends that the Undergraduate Student Government and Graduate Student Organization enhance their processes for appointing students to serve on the committees of Faculty Council to ensure that all positions are filled in a timely fashion, student representatives can fulfill their committee obligations, and student representatives reflect the diversity of the student body. The Implementation Team also recommends that members of the Faculty Council make every effort to schedule committee meetings at a time available for student participation.
We are pleased with this progress and eager to continue the work. The Implementation Team would like to thank all those who participated in the Listening Sessions or sent direct feedback. Please keep the recommendations coming by emailing us at ITRJ@brooklyn.cuny.edu or using our anonymous Community Feedback Form. Next week, we will update you on the concerns voiced at the Listening Sessions for faculty on September 30, 2020.
Sincerely,
Anthony Brown, Ron Jackson, and James Lynch, on behalf of the Implementation Team for Racial Justice
