MCN Black Lives Matter Position Statement June 2020
We are paying closer attention and actively watching leadership’s response to local, state, and national efforts to address what the university will, can, and should be doing to spark change. Right now, we have an opportunity to highlight and promote recent efforts of the collaboration between the MCN and campus leadership to affect real change for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) at UWM. Especially because you indicated a commitment to “institute a mandatory anti-bias, antiracism training for all members of the UWM family it is good timing to transparently communicate to the campus community how that promised action, as one example, exemplifies the administration’s desire to address the efforts outlined in our Position Statement on BIPOC Student Success Needs submitted in February. Below are recommendations taken out of the MCN BIPOC Position Statement that, if put into action immediately, can address some, if not all, of the concerns referenced above:
- BIPOC Students See Themselves Reflected on Campus and Are Supported (p. 6).
- Forming student voice groups that have a direct line of communication with the Chancellor and UWM’s leadership team for BIPOC students. Aligns with Strategic Directions: Equity and Inclusion; Outstanding Learning Environment; Sustainable Future for the Campus.
- BIPOC Faculty and Staff Are Supported and Heard (p. 7).
- Hiring an external organization with expertise in operating within a racial/ethnic equity evaluative framework to fully evaluate and assess UWM’s practices and policies regarding recruitment, search and screen, hiring, onboarding, and retention (Appendix B). Aligns with Strategic Directions: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Outstanding Learning Environment; Research Excellence; Community Engagement and Talent Pipeline; Sustainable Future for the Campus.
- Each school, college, department and/or unit be charged to create a racially and ethnically diverse group of academic advisors and support staff. This would include hiring from the Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, Indigenous and Southeast Asian American communities. Aligns with Strategic Direction: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Sustainable Future for the Campus.
- UWM is Anti-Racist (p. 7).
- Require the Teaching for Multicultural Inclusion and Equity (TMIE) Workshop and Certificate Program in the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) for all faculty and instructional staff including TAs after hiring new CETL staff to facilitate the workshop. We recommend new staff be hired since current and historic efforts to provide this kind of educational experiences have overburdened existing BIPOC faculty and staff by recruiting them to volunteer their time to develop, plan and facilitate the sessions.
We are willing to work with whomever to provide necessary support to disseminate the document and we believe it is necessary to keep the campus community aware of these efforts, especially amidst the current violence happening against our Black community. We have started to compile resources for students, faculty and staff, and reference some helpful sites below. While this is not an exhaustive list, we believe these resources can serve as a starting point for more dialogue about help that Black members of the UWM Community need.
Resources for students coping with racism
Additional campus resources for UWM faculty/staff to give to students addressing racism or seeking redress:
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
- Dean of Students Office
- Office of Equity/Diversity Services
- Student Health and Wellness Center
- Black Student Cultural Center
- African Diaspora Council