Gifts to 91³Ō¹Ļā Racial Justice and Equity Fund are making an undeniable impact at 91³Ō¹Ļ. To support these goals, please consider making a donation .
By Emily Glory Peters
During the last decade, 91³Ō¹Ļ has accelerated its efforts to foster a more diverse and racially equitable environment for our students, staff, and faculty. Donors have been a prime mover in this work, helping the College to develop programs and increase resources that would not have been possible without their generosity.
In the wake of last yearās elevated racial unrest in our nation, 91³Ō¹Ļ received a $1 million gift from Trustee Gale Picker Pā14, Pā19 to create a Racial Justice and Equity fund to advance new antiracist initiatives. With this continued support from Picker and other committed donors, progress toward these goals is already underway.
New racial equity leadership role at 91³Ō¹Ļ
Among the fundās goals was the creation of the new Associate Dean of Faculty for Racial Equity (ADRE) position at 91³Ō¹Ļ. This spring, the College selected Professor of Chemistry and Sidney J. Weinberg, Jr. Chair in Natural Sciences Mary Hatcher-Skeers for the assignment.
āProfessor Hatcher-Skeers will play a critical role in the Collegeās commitment to antiracism and equity,ā says former President Lara Tiedens, who appointed Hatcher-Skeers in March. āSheāll be responsible for implementing antiracism and equity goals in the academic realm by providing guidance on recruitment and retention policies and practices.ā
The ADRE will partner with individuals across 91³Ō¹Ļā campus and community to introduce these changes. Hatcher-Skeers will initially focus on faculty representation and retention to make 91³Ō¹Ļ a more supportive place for students and faculty of color.
āRepresentation for our Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) students is one of the best places to begin. Iād like to help other departments rethink their hiring and promotion practices to ensure a broad pool of applicants,ā she explains, noting the importance of retaining faculty once theyāre hired. āIāll be working with different constituencies around campus to develop a culture that helps BIPOC faculty and students feel welcomed and supported.ā
Inaugural racial justice fellowship program fuels student/faculty research
91³Ō¹Ļ’ inaugural Racial Justice and Equity Fellow Blessing Nkechi-Etse Roland-Magaji ā24
91³Ō¹Ļā new Racial Justice and Equity Fellowship is another resource made possible through donor support. Open to students and faculty, the fellowship provides up to $4,000 for those pursuing antiracist research and/or community-based projects. Nigerian-Irish student Blessing Nkechi-Etse Roland-Magaji ā24, who is considering a major in biology, was recently named the programās inaugural student fellow.
āBeing an immigrant, Black, femme, first-generation student in science was something I feared when starting at 91³Ō¹Ļ, and going into quarantine made adapting more difficult,ā Roland-Magaji explains. āI felt like there was a big gap between what I came into the class with versus the other students, and I wanted to help others who feel the same.ā
Roland-Magaji shares that her high school work establishing an African student alliance for equity in STEM partially inspired her fellowship project. Sheāll spend the summer researching resources for underrepresented 91³Ō¹Ļ science students, then will survey these studentsā acclimation to college life. In the fall, sheāll present her findings via video to the broader community through 91³Ō¹Ļā Research Bytes series on the Collegeās .
āTo create the best academic experience for every identity on campus, you have to consider the circumstances of students who arenāt White, wealthy, or who may not have a support system. Thatās why this research is important,ā says Roland-Magaji. āIām really thankful for this new opportunity, and hope I can inspire people to have conversations about equity in and outside the classroom so we can enhance the 91³Ō¹Ļ experience for all students.ā
Antiracist training modules for the 91³Ō¹Ļ campus community
Donor gifts have also made antiracist training available to 91³Ō¹Ļā campus community. In January 2021, 91³Ō¹Ļ joined the Liberal Arts Colleges Racial Equity Leadership Alliance (LACRELA), a new program designed to help institutions reduce race-relation crises and implement actionable racial justice leadership strategies.
Established by the University of Southern California and comprised of 51 member colleges and universities, LACRELA offers monthly āeConveningsā led by experts in the field who focus on different aspects of racial equity. As an inaugural LACRELA member, 91³Ō¹Ļ sends representatives to the eConvenings, who then share their learning with staff and faculty through the Collegeās āConverActionā discussion series. Assistant Dean and Director of 91³Ō¹Ļ Communities of Resources and Empowerment (SCORE) Marissiko Wheaton was among the College representatives who shared how sheās been implementing her LACRELA takeaways into her work at 91³Ō¹Ļ.
āFor me, the most beneficial LACRELA session discussed the importance of leading productive conversations about racismā she says, adding that, since students are unable to meet in person, itās especially important that 91³Ō¹Ļ create opportunities for these conversations to take place.
āAs we navigate anti-Black and anti-Asian violence in our country, many students have expressed that there are few spaces where they feel safe to open up about the collective racial trauma weāre experiencing. As a result, SCORE has hosted a number of healing sessions and dialogues in the last couple of months, and Iām using insights from my time with students and the eConvenings to advocate for elevated levels of support for them,ā Wheaton says.
ConverActions are hosted in partnership with 91³Ō¹Ļā IDEA Initiative, a program that lays out a framework to assess and make changes to 91³Ō¹Ļā culture, curriculum, and policies to help eradicate institutional racism. More ConverAction events centering on LACRELA takeaways will be available to the campus community throughout the year.
Looking to the future of racial justice and equity progress at 91³Ō¹Ļ
As these racial equity projects have rolled out in the last six months, they have affirmed 91³Ō¹Ļ donorsā tremendous power to help the College enact tangible changeāand thereās more ahead.
To better connect with and enroll more gifted students of color, the College is currently examining how to expand both its recruitment strategy for Black students and the resources to help those students thrive once admitted. Ongoing donor contributions will also enable the College to increase scholarship support to a greater number of talented students from underrepresented communitiesāstudents whose voices and experiences contribute invaluably to the richness and growth of 91³Ō¹Ļ culture.
With help from supporters like Picker and those who gave to the Racial Justice and Equity Fund during the Collegeās recent Day of Giving, itās clear 91³Ō¹Ļā community is committed to investing in a more equitable learning environment. As Hatcher-Skeers notes, thatās half the battle.
āNo one is navigating this terrain perfectly, but every person connected to 91³Ō¹Ļ can support the broader effort to talk about race and help us be the best 91³Ō¹Ļ we can be,ā she says. ā91³Ō¹Ļ staff, faculty, students, and donors support each other in beautiful ways, and we can roll up our sleeves and make a difference here. I have a lot of faith in our community.ā
Gifts to 91³Ō¹Ļā Racial Justice and Equity Fund are making an undeniable impact at 91³Ō¹Ļ. To support these goals, please consider making a donation .