Join fellow students, faculty, staff and administrators on Thursday, Feb. 11, from 4 to 5:30 p.m., in the UMC Aspen Rooms, for "Student Voices at CU: What Racial and Ethnic Inclusion Means for Our Campus,"聽a creative research presentation and facilitated small group conversation聽about racial and聽inclusion at CU Boulder.
The purpose of this event is to bring different members of the campus together to discuss what inclusion means and discuss implications for policies and practices on the CU Boulder campus.聽Learn strategies from other attendees and share your experiences so that we can uphold CU Boulder's comprehensive effort to craft a strategic plan for diversity, equity and inclusive excellence.
This event is sponsored by the system-wide (EMAC) and coordinated by students, staff and faculty in coordination with multiple campus entities, including: ; the ; the ; and the .
鈥淚鈥檓 pleased that EMAC is sponsoring a forum for students to communicate their views about optimal policies and practices that support racial and ethnic inclusion,鈥� said CU Engage Faculty Director Ben Kirshner, professor of educational psychology & learning sciences.
Although centered on the experience of Students of Color, this interactive event is intended for all members of the campus community 鈥� students, staff, faculty, and administrators of all backgrounds 鈥� to discuss policies and practices that support racial and ethnic inclusion at CU Boulder.
鈥淭his event is a great opportunity for the campus community to continue our efforts in creating an inclusive community,鈥� said Victor Hernandez, assistant director of the Center for聽Unity and Engagement.
Student voices are critical to ensuring that campus efforts at inclusion achieve their goals. This event follows on a report completed in 2015 by CU Engage students called, Students of Color are Motivated Agents of Change: Why Aren鈥檛 We Joining Your Programs?
"This event is part of an ongoing conversation about racial inclusion issues happening at CU, in the context of what's happening across the country. CU is being proactive and it's important to keep this ball rolling, to continue this conversation," explained Yohannese Gebremedhin, one of the聽student organizers.
Another student organizer, Vanessa Roberts, a PhD student in聽sociology, said she hopes participants will gain a greater awareness of the current efforts already underway to make CU a more inclusive campus.
"Ideally, folks will leave this event inspired to not only take personal action, but also to hold their peers and our institution accountable for putting in the work it will take to achieve inclusive excellence here at CU," she said.
"In light of the recent release of the campus climate survey results, this event has taken on a new level of importance.聽'Student Voices'聽is an event intentionally designed to move us past dialogue and into action, a shift students are calling for across our campus. While no one event can ever 'do everything,'聽I hope that 'Student Voices'聽provides one venue for our campus community to begin to find answers to the question: 'What do we do now?'聽 I hope the event motivates participants to take an active part in improving the student experience here at CU."
Though not required, RSVP if you plan to attend by emailing聽cuengage@colorado.edu聽or by聽. Light refreshments will be provided.
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Related Faculty: Ben Kirshner