June 2018 Update

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 SF State - Campus Climate Initiatives - Jun 2018 Update FINAL.pdf

Mission-Supportive Activities

As a reminder, the CSU Chancellor’s Office released a statement regarding the CSU Commitment to Inclusive Excellence. The statement can be found online.

Organizational Development Activities

The Division of Equity & Community Inclusion continues to build staff infrastructure through the hiring of new professional staff and student employees, as well as developing a comprehensive portfolio of programs, procedures, and services for students. AAPI Student Services, Black Unity Center and the Office of Diversity & Student Equity have settled into their new space located in Village C, 1st floor, while the Dream Resource Center is now firmly established on the 2nd floor of the Student Services Building. Info about their programs and services can be found at https://equity.sfsu.edu/. Planning is underway for AY 2018-19 to establish: (1) Latinx student services; (2) advocacy and support services for LGBTQ+ students; and (3) Interfaith & Intercultural Programs, to include at minimum a Jewish Student Life Coordinator and a Muslim Student Services Coordinator.

The Campus Climate Assessment Project kicked off Monday, February 5th with Susan Rankin & Associates Consulting as our project facilitator (see http://rankin-consulting.com/). The qualitative phase of the study, comprised of 20 focus groups, was completed on April 9th. The Campus Climate Steering Committee hosted an all-day retreat on June 8th to review/revise questions for the quantitative phase of the study: a comprehensive survey that will take place in October 2018. All staff, faculty and students will be invited to participate. The final report from our consultants will include not only the complete data and their analysis but also a measurable, actionable plan for moving forward – developed collaboratively with the campus community.

The Office of Diversity & Student Equity continues to work with the Center for Education, Identity and Social Justice at the USC Rossier School of Education on a project known as (De)Institutionalizing Islamophobia, which endeavors to collect and disseminate the diverse stories of Muslim students on college campuses in an effort to improve campus climate for these students, as well as reduce hate crimes and religious intolerance. We are working with our USC partners to set up student interviews for September/October 2018.

A team of campus faculty, staff, and students participated in the CSU Young Males of Color Forum hosted by CSU Bakersfield in April 2018; learning about best practices to close the educational equity gap and improve access and graduation for this community of students will be applied to future initiatives at San Francisco State.

In anticipation of the 2018-19 academic year President Wong has asked each cabinet area Vice President to prepare a concrete action plan addressing campus climate, promoting equity and inclusion, and closing the educational equity gap for students. These plans will be reviewed during Summer 2018 and vetted with various campus shared governance entities prior to finalization.

Education, Outreach & Training Activities

The Ad Hoc Work Group on Equity & Social Justice Educational Outreach submitted a Concept Paper in December 2017 outlining a plan for education, training, outreach and capacity-building. This Concept Paper underwent a series of “Town Hall” consultations with each of the cabinet areas, as well as with Associated Students, Academic Senate and other entities to seek broader feedback and input to guide implementation throughout Spring 2018. The results are being compiled and will inform program planning and implementation in AY 2018-19.

Capacity-building and training continues to occur on an ongoing basis for students, staff and faculty – including student groups and the University Police Department – through multiple mediums and venues. UPD will host training sessions in August 2018 to improve the awareness of sworn officers regarding the needs of our undocumented and immigrant students.

On May 18th, the President’s Cabinet participated in a half-day in-service workshop that examined issues of anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism in order to identify strategies for creating a campus community that effectively balances freedom of expression with respect for the dignity of all students, staff and faculty. The workshop was provided jointly by the Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Community Relations Council.

The Office of Diversity & Student Equity, Student Activities & Events, and Health Promotion & Wellness are in the planning phases for two major speaker events to orient the Class of 2022 to San Francisco State’s guiding principles and values. Preliminary plans include a symposium on free speech and social justice, featuring Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean and Professor of Law at UC Berkeley and author of Free Speech on Campus (with Howard Gillman), as well as a keynote event by Tarana Burke to raise awareness around the #MeToo Movement to end sexual harassment/sexual violence.

Procedures & Policy Development Activities

CSU Executive Orders 1096 and 1097, the Systemwide Policies Prohibiting Discrimination, Harassment, Retaliation, Sexual Misconduct, Dating and Domestic Violence, and Stalking and Systemwide Procedures for Addressing Such Complaints for employees/3rd parties and for students respectively are currently undergoing revision by the Chancellor’s Office. The two EO’s will be combined into one comprehensive policy.

The Anti-Bullying Work Group, composed of administrators, faculty, staff and students, completed their inquiry and self-study during Spring 2018 and began soliciting campus- wide feedback for an inclusive definition of bullying. During Summer 2018, the group will develop skills-building workshops for the campus community that focus on raising awareness and promoting effective responses for bullying, as well as draft new policy language for consideration. Workshops are currently being scheduled during orientation of new employees and other campus groups in the Fall 2018 semester.

Graduation Initiative 2025 Goals San Francisco State

Campus climate initiatives at SFSU are intended to advance the goals of Graduation Initiative 2025, and in particular to close the educational equity gap. Individuals who have questions about any of these efforts can feel free to contact either Dr. Luoluo Hong, Vice President for Student Affairs & Enrollment Management (vpsaem@sfsu.edu) or Dr. Manuel Alejandro Pérez, Interim Assistant Vice President for Equity & Community Inclusion (manuelp@sfsu.edu).

Compiled: 

Wednesday, June 20, 2018