Download Campus Climate Council Meeting - Minutes Friday, November 16

Campus Climate Council Meeting - Minutes
Friday, November 16, 2012
8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Room 337 - Cartwright Center
Present: Sara Burton, Kate Oganowski, Amelia Dittman, Chris Dziekan, Jen Miskowski, Connie
Vanderhyden, Bridgette Hensley, Xia Vang, Annette Valeo, Chris Coppess, Nizam Arain, Thomas
Harris, Saundra Solum, Matt Evensen, Amanda Goodenough, John Palmer, Maureen Wilson,
Karmin Van Domelen, Ray Abhold
Welcome/Introductions
Approval of Minutes - no questions or revisions
Continuing Discussions:
Campus Climate Office Update
Awareness Through Performance Report – Matt Evensen
The Encore performance was held on October 15 and Open Mic Night was October 31. The interviews
for the Spring ATP troupe are underway. Past and present ATP members and the advisors are planning a
service learning trip to San Diego the beginning of summer. It started out as a study abroad type
experience, but now the focus is to get involved in a social issue. The group will be learning about
immigration from contrasting perspectives, through shadowing Border Patrol and working alongside
organizations like Border Angels. The deadline to sign up to go is today.
LGBTIQQAA Programs and Services – Amanda Goodenough
Will is absent today. Amanda noted that there were three Ally Trainings this semester.
The Transgender Day of Remembrance is November 20, 2012. There will be Candlelight Vigil at clock
tower at 5:30 and a panel discussion at 6:00 pm. The Pride Center hosted a day long strategic planning
session in October and it went very well. Sara Burton participated and felt that is was a great session for
looking at the broader picture.
Affirmative Action Report – Nizam Arain
Project Updates – The Training Resource Group met for the first time to discuss how to collaborate on
training topics. Individuals from Human Resources, CATL, Campus Climate and Affirmative Action feel
they are equipped to offer the training.
As a place to start, the upcoming training sessions will focus on two topics. The group will meet again
soon to determine what those topics will be.
The website will list what’s available, where, who is offering it. Feedback is welcome
Nizam will be attending a face to face meeting with other UW System Affirmative Action Officers next
week.
Human Resources Report
No Report
Classified Staff Advisory Council Report –Maureen Wilson
The council is trying to change the name Classified Staff to University Staff. They are also trying to get a
resolution to self- govern like the other entities on campus.
Provost Office Report – Jennifer. Miskowski
At our last meeting there was some discussion on changing the name and focus of the grant for Visiting
Scholar of Color, Artist of Color because the grant was not limited to persons of color and had included
those working on diversity issues. A decision was made to stay with the original mission of the program
grant and keep the name as well.
Inclusive Excellence Report – Amanda Goodenough
Diversity and Inclusion website will be linked to the homepage on January 1, 2013
This website is a work in progress, but it’s live so you can access it now. However, it’s not linked to
anything. The timeline project is progressing. As a reminder, we are trying to capture diversity and
inclusion projects and the progress of UW-L so if you have any information or names of individuals who
could help please pass this along to Amanda. We are open to feedback.
https://uwlacrosse.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_6l1oiOC3ZehOhSJ
Campus Inclusivity Theme Update – Matt Evensen
Saundra Solum and Annette Valeo recently joined the committee
The committee is selling Tee Shirts - $7.00 for long sleeve, $5.00 for short sleeve; The Director of
Financial Aid purchased Tee shirts for the entire department following the Morale Retreat
The committee also has buttons and they have sold several banners.
There’s a website that links to the pledge and it can be taken on-line. There are also links to programs and
events the committee is helping to promote. http://www.uwlax.edu/united/
The plan is to assist with promoting events on campus to get a presence.
One of the upcoming events is Monday, December 3 at 4:00 p.m. in room 1400 Centennial Hall. The
Political Science Department is hosting Mary Gonzales, the first politician in the country to identify as
pansexual. For more information contact Jo Arney, Ph.D. The committee would like campus to
understand that programs and event like this are symbolic of the concept and the I AM UW-L theme.
Maybe a re-launch in spring
Campus Climate Survey Team Update
The IRB was approved! The survey team will be piloting the survey to selected students and employees
soon. The survey will be ready and available to take February 04 – March 02, 2013.
There will be some marketing to help people understand when the survey will be launched and how the
information we get from it has been used in the past. For example, the Violence Prevention Office came
out of the last survey and the Campus Climate office came about from the feedback from the first survey.
Committees and programs such as HRT, Morale Retreat, ATP and others were put in place as well. We
feel it’s important to highlight what action was taken based on the survey results. Some students are
taking the student survey on paper today.
The Demo version has a place for comments so we get feedback on each section
Last time the survey was done the marketing involved a slogan such as “It’s not about the Weather; it’s
about whether you feel included/safe/accepted.” A Sun and Cloud costume were used to promote the
slogan. However, the Sun costume is missing. If you have any ideas about how to market the survey
please contact Amanda or Matt.
Chris Dziekan reports that he’s been involved in selecting incentives for students, faculty and staff who
take the survey. Some examples: Chancellor’s parking place for a day, vouchers for events, Gift
Certificates for Eagles Nest, money on the meal plan card
New Discussions
Hate Response Team 2011 – 2012 End of the Year Report –
In the past it was a tally report because the committee felt the need to keep things confidential
This year the committee wrote a report with a story behind the numbers
During the year the HRT received and reviewed 48 reports, 77% happened on campus. Race and gender
were the two most targeted identities, 58% of the reports were submitted by witnesses or by third parties
New Discussions Continued
The HRT feels the higher number reflects the fact that individuals have an outlet.
HRT is trying to build the team, but keep it small enough so it’s efficient – CCC is viewed as a campus
partner group for the HRT. They will be looking at what role CCC members can have
Remarks: It’s an impressive, powerful report
Question: Is there a strategy to dealing with the reports and how do we respond to the findings? Example
offered: Residence Life developed a protocol as to how to respond to report and is willing to share it.
The protocol involves more collaboration with RA’s and trainings/programming will continue.
HRT is looking for patterns and themes.
Question: Is there training for the faculty? A faculty member/ Academic Affairs individual was added
(Julia Johnson) to the team
Question: What is happening in Academic Departments?
There is a process if the incident is reported there is a university-wide policy and process for handling
non-academic misconduct by faculty.
Training Resource Group – Training around Inclusive Classroom – working with CATL and CC&D
White Privilege Presentation and Discussion – Self Evaluation Tools
Let us know what’s happening in your department
HRT would like to capture some of the things being reported so people know what’s going on and were
shocked by what some of the faculty members are saying in the classroom. Awareness is the first step.
Also it’s helpful to know if it happened in a classroom.
HRT feels it’s important to share the good news too.
The Civility Report is out there too and it is meant to try to capture the things that were not hate and bias,
but other things about not being civil.
Question: Do you follow up with the individual? If the person puts their name on the report and they
select yes an additional required field for contact information comes up so we can contact them.
Angie Lee in the Office of Student Life is the first point of contact and she will send an e-mail of
acknowledgement of the report. This is a general message.
Reminder: The Hate/Bias form is for employee use too and it can use it for reporting incidents they hear
about. You don’t have to hear or see it yourself to report an incident.
Chris Coppess feels the Civility Report needed because students in DRS might be using the Civility
Report instead of the Hate Incident Report. Much of what happens to them isn’t really hate or bias.
The intention of the individual comes into play with the decision to report under Hate and Bias.
Hate Response Team Update – Summer and Fall
(July 1 – June 30) The first report came in Reported in late August. We have 34 reports to date and 27 of
them were reported by witnesses or bystanders.
Campus response to inflammatory visitors
We need the campus community to understand that visitors can be in outdoor spaces on campus because
we are a public university. It’s their right to be here even if their message is upsetting.
However, we need to be concerned about the safety of students and employees. It’s fine to contact the
University Police. They need to be visible.
There was some discussion about pulling together a group of employees to help monitor these situations.
Representatives from several offices (Student Life, CC&D, Violence Prevention, Affirmative Action)
would like to provide training for these employees which includes training around the emotional toll on
students.
Communication: Several students expressed concern about the lack of a message from the campus
Administrative team. The leadership committee is trying to decide how to communicate with campus.
The point of the message is to explain the rights of both parties. There is a handout available in Campus
Climate which is in the process of being updated that can assist with the explanation.
Student Concerns
Chris Dziekan from Residence Life reports they are seeing a trend in “call out “blogs. The bloggers are
trying to draw attention to problems by calling out racists. However, there is some question about
whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. People are divided
He’s also concerned about some students over using the word “unsafe.” It seems some students have the
inability to communicate how they feel and the word “unsafe” is used when they really mean
uncomfortable. Chris feels the need to investigate why they feel unsafe, but it appears some students
need to think about what they are saying.
Announcements
Nizam reports that normally the universities receive guidance on holiday displays and an e-mail might be
coming, but as a reminder displays that are specific to one religious are not permitted in public spaces
(Reception Areas). However, you can have what you want in your office. Nizam will forward the
information when he receives it from UW System.
Thomas Harris
The White Privilege Conference is in April this year and it’s the same weekend as NCUR. The conference
is in Seattle and the costs are too high so he’s not coordinating the trip. If an academic department is
interested in going or sending students they will need to go about coordinating the trip on their own.
Next year the conference is in Madison and we might partner in the planning the conference.
Invitation for nominations for Martin Luther King Leadership Award is out. The award ceremony is at
Viterbo on the Martin Luther King holiday.
Jamie Washington – might come next fall
Jane Fernadez will be here next semester if the funding comes together. Thomas will get the information
to us regarding her background
UPWARD Bound Needs tutors. Please see Kate Oganowski if you have any questions or interested
students.
*Please note: minutes from previous meetings are posted on the Campus Climate website
NEXT MEETING – December, 2012
337 CARTWRIGHT CENTER