A MATTER OF CHOICE NOT CHANCE
In my thirty years of conducting social justice and diversity training, never have I seen a convergence of events that have sparked an urgency of dialogue around issues of race and racism. Concerns about low rates of faculty of color, low graduation rates of students of color, issues of safety and support as well as the near constant barrage of microaggressions have always existed, so why now?
The #BlackLivesMatter movement changed the narrative nationwide and ignited a new breed of activism not seen in decades. Students are demanding to be heard and are no longer content with just having conversations; rather, they are demanding action plans.
As a result, many professionals in higher education are being called to action in changing the climate on campus to be more inclusive and just. When Presidents and faculty are losing their jobs due to the perceived lack of accountability and support, people take notice. There is little room for error, so being proactive is critical in maintaining dialogue with students moving forward.
But it is not a matter of crossing our fingers in hopes that things like this will not happen on our own campus. Chances are things like this ARE happening on YOUR campus; perhaps they just have not hit a tipping point.
Many students, staff and faculty of color along with other marginalized groups have echoed a common theme of feeling UNSAFE-UNHEARD-UNWELCOMED.Addressing these concerns is an ongoing process. Identifying pathways to resolutions is a matter of choice not chance.
PROACTIVE—REACTIVE—RADIOACTIVE
PRO-ACTIVE:
Worried about students taking over the President’s office or other buildings on campus? What would you do?
Remember to ask yourself the question—what do students need in order to feel safe—heard—and welcomed. Prepare now.
Create a Rapid Response protocol. What other departments need to be involved in decision-making and input? What systems need to be put in place? On issues such as safety, comfort, connection, communication, who takes the lead? How and who will disseminate the information once a course of action is determined?
RE-ACTIVE:
When you spend time being proactive and creating systems, your response to the current event can be more appropriate and effective. With a Rapid Response team in place, people set into motion actions across the university to ensure that as many foreseeable issues are addressed as possible. Your attention and reaction can be focused on what is happening in real time. What immediate action is needed with known perpetrators? What are the needs of the people who are targets of bias, directly or indirectly?
Answers to these questions can only be accomplished if there are systems in place beforehand.
Messaging is a key component for successful resolutions as events are unfolding. There is no shortage of case studies right now as colleagues across the nation grapple with such issues. Best practices are being tested continuously.
There are four factors to consider when crafting your messaging and rapid response.
TONE—TIMING--TRANSPARENCY—TRANSMISSION
1. Tone. When gauging successful messaging in recent examples on bias related events, the tone of the messaging often determined the narrative that followed. The more defensive and dismissive the response, the higher the likelihood of confrontation. Whereas, the more compassion and action orientated approach is far more successful. The most common complaint of students across the country is not feeling heard. Listen with your heart.
2. Timing. It is important to get pertinent information dispensed as effectively as possible with as much information as possible. A delay will inevitably be met with distain and discourse. The balance here of course is to be able to collect enough information to make a determination of what course of action, if any, to take.
When an event or incident has the potential to blow up, it is best to acknowledge it and let the community know it is being investigated and further information will be forthcoming.
3. Transparency. Share what is going on as much as possible. The rumor mill is often the biggest adversary in situations that are time and trust sensitive.
4. Transmission. How information is transmitted to the many layers of a campus community needs to be determined long before a crisis occurs. Determine who does what and when in order for the message to be delivered in a unified and cohesive manner.
RADIOACTIVE
This is a recipe for disaster. People are never at their best when making critical decisions out of fear, anger or expediency. It is nearly impossible to overcome the damage once inflicted.
FINAL THOUGHT
As stewards of the university, it is a daunting task to balance current events with the long-term mission of the university. Yet, history tells us refusal to change with the times can be detrimental to the reputation of the institution. Advanced planning sets you up for the best possible outcome.
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Dr. Maura Cullen is the author of "35 Dumb Things Well-Intended People Say: Surprising Things We Say That Widen the Diversity Gap". She is widely considered one of the nation's foremost authorities of diversity issues on college campuses today. Maura has over 25 years of experience as a keynote speaker and trainer. She earned her doctorate in Social Justice & Diversity Education from the University of Massachusetts, is a Founding Faculty member of the Social Justice Training Institute and Founder of the Diversity Student Summit. To learn more visit