Diversity at BSU and NTC

  1. Diversity and Inclusion Committees have met twice on both campuses and have begun tackling the items assigned to them from the Diversity and Inclusion Plan, planning Martin Luther King Jr. movie event (“Selma”), planning events during Black History Month, and beginning planning for next year.
  2. Black History Month in February
  3. “Hidden Figures” at CEC Bemidji Theatre
  4. Drs. Lauren Cobb and Gary Rees have come up with a list of books to read that have been written by famous African American authors. This will be shared with the campus. In addition, the BSU and NTC libraries will display books by or about famous African American authors.
  5. Monday, February 13th from 7 – 8:30 pm. A Night of Hip-Hop: Join BSU students and community in the Beaux Arts Ballroom for an informational session on the culture, history and meaning of hip-hop. This night will be interactive with music and a chance to participate in hip-hop dance. Everyone is invited and welcome to participate in this event.
  6. Soul Food – Feb 16th dinner, movie and discussion: Jesse Grant will be cooking soul food and after the movie, Soul Food, Dr. James Dobbins will talk about soul food and its meaning and significance in African American culture.
  7. Essay/you tube contest $100, $60, $30. The committee has chosen a theme of "Teach Truth." Every year there is an overall theme for Black History Month and this year's them is about education, so we thought a theme of "Teach Truth" orwhat didn't you learn about black history in school? We have decided on the rules and we have students working on posters to get the word out. We still have a few issues to think about: 1) criteria for judging; 2) technical issues; and 3) hashtag/racism issues (I know it sounds odd to link those two together, but Andy in OCM brought up concerns about hate speech. You can see more details of that on Yammer.)
  8. Marcellus Davis and Alex Hines will lead a discussion on the current understanding of situation leading to context for understanding (21st), scholars from Metro State and Winona State
  9. NTC
  10. A group of about 9 faculty have formed a book club and the book they have chosen to tackle first is College Students’ Sense of Belonging: A Key to Educational Success for All Students by Terrell L. Strayhorn
  11. Student Panel: What I wish my faculty members knew…..
  12. March – Safe Zone Ally Training during the week just prior to spring break. Training will be available on both campuses.
  13. Concerns. The election has served as a touchpoint for behaviors and events nationwide and statewide.
  14. Supporting Safe and Inclusive Campus Climates; Immigration Executive Order FAQ provided from System Office; Webinar today raised concerns about how to address not just student concerns, but also employee concerns and concerns involving family members of students and employees.
  15. Documents are in the process of being created and once they are completed they will be shared with employees and students
  16. Have met with International Students, and am scheduled to meet with students from the Phoenix Club to find out what concerns they have heard about or have experienced on campus. Other ideas to gather input would be appreciated.
  17. Campus climate survey planned during month of February with select focus groups