An institutional and personal look at Diversity and issues around race at the University of Vermont

1
The Diversity Climate at UVM

• An institutional and personal look at Diversity
  and issues around race at the University of
  Vermont

2
Who Are We?

• Beverly Colston, Director of ASC
• Nick Negrete, Assistant Director
• Patricia Nguyen, Program Outreach Grad. Asst
• We are from the ALANA Student Center. The ASC
  fully supports the holistic development of
  African, Latin_at_, Asian, Native American, and
  bi/multiracial students so that as confident
  students of color they attain their goals for
  academic achievement, personal growth, and
  identity formation and cultural development.

3
First and Foremost

• What do you expect from this session?
• What do you think its about?
• What do you we, as speakers, are here to do?
• We are not here to impose ideology, were here to
  present another perspective to you, just like
  class and readings do, for you to consider.
• What you choose to do with the gaining of this
  new perspective and information is UP TO YOU.

4
Goals for the Plenary Session

• To explore the current climate, in particular
  around issues of racial diversity, at UVM.
• To consider our (you and us) own impact on the
  climate here at UVM.
• Create a sense of self awareness around these
  issues that affect us all.

5
Thoughts to Consider

• What is climate?
• What is the condition of the environment at UVM
  to sustain the life of the community that resides
  here?
• Is the climate conducive to diversity focused
  efforts?
• How do people and policy fare?

6
Did You Know?

• As students, are you aware of UVMs commitment to
  creating a culturally pluralistic communitya
  place where people from a range of racial,
  ethnic, religious, class, sexual orientation and
  gender backgrounds live and learn together?

7
From President Fogel

• The universitys mission statement outlined,
  commitment to diversity in the student body, the
  faculty, staff, and the curriculum.
• The Advancing Diversity document of 2005 states
  that diversity and inclusion are inseparable
  form academic excellence.

8
Before Fogels Tenure

• Our Common Ground (1998) states UVM is an
  educationally purposeful community seeking to
  prepare students to live in a diverse and
  changing world.

9
The Institution Says.

• With all this institutional commitment, how are
  we actually doing?
• As a community, what are our triumphs and our
  setbacks?

10
In Relation to Racial Diversity

• What is the UVM experience for majority White
  students? How are majority White students engaged
  in the conversation and reality of this
  commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive
  community?
• What is the experience of students of color at
  UVM? What do they see, feel, hear and sense on a
  daily basis?
• How are each of you an engaged participant in the
  creation of an inclusive community for all
  students?

11
Terms to Better Understand Racial Diversity

• Diversity
• Racism
• Prejudice
• The System

12
Diversity

• Diversity refers to recognizing difference.
• Our use of the word is anchored in the belief
  that there is a difference in power between
  various groups of people in this society.
• The difference in power gives some people more
  privilege than others. We have greater access to
  more resources in society based on our privilege.

13
Becoming Self-Aware

• Where do we have privilege?
• Are we aware of the parts of our identity where
  we do and do not have privilege?

14
Share a story

• About a time when you became aware of the
  difference and power differential between
  yourself and another.

15
A Show of Hands

• How many of you were able to share a story?
• How many shared a story where you became aware of
  more power?
• Less Power?

16
What is Racism?

• Beverly Tatum relies on the definition of David
  Wellman
• A system of advantages based on race.
• The system in this country is well in place and
  benefits White people even when they do not
  embrace overtly prejudicial thinking.

17
Prejudice

• Prejudice is a pre-conceived judgment or opinion
  usually based on limited information.
• Prejudice does not have the power to give anyone
  an advantage over another.

18
The System

• The system involves
• Cultural messages
• Stereotypes
• Assumptions
• Institutional policies and practices
• Beliefs and actions of individuals and groups

19
The System of Racism

• is institutionalized and impacts all aspects of
  our society including higher education and UVM.
• Work to improve the climate for diversity takes
  on the force of racism in our culture.

20
What is the climate for racial diversity here at
UVM?
21
What do we have at this moment?

• Current Student Demographics
• Student Population 11,870 1.14 African
  American 0.30 Native American 1.62 Asian
  American 1.31 Latino/a 1.36 Multi-Racial
• THERE ARE LESS THAN 200 INDIVIDUALS IN ANY
  SPECIFIC RACIAL GROUP.
• This demographic includes graduate and
  professional degree seeking students.

22
What is the experience of some of the growing
number of students of color at UVM?
23
Lets Talk

• Where were you surprise? When? Why? Why not? Were
  student experiences negatively affected by
  racism?
• How did race advantage or disadvantage one person
  (or group) from another?
• Where assumptions made based on race? How so?
• How do you feel about the fact that any member of
  your community experiences what you just saw and
  heard?

24
What happens to one of us happens to all of us.

• We are all developed or diminished when our
  culture treats any one of its children in a
  derogatory manner.

25
What is social justice?

• A vision of society in which distribution of
  resources is equitable and all members are
  physically and psychologically safe and secure.
• Where individuals are both self-determining and
  interdependent.
• It involves social actors who have a sense of
  their own agency as well as a sense of social
  responsibility toward and with others and society
  as a whole.

26
Does empathy lead you to action?

• In Germany, they came first for the Communists,
  And I didnt speak up because I wasnt a
  Communist.
• And then they came for the trade unionists, And
  I didnt speak up because I wasnt a trade
  unionist.
• And then they came for the Jews, And I didnt
  speak up because I wasnt a Jew.
• And then . . .
• they came for me . . .
• And by that time there was no one left to speak
  up."

27
Towards Ally Consciousness

• How do allies learn?
• How do allies respond?
• How do allies intervene?

28
What is an Ally?

• A member of the dominant group who rejects the
  dominant ideology and takes action against
  oppression out of a belief that eliminating
  oppression will benefit everyone.

29
Consider the stories youve heard today.

• Either in your conversations with each other or
  when you heard the voices of some students of
  color at uvm.
• What would an ally do if they were present?

30
You can be an ally to under-represented groups at
UVM.

• Reporting VS. Supporting
• Reporting bias incidents.
• Affirmative Action
• Dean of Students
• Police Services

31
Develop your awareness of your own experience.

• Seek to understand how power and privilege are at
  play in your life.
• Consider stepping outside of your comfort zone to
  learn more about he diverse community that is
  UVM.
• Learn more about ways to support diverse members
  the whole community by observing, asking
  questions, and educating yourself.