Chat Transcript
Stefani Plummer
SO good to see y'all! :)
Adam Pruett
Good Morning!! Who did the Waiting Room Workout??!
Teri Bladen
I apologize for my disheveled look, just finished my Wait Room workout....
Stefani Plummer
@Teri i love that!
Greg Jordan
I’m tired from doing the wait room exercises! good to see y’all
Teri Bladen
@Iisha "Action must match the message"...Yes!
Marc Iturriaga
Speakers are saying a great truth! And true we all know our WHY. The challenge is our system was created to "build it and they will com"e, rather than co-creating opportunities with the people we serve. Unfortunately we are still a structure and process based industry and need to move to "people / students first" focus to help all people belong in our opportunities and programs.
Marc Iturriaga
Iisha - great example of "accommodate" rather than prioritize inclusion. We worry about space allocation rather than how that space is utilized for all.
Marc Iturriaga
Wendy - how do those students feel like they belong when they are being asked to leave campus?
Stacey Hall
Question about women's only swim time...We have an Office of Civil Rights complaint filed against us for offering this. Has anyone else faced this situation?
Stefani Plummer
@Marc good thoughts. I feel like this new season has created an opportunity to "start over" and recreate ourselves
Kathryn Dunn
Hi Stacey, Loyola University also had this happen.
Teri Bladen
@Stacey not your specific situation, but we had to stop promoting Women Only outdoor trips. We simply dropped the "Only", and haven't had push back after that
Stefani Plummer
@Stacey we haven't had a formal complaint but we found that our Ladies' Night required a men's event. The uniqueness is that not ALL men wanted a men's night. They didn't want the females out of the facility. So we created a men's health event where the facility stayed open but the vendors focused on men's health information.
Kathryn Dunn
Our Title 9 Office said that the student filling the complaint was misusing Title 9/Discrimination as long as we are offering time for males to swim
Kathryn Dunn
We do bill ours as "Female Identifying" Swim
Erin Patchett (she/her)
Individually, we need to take a hard look at where we get our education and information and perspectives from. And ask/reflect on whether any of it is “hard” to take in because if the learning and unlearning isn’t hard, we may not be growing much. We may be personally checking a box. And yes, be authentic like Kevin has noted! Nobody is perfect at this. We also need to get better at owning and apologizing for mistakes made.
Stefani Plummer
@Erin great points. it is hard work...all of it. But we can still do it. I agree with @George WE can change the needle!
Kevin George
I will admit that when at college, I was very uncomfortable with Asian Cultural Associations and other EDI groups as I was whitewashed...and color blind. Since I didn't speak the language, eat the cultural foods, I lost all aspects of my Korean heritage and was afraid to explore it....
Teri Bladen
We used the EDI resource during our strategic planning last week to dig into deep discussion regarding our Inclusion value. We have committed to living our Inclusion value out loud.
Kevin George
All my friends were white.
Marc Iturriaga
Great points @Wendy! Self reflection and conversations is important. Coupled with ACTION is even more powerful.
Teri Bladen
Nicely stated Wendy!
Marc Iturriaga
How are we intentionally embedding and assessing EDI in our job descriptions, strategic plan, budgets, training, hiring practices, etc? Change doesn't happen without intention. It cannot be a project on the side of the desk and taking a backburner to headcounts, registration number and revenue.
Stefani Plummer
@Marc --intention!!
Teri Bladen
@Marc...Yes!
Stefani Plummer
@Pam lean in...and don't stop.
Marc Iturriaga
Its not Erring if it is a measured and intentional out come.
Erin Patchett (she/her)
Organizationally - We have officially broken our full-time staff-focused efforts into 2 groups: space for education (a monthly dialogue on EDI issues) and a space for action (a committee where accountability and action are a stated group norm). This has helped as it both meets people where they are at while also ensuring intentional and well-informed action.
Stefani Plummer
@Erin that's such a great structure...
Erin Patchett (she/her)
I should add, it also helps us build up our staff competencies so that more people can then be ready to join and take action with the committee efforts.
Marc Iturriaga
@Iisha - yes! that is why co-creating our opportunities gives voice to those students to be owners of their experience and not just "accommodating" or "integrating" into the already problematic structure.
Erin Patchett (she/her)
@Iisha, great idea for keeping that connection
Wendy Motch-Ellis
Here’s a resource that starts examine white culture - http://www.cwsworkshop.org/PARC_site_B/dr-culture.html
Wendy Windsor
@Wendy Yes, love the 3 L's: Lean In, Learn, & Listen.
Marc Iturriaga
As important as education is, we all know that a person can be educated on the importance of eating healthy, moving more, sitting less, take care of yourself etc but it often does not translate into change of behavior and action. When we realise that it is not an individual journey for most, and we are able to facilitate and help navigate that experience for our students we will start to see change.
Erin Patchett (she/her)
@Wendy - yes!
Marc Iturriaga
And that journey is different for all - as Wendy illustrates there is so much intersectionality amongst our culture - so the more we focus on the person and do the best we can to change the system to fit the people rather than find ways to stick the person into the system, the more we can move the needle on inclusion.
Erin Patchett (she/her)
@Wendy - yes, yes, and yes. Important points for us white folx to consider.
Marc Iturriaga
Can a panelist share a recent initiative or action in their department they took to address EDI concerns that they feel pushed the needle further towards inclusion?
Pam Watts
@Marc - thanks for question - I'll weave it in
Wendy Windsor
Amazing conversation. We need more of this!
George Brown
Bringing more intentionality to mental health provisions and support within our facilities where BIPOC students feel more comfortable seeking those services with our counseling center embedded in our rec areas. The % of BIPOC students accessing these resources has increased and placed our role in a better campus wide light
Teri Bladen
@Wendy W., Yes!
Erin Patchett (she/her)
@Kevin's example is a great reminder that we really need to check in on our staff when things happen on and near campus.
Jessica Ward
I have to leave for another meeting. Thank you to everyone for sharing!
Stefani Plummer
@Kevin...great reminder to check in with our team.
Marc Iturriaga
@Kevin - great points - but they do have experience that we do not put down in a job description or quantify as "best candidate"
Erin Patchett (she/her)
@Kevin - we have so many rules that are problematic in their original purpose as well as in how they are selectively enforced. deeply evaluating policies is a great organizational action to take.
Pam Watts
To save the chat, click the three dots in the lower right hand corner of the chat box.
Christopher Gottlick
Thanks Pam and the entire panel! I appreciate everyone taking the time today.
Erin Patchett (she/her)
I would like to second (or third) the value of having this roundtable. Pam, thanks for hosting and to the panelists, for their time. I've got a kiddo that is waiting to play. =)
leslie whitmer
Thankyou to all the panel members! Some eye opening dialogue. leslie embry Riddle
Adam Pruett
Amazing conversation
Adam Pruett
Looking forward to more items for action!
Kevin George
Multiple identities are important - person of color, first generation, sexual identity...all those are intersection where campus rec needs to look at how to be inclusive
Stefani Plummer
SUCH a great conversation...let's keep it going.
Pam Watts
All - we will continue to schedule these roundtable conversations. We are also working on a variety of education content - trying to meet the needs of members while not replicating what may already be available to you and your staff through your campus resources. Please continue to email me with your ideas and requests for how NIRSA can support your learning and resource needs.
Kevin George
Again the Covid-19 has shown the disparities of health & well-being for our people of color, so being mindful of reopening and what that means for underrepresented populations you serve
NIRSA Smartboard
Please continue to check Ideas in Motion page for Caucus and forum sessions too to continue conversation (please share with staff). In particular, BIPOC Caucus, Latinx Caucus, Student Perspective Caucus, and White Ally 201 Caucus are now open for registration: https://nirsa.net/nirsa/connect/ideas-in-motion/
Marc Iturriaga
Thank you so much for your experience and leadership panelists and Pam for moving the needle towards inclusion. Excellent conversation!
Teri Bladen
Thanks Pam and panelists, this has been fantastic.
Kevin George
You all can be vulnerable and authentic on your journey..
Kevin George
To share with your teams/staff/patrons
Kevin George
It's powerful
Anthony (U of Central Arkansas)
Thank you. Great information. Be safe, wash your hands, wear your mask.
Yvette Kell
Thank you everyone, great information and conversation!
Michael Thomas
Thank you for this roundtable!
Rhonda Powers
Great information and conversation. Thank you for sharing!
Iisha Voltz
Thank you for the opportunity