Barnard Council on
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
A Note from the EditorsWelcome to the second edition of the newsletter from Barnard’s Council on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. In each edition, we share the Council’s new and ongoing initiatives, introduce some of the people working on diversity, equity and inclusion, showcase campus events relevant to the Council’s mission, and feature resources available to the Barnard community.
You Askedby Emily Ndiokho '22What exactly does the Council on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion do? The responsibilities of the Council on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion range far and wide! Our overall responsibilities are expanding dialogue on Barnard's campus about issues surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion; coordinating campus-wide events and programming; advising senior administration members
and the Board of Trustees on matters of diversity, equity, and inclusion; and making progress in implementing Barnard's long-term goals for a campus that is inclusive and equitable at all levels. Our specific goals and action items for this year are 1) understanding the best way Barnard can serve its community members; 2) creating a structure for students/faculty/staff to share their ideas for diversity, equity, and inclusion (the product being the Inclusion Grant!); and, 3) organizing campus-wide events that are accessible to all Barnard community members, such as Unseen, The Gracie Book Club (more on that below) and The Bold Conference. Why was the Council on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion created and for what purpose? The Council on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
was created in fall of 2017 as part of the recommendations from the President's Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion. To ensure that Barnard is a community that inspires its members to be their truest selves on campus, the Council works to foster and facilitate the best ways to create said environment.
As Faculty Diversity and Development (FDD) Dean, my responsibilities include advancing the college’s diversity, inclusion, and equity agenda as it pertains to faculty hiring and development, and the creation of a more inclusive and equitable community for the College. I consult closely with the Provost and Committee on Faculty Budget and Planning regarding all faculty hiring, and also lead the Committee on Faculty Diversity and Development. The FDD Committee works on such initiatives such as New Faculty Orientation, the Faculty Mentoring program, faculty development and diversity seminars and workshops (including the Willen Seminars), and the Junior Faculty talks. The FDD Dean serves ex officio on the Council on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and also provides leadership for other initiatives designed to support and advance the
college’s recommendations from the recent Presidential Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion.
On March 4th, I updated the Barnard community about the campus visits to meet finalists for the Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion position. Now the FDD committee and I would like to report on two recent initiatives of interest: 1) The implementation of the Opportunity Hiring Initiative, a new pathway to faculty hiring. The goal of the initiative is to identify and recruit established and emerging scholars who will contribute to the College's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. This initiative comes directly out of the Presidential Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion’s recommendations. Academic departments are encouraged to apply for funding from the Provost’s Office to design a vision for potential future colleagues (and potentially clusters of colleagues) whose teaching and scholarship fill
gaps in the college-wide curriculum and address areas of strong student interest. In addition these proposed faculty will, among other things, possess experiences that translate into more perspectives/voices among faculty and reflect our student body and society more broadly. 2) Expansion of the New Faculty Mentoring Program. Over AY 2017-18, the FDD Committee re-conceptualized the New Faculty Mentoring Program. Open to full-time faculty in service years 1-3, the program is designed to offer a comprehensive introduction to Barnard as a place that fosters and supports excellent scholar-teachers. Now 12 sessions strong over the academic year (4 sessions each for each cohort year), the program’s last session was an Inclusive Pedagogy Workshop, run by the Center for Teaching and Learning at Columbia. Other sessions this year
included one for faculty on Student Resources and Support, and another on Balancing Teaching, Scholarship, and Service. In this newsletter, we look forward to reporting exciting developments in the area of faculty diversity and development. Stay tuned for updates on the search for the new Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the next issue! Monica L. Miller
Associate Professor of English and Africana Studies
Dean for Faculty Diversity and Development
Faculty Coordinator, Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program (MMUF)
The annual Barnard Bold Conference brings together members of our community to address issues of inclusion and equity in Barnard classrooms. Barnard Bold Conference organizers are looking for a 2019 Student Chair and encourage students to apply for the role by 3/15/19. The chair will be responsible for putting together a team of students, faculty, and staff to plan the workshops and handle all logistics. The conference is supported by Council on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. To apply, please complete the application form.
Currently on the CouncilCongratulations to the 2019 Barnard Inclusion Grant awardees! The Council on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is excited about all of the diverse programming to come and is currently working with each recipient on next steps. Programs funded by these grants will occur throughout the semester, as well as in the upcoming academic year, depending on program timing. Be on the lookout for updated event information on an ongoing basis from the
Council.
On Campusby Noa Shapiro '19
On Monday, January 27th, the Council co-sponsored an event with the First Lady of New York, Chirlane McCray, and ThriveNYC. The event, called "Reading to Thrive," was part of First Lady McCray’s Gracie Book Club, which is currently exploring the pervasive stigma that surrounds mental illness. Members of the Barnard and New York City communities came to this event to hear from several renowned panelists: Nana-Ama Danquah, author of Willow Weep for Me: A Black Woman’s Journey Through Depression; Colin Wayne Leach, Barnard professor of Psychology and Africana Studies; President
Beilock; and First Lady of New York City Chirlane McCray. First Lady McCray spoke about mental health and the importance of sharing stories of resilience and recovery, which inspire others to tell their own stories and empower them to receive treatment. The book selection for this event’s discussion was Nana-Ama Danquah’s Willow Weep for Me, a memoir that dispels damaging perceptions of people who live with mental health conditions and challenges the stereotype of the strong, black woman. Danquah read a passage aloud about her own experiences with depression and spoke about how difficult the disease is to understand without having suffered from it personally. Afterwards, she and Dr. Leach discussed the need to talk more about mental health so that fewer people suffer in silence. The event ended with a Q&A, during which Danquah said that one-on-one human
interaction is the best combatant of isolation, and something that she believes helps many people who suffer from depression.
Resourcesby Daniela Lebron '22The Office of Disability Services (ODS) works to provide access to campus services for Barnard community members with disabilities. ODS also specifically serves students with physical and sensory disabilities (such as visual, mobility, and hearing disabilities)
and invisible disabilities (such as chronic medical conditions, learning disabilities/ADD, and psychiatric disabilities). ODS works with and empowers students with disabilities in order to coordinate support services that enable equal access to education and college life. The ODS works to ensure that reasonable accommodations are made to provide programmatic and physical access, such as:
• Alternative Testing
• Note-taking Services
• Disability-related Housing Accommodations
• Authorization for Service and Support Animals
• Classroom Accommodations
• Academic Coaching
• Mentorship/ Peer Support The ODS is in Milbank 009. Open hours are from 9AM- 5PM.
Newsletter edited by Monica Miller, Yvette Christianse, and Noa Shapiro ’19
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