Greek students are actively engaged in creating anti-racist organizations
1. Proposed Changes for Education:
1. Build a curriculum for community/chapter education/dialogues
i. Collaborate with outside Consultant and OMA
iii. Example topics: Bystander Intervention, Increasing Cultural Competency, Implicit Bias Training, Inclusive Leadership, White Privilege, etc.
iii. Updates: The Greek community has partnered with Joey Oteng, a Social Justice educator to host a four-part series in Spring 2021. Community members can choose to merely attend the workshops or be trained to facilitate the workshops within their organizations. The individuals who choose to go through the train-the-trainer series will attend additional skills training.
a. Workshop topics include: Me vs. Other Me: Embracing Discomfort & Vulnerability; Welcome to the Neighborhood: Social Justice 101; Breaking the Fourth Wall: Anti-Racist History + Race & Greeks; Into the Multiverse: Breaking Down Racial Barriers
iv. Next Steps: Recruiting participants for the program. We are aiming to have at least one participant per chapter.
2. Partner with new Bystander 201 model, Project Connection
2. Encourage Attendance at Sustained Dialogue training:
Updates: Intentional target marketing to Greek members led to significant increase in participation.
Next Steps:
1. Work with chapter leadership to incorporate sustained dialogue groups wihtin their organizations
2. Incorporate Sustained Dialogue Training into IFC & PHC Executive Board training
3. Investment in CWRU community
Train members to facilitate Diversity 360
1. Connect with Office of Multicultural Affairs about this partnership
4. Inclusion Committee Initiatives
A. Establish Affinity spaces for individuals of marginalized identities to discuss shared experiences and their experiences in Greek Life
i. Updates: Continued support for the Latina Sorority Expansion Committee, Theta Pi Sigma, and creation of additional affinity-based spaces
B. PHC DE&I Conversation in Recruitment
i. Updates:
1. Two training sessions were held for Chapter recruitment officers with the intent to further educate members on inclusive recruiting;
2. Diversity and Inclusion information session and roundtable discussion for potential new members prior to recruitment
3. Removal of PNM registration fee
4. Removal of the legacy status question when registering
ii. Next Steps:
1. Virtual recruitment policies: virtual backgrounds provided, camera off option, alternative forms of self-expression to replace video for Round 1 of recruitment, closed captioning
2. Learn how to host an identity celebration during the recruitment
C. IFC Recruitment Restructuring:
i. Proposed Changes:
1. IFC PNM Orientation- Host before recruitment starts in spring 2021 where PNMs are educated on expectations for behavior and membership (2/6/2021)
2. Establish IFC Recruitment Council to create a cohort of leaders to lead the community to greater inclusion together
ii. Updates/Next Steps:
1. IFC Recruitment Appreciative Inquiry Summit- August 2021
D. Form an Inclusion Round Table
i. similar to Student Presidents Round table but for university student-led organization, inclusion leaders to come together and discuss areas for collaboration
E. Foster stronger peer relationships and improve ability to gain perspective (learn and unlearn)
i. Encourage students attendance, learning and reflection at culturally-based programs, reading books and having conversations
ii. Updates:
1. Utilized the Wellness Wednesday newsletter to communicate program and training opportunities related to intersectional identity
iii. Next Steps:
1. Improve formality of newsletter
2. Expand opportunities for self- initiated learning
3. Expand opportunities for dialogue and learning
4. Expand breadth and depth of the definition of a 'cultural event' for organizations
F. ACES Summer 2020 Task Force
ACES developed 4 main goals, Amplify, Connect, Educate, and Support, to help create direction and action that we can partake in as organizations and individuals.
Summaries from the Summer/Fall:
1. Amplify: The goal was to prepare CWRU students to be more civically engaged in the future through calls to action on social media and encouragement for voter registration.
i. ACES organized a campaign to contact political leaders about a bill related to police weaponry
ii. They organized a political day of action, which included resources for writing or calling local representatives.
2. Educate:
i. ACES brought in speaker Lawrence Ross, best selling author of The Divine Nine and leading experiment on sororities and fraternities, to discuss racism within Greek Life.
ii. Over 150 students, faculty, and staff attended the lecture and participated in a lively Q&A session.
iii. The lecture was recorded and can be used in future events or as a resource for chapters.
3. Support: Organized a Greek Wide Fundraiser which split the donated amount amongst 23 different organizations that promoted racial justice and/or equal opportunities
i. Organizations included the Ohio ACLU, the Tamir Rice Foundation, and the Equal Justice Initiative. The fundraiser raised over $700.
4. Connect:
i. ACES reached out to the Black Student Union and historically black fraternities and sororities to help support their efforts. The IFC/PHC Board’s hope is to work with UDC and USG to ensure proper funding and logistical support for multicultural greek organizations on our campus.
