May 5, 2025 DEI Committee Meeting Summary: In attendance: Tom Su, Renée Wilkins Clark, Chris Garcia, Chélynn Randolf, Amy Ferrell, Nicole Holland
The DEI committee created plans for the beginning of the fall semester. Based on conversations at the First Friday meeting from the previous Friday, we explored possibilities of supporting DEI-related data conversations as a possible Lunch and Learn structure for AY 2025-2026. We will propose to provide an overview of data results at a future retreat, followed by a Lunch and Learn type conversation with a deeper dive into the results. We discussed the committee’s bylaws, specifically the matter of staff representation. This is a structural inequity in higher education, that staff are not represented on important school-level committees. Including staff voice requires extra labor on the part of the staff member because committee service is not part of their contractual work. We hope to advocate for structural change in this regard. We are also continuing our plans for a “banned book drive.” Finally, happy Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage month!