Diversity committee 11/17/11

Attendance – Michelle Brannen, Rabia Gibbs, Annazette Houston, Matt Jordan, Thura Mack, Marva Rudolph, Kynita Stringer-Stanback

Announcements

• Veterans Day program went well.  Michelle and Marva participated. Marva was there before the mid-day program and that it had a small gathering.  We want to send feedback as a committee to thank them and to suggest that they consider how they might share to a larger audience by streaming the name reading.  Michelle will draft a feedback letter for them with our thanks and suggestions.
• Matt announced that his sister has a developmental disability and he recently took her to the Special Olympics.

Budget

• Thura does not know if there is a budget for the diversity committee.  She met with Steve to ask if we do have a budget and, if so, how much.  She is waiting to hear back with information.  Traditionally we have not had a committee budget – we just ask for funding as needed for programs.  Do we know how much we’ve spent annually?  Thura gave an example that they asked for $500 for Steve’s reception.  There are several programs such as cultural enrichment or international festival where no funding has been asked for previously.  The question will be how much to ask for in a budget – so we would need to explore what programs we are interested to know what to ask for.

Diversity Training suggestion

• Marva’s office used to do diversity training and had a diversity trainer but they do not do as much now.  There is a faculty member in sociology department that does some.  It depends on the type of diversity training you are interested in.  There may be some people on campus who can but it might cost more to bring in someone nationally known.
• Kynita was thinking about an outside organization coming in to do training.  She wasn’t sure if we wanted leadership training for the members of the diversity committee.  She wasn’t sure if we are interested in being diversity leaders on campus or just facilitators for diversity.  If we do want this to be a leadership group, then we could provide them opportunities to take on that leadership role.
• Kynita suggested that something we could do really easily might be safe zone training.  There might be other training opportunities on campus.  If we are going to facilitate this talk of diversity then we need some training and have a good, strong message and all be well versed and grounded in diversity issues, not only from our personal experience.
• Do we want these programs open to just the committee, library staff, or even open to the campus?  It depends on the type of program we’re looking for.
• Marva explained that we have some diversity coordinators in various colleges on campus.  Maybe it would be good for the diversity committee to call a meeting with those folks so we can all share information about what we’re doing and to find out about opportunities for training they may know about and also to see if we can coordinate efforts for some events.
• Kynita suggested that if they are working out there in isolation then working with them we could help make the library a central hub and a good place to focus diversity efforts on campus.  Can we bring more of these people into the committee.
• Thura shared that when the committee was first formed, we did have some training but it has been quite some time for training.  She does think that we need to update ourselves as a group and get on the same page.
• Matt suggested that some of these diversity coordinators on campus might want to work together on our topic.
• Kynita reminded us that it’s important for us to have a unified message about diversity.  Our individual experiences are great but we also need to have this baseline group understanding.
• Matt asked if we would you see this group needing some training before meeting with other diversity people on campus.  I think we all agreed that we could meet with them and do training in either order – but that we might ask them about their training.
• Rabia will compile a list of all the diversity representatives on campus for us.  Marva will send her information.
• Thura asked when are we thinking we would want to meet with them?  Are we thinking Dec or Jan?
• Annazette said if we did it in January, we could do it early in January before classes start.
• Maybe Thurs, Jan 5.  We need to put together what we want from this, give them questions before hand, and come together and talk.  One thing we can ask is what are the issues they see their populations facing.  We can also ask about what training they have done or that they might give.  We can also ask what their role is and if they are interested in collaborating with us for events and programs.  Matt suggested that we could also share with them the topic we’re thinking of for the fall and get their opinions on it.
• Thura said we have never done this.  She has met with some of them one-on-one but not in this capacity.
• Kynita suggested for training that we could ask the dean if he would be willing to send members from the diversity committee to diversity conferences
• Thura mentioned that we need to put this training into a framework – outline the steps we want to take for this training and some outcomes we want from the training.  Once we do that, what are the next steps.
• Where do we want to be in December for our meeting? – Annazette suggested we invite them now to set up the meeting and when we meet in December, we can plan what the agenda will be for that meeting.

Topic for programming – Culture and Ethnicity: the social construction of race

• Do we want this for spring 2012 or wait until fall 2012?
• We talked about waiting for the fall so we can have time to plan events, to work with other diversity groups on campus, and have time to plan.
• Documentaries in the Library has already set the series for the spring so if we wait for the fall, we could get this and other groups to potentially be on board with our topic.
• Thura asked how are we going to begin developing this concept.
• Thura also reminded us we do need to have some events and such planned for the spring, even while working on this larger series in the fall.  There is a Black Issues conference coming up – Feb 5 – but they need an abstract in December.
• Black Issues Conference – what do we want to propose?  Kynita suggested changing the name to “culture and ethnicity: the social construction of identity.”  We were talking about putting a panel together for the presentation – the panel would bring different people together to talk about their experiences with perception on campus.

 

Suggestion from Martha Rudolph – about Immigration as a topic

• January 23 – Immigration – for the library, baker center, etc. – is a topic coming in the spring with various programs for the spring.
• 1^st Writers in the Program is Jan 23 – the series is going to be focused on immigration in the spring

Next Meeting December 15^th.  Please send agenda items.

We will bounce the idea of the Black Issues Conference via email since the abstract is due before our next meeting.

 

Thanks to all for a productive Diversity Meeting On Thursday July 28
The meeting took place in the location Hodges Library 2nd floor Mary E. Greer room
Announcements were as following:
News of the Dean of Libraries Steve Smith inviting the committee to be guests on September 23 for a gala dinner and evening at the Knoxville Convention Center
The committee is charged with inviting 6 additional guests
Members who would like to attend please notify Patty @ boling00@utk.edu asap the deadline is August 12 but the sooner the better!
The event is September 23 with reception starting@ 5:30 and dinner at 6:30 the event will be held at the Convention Center
September 8 Showcase program discussion:
Budget request;
Radio Station $200-$300
Cookies/punch/water $150
Door Prizes $120
Balloons$
Buttons$$
Potential participates are;
WUTK Radio Station (there is a $200-$300 cost)
Black Cultural Center
African –American 50th Achievement
Chris Durman representing the Music Library
Native American Student Association (NASA)
Spoken Word participants
Library Common Ground Book club
Connie Steigenga ( make balloon animals)
Michelle Brannen ( civility videos contest entries)
Student Health Center (providing HPV awareness education)
Martha Rudolph is creating digital signs to announce the September 8 program & she is putting together a hall of fame slide show with photos from the Black Cultural Center
Much more…..
New membership:
Allison B. and Thura will work on getting the announcement out for a call for new members on Monday August 1
The fall Culture Corner:
Allie R. is creating posters for the LOTM displays & Cultural Corner
Thura is working on updating the Cultural Corner (volunteers are welcome)
50th Celebration:
Annazette met with me after the meeting and the 50th committee has offered to provide 50th buttons for the September 8 program (email me and let me know if this will take of our button needs)

Thura Mack
Professor
Coordinator, Community Learning Services
tmack@utk.edu
865-974-6381

Diversity 3/17

Pow wow fill in
April 8th and 9th Fire dance set for Friday evening. Once in a lifetime opportunity to see an Aztec Fire dance. Big event for the Cherokee – first gathering on this land in over 100 years.

International festival
Table with Common Ground Book Club April 12th support the Henrietta Lacks Life of the Mind book. (table volunteers needed)

UT Libraries celebration of 50 years of African American achievement.
Date scheduled for Sep 8. start time TBA. Programming ideas:
Reception Mary Greer room light snacks (cookies)…
Joseph Delaney African American residence welcome week date.
Lacks is coming for welcome week. Libguide for african american email to committee
Slam poetry session venue TBA
(Annazette will explore student readers.)
Canvas for diversity (paper on the floor student participants to write about diversity )

WE need:
Timetable for events
Slide show and film
Canvas for diversity

Rothrock Lecture UC dining room April 28th eve

Welcome the new Dean Smith Reception
planning for July (he’s coming July 1st)

Books to explore:
Civil Words and Phrases http://www.amazon.com/Civil-Words-Phrases-Still-ebook/dp/B004LGS7KY

Choosing Civility
The 25 rules of considerate conduct P.M. Forni
http://www.brianrwright.com/Coffee_Coaster/03_Book_Reviews/2009/090427_Choosing_Civility.htm

1. Pay attention
2. Acknowledge others
3. Think the best
4. Listen
5. Be inclusive
6. Speak kindly
7. Don’t speak ill
8. Accept and give praise
9. Respect even a subtle “no”
10. Respect others’ opinions
11. Mind your body
12. Be agreeable
13. Keep it down (and rediscover silence)
14. Respect other people’s time
15. Respect other people’s space
16. Apologize earnestly
17. Assert yourself
18. Avoid personal questions
19. Care for your guests
20. Be a considerate guest
21. Think twice before asking for favors
22. Refrain from idle complaints
23. Accept and give constructive criticism
24. Respect the environment and be gentle
25. Don’t shift responsibility and blame

Updates and News
Trisha Brady is working with the Green Committee for the next Culture Corner Display “It’s not Easy Being Green”. The plan is to coordinate with Gordie Bennett and the Make Orange Green campaign. Trisha plans to include activities with the display such as “How green are you?” worksheets. The committee agreed to carry this theme over to the International Festival on April 15th.

Celebrating 50 years of African American Achievement
Annazette Houston joined us for an update on the proceedings and plans for Celebrating 50 years of African American Achievement events.
The MLK Parade was a success and the Kick off celebration can be viewed by web cast http://160.36.161.128/UTK/Viewer/?peid=b8a2813d14e543a0a534abf66aae7496. Each academic department is having a correlating event.
Follow all the events here:http://achieve.utk.edu/events.shtml
The committee discussed the Libraries roll- Most of the historical records used are housed at UT Libraries. Ribbia Gibbs did most of the information retrieval.
The upcoming Life of the Mind program centered around the book The Immortal Life of Hennrietta Lacks is scheduled for Feature in a Culture Corner this Fall.
Annazette wondered if we could feature scanned copies of documents and letters used in preparation for the 50y events. The Committee is interested in offering programing during Welcome Week (Aug 18th) with slam poets, local film makers and artists.

Kynita Stringer-Stanback suggested in the instillation of a Civility Award in honor of Felicia Felder-Hoehne the first African American Librarian at UT. She will work on a proposal for the Spirit Awards Committee.

The Studio’s Free Range Contest this year features “My Everyday Civility” in correlation with Chancellor Cheek’s call for campus civility.

The committee planned to greet the new dean and discussed taking the new dean to lunch and preparing a welcome gift that includes a report of the history of the Diversity Committee.
In conclusion the committee made plans to campaign for new members

-MAR 2/25/2011

Diversity committee

Lib diversity plan
1. To engage dept heads in exploring ways to create a culture of respect and promoting a culture of respect.
2. Offer diversity awareness opportunities foe all employees
3. Survey to identify where we are as an organization in terms of assessment.

how to offer training for department leaders? A discussion starting with Lukal- care program. Then follow up with a panel of OED and other campus leaders.
Ask people to think about what it means to walk into a room and be different. Focus on the self and roots.
racist America book by Texas professor.
Intellectual aspect.
HR 128. Ageism
Panel discussion.
Zero tolerance. Know the rules.
Connect to annual reviews. Performance review.
Civility. Digital signs. Respectfulness. have Cathy make a sign to show linda.

What is civility to you? (can we sponsor a commons activity?).

April 15 international festival
50th anniversary celebration
March on Feb 1 st. Tuesday? time?

Lori and Thura doing a poster on learning beyond the classroom.