Announcements

JW culture corner is done — it’s small but it is complete

Updates to the Diversity calendar

AR has email Eric Bledsoe, but has not heard back. Will call him.

She uses veterans administration calendar, Kentucky University calendar, and a Pagan calendar from the UK for events and puts them on the calendar in order

It’s set up to show events for the current month – there’s also options to see other months/years

AR will figure out how to convert it into an RSS feed in order to have it feed into the UT calendar

October 16^th LGBT Program update

TM — Hodges, Mary E. Greer room at 1pm, we will host the LGBT speakers

The main program is in the evening so the earlier portion of the day will be filler

Let’s Talk about It program – will last no more than 1 hour including Q and A

Opportunity to work with the LGBT commission AND do a Let’s Talk about It program

Writer’s in the library will have a reception/book signing in the library right before 1pm

RW or someone from the LGBT committee will introduce the speakers And we only need to make sure things are running smoothly

Be sure the room is set up for a powerpoint

authors are involved in a digital initiative, so we’ll be looking at some of their work

Our in-house CMN department will provide publicity to the Beacon, New Sentinel, Radio Station, and around campus

We won’t have to worry about food – writers in the library people will do refreshments. They will provide it, though we may need to help them set up.

Films

Priscilla of the Desert

Brokeback mountain

If these walls could talk

Discussion for November and December projects, including ideas for the next culture corner

November Ideas

Last year native Americans month – co-sponsored with an up and coming group, put on a film series and did a poster campaign.

TB – we should do a poster campaign again

LR – (WHICH GROUP?)students had their first meeting recently and want to have another film series

Also planning Elder’s Day celebration in late October (pow wow drum, dancers, beadwork in the amphitheater – Joyce Dugan is invited to speak

AR could they have a demonstration in November?

If they do smudging?, it must be done outside of the library for fire safety reasons

JW – Consensus for films for native American month again?

TB – We can do something else for our culture corner and still help with the series

We will promote outside of the library – send publicity to departments and organizations that would be interested in such a program

The students in the group can select the films, and we will work with LR on publicity coordination advertised on the Diversity page.

AR – @ TN, Campus CMN, and TN will be notified. The series will be advertised on the Diversity webpage

December ideas

December is Universal Human Rights Month

JW – Disability as a matter of family

3 speakers from the college of Nursing

Talked about mental and/or physical disabilities that people often encounter

Watched a film RE these disabilities and had a discussion (some personal experience was discussed)

12/3 – international day of disabled persons

Disability month is October – do we want to do anything in November?

AM — We should focus on LGBT, save disability for another month or year

JW – JR suggested doing intercultural holidays. We did religions of the world over the summer, could do more. JR also suggested programming on people of Scots and Irish descent

TM – we could do more disability stuff

AM – we could do human rights and cover disabilities as a subset

If we had money, we could bring in leaders in the human rights field

If we don’t, we can bring in a local human rights person (Beverly Watts, TN Human Rights commission)

AM can have her staff attend the programming and is connected with Beverly Watts

Gender issues in the workplace (equal pay) could address this without being overtly political

LR – Offer employees credit for HR – 128 to bolster numbers and promote attendance?

TM – we can probably do this. TM will get forms and look into this possibility

The people that attend can fill out the forms and we can get the forms to the office

We can advertise that it’s for recognized credit (if we can prove that it’s a worthwhile lecture or interactive program)

Will immediate notice to Beverly be enough time for her to be able to do this?

JW – we can schedule her for a different month – we’re not bound by the calendar

AM – Beverly could tell us about some opportunities to talk about some issues we might have missed, punch through any “groupthink” that we might be experiencing

JW – will there be an honorarium (payment for travel, etc for her attendance)?

AM – as a state employee, she might not be able to accept it.

AM – she could be paid to conduct staff training

We will be flexible about dates – we’ll see when she’s available. AM will contact her

TM – We’ll see if it’d be possible for her to attend one of our meetings at 1pm on a Thursday

JW – If that doesn’t work, we can have her come by whenever she can and we will adjust

AM – we could also cover hidden disabilities (hard of hearing, mental, etc)

The disabled students are aware of the accommodations in place. This would be beneficial to librarians and those offering service.

AR – are there any courses that would benefit from attendance?

AM – deafness program, vocational rehab, etc – also someone in her office that teaches HR courses RE hidden disabilities. In house expertise!

JW – Human rights in December, Disabilities in the spring?

Group is in consensus here – focus!

TM – we could have AM’s colleague come in spring, then have a student panel in support of this (so students have a vested interest in attendance)

AM – Disability services, OID, audiology – we’ve got resources on campus, so we could set up a good panel.

AR – April for disabilities? January for the panel (weather notwithstanding)

JW - Kind of far away

TB – if we can’t get Beverly for December, we can do disabilities since we’ve an idea formed…

Culture Corner?

TM – This should reflect some of our programming

We should go by some of the ideas we’ve formed

Culture corners can last multiple months or even a semester

TB – rather than letting the current one stay up for a couple more months, we can change it for human rights and leave it up for a bit – LGBT can fit into this

Next culture corner planning in November, done in December

Other Topics

Jeff French will provide his truck and help with the Trunk or Treat and Angel Tree

Truck or Treat – for people with disabilities. Last year, fraternities handled this and we weren’t in the loop for it.

AM – giving kids with disabilities candy may not be a good idea. Maybe toys, but we need to make sure that these won’t break

AM – Jim Harris is over Greek system and could clue us in. JW will contact him.

We wouldn’t be in charge of this, just sponsoring treats/truck for the program.

AM – Circle park (where this is held) may not be a very accessible point for impaired children

Difficult to drop people off (curb cut is steep)

9/25/08 – next meeting is in 150

 

Diversity Committee meeting – August 14, 2008

 

Introductions/Committee Roster

 

Members Present:

Thura Mack – Diversity Co-chair and Training Coordinator for UT Libraries

Jeanine Williamson – Diversity Co-chair and Engineering and Art & Architecture Librarian in Research Services & Collections, UT Hodges Library

Trisha Brady – Supervisor for Media Center/Studio, at Hodges

Shantrie Collins – Diversity Resident, UT Libraries

Damon Campbell – Diversity Resident, UT Libraries

Laurie Roberson – Director of Student Services in the school of architecture and design.

Jerry Roberson – Professor at the Veterinary school and adviser to the Native American Student Organization.

George Hoemann – Chair of LGBT, Assistant Dean of Distance Education

Sandy Allen – Technical Services & Digital Access, at Hodges

Allison Roberts – Supervisor at Ag/Vet library, Diversity Committee web mistress

 

Members Absent:

Marielle Veve – Cataloging & Metadata Librarian, UT Libraries

Jane Row – Head, Research Services at UT Libraries and Ready for the World library point person

Jill Keally – Diversity ex-officio and Executive Associate Dean of UT Libraries

Donna Braquet – Diversity ex-officio and Librarian in Research Services & Collections

Annazette McCane – Director, UT Disability Services

 

Overview of the committee

Diversity definition and mission statement were included to provide in-depth background for new members (if you were not at the meeting, please attached Agenda document with these descriptions). We’ve been criticized about past programs’ validity. We are striving to be more accountable to the diversity definition. However, we do leave ourselves room to take risks.

 

Annual Report

Report was in draft form and shared to get feedback from members, and review types of programming that this committee is committed to.

Suggestion to add titles of the films and some specific hot topics that we feature for display. It was agreed that these changes will be incorporated.

Committee agreed to get card for Sarah Green, former co-chair of the Diversity Committee, for a job well done.

 

Calendars for best meeting dates

Members agreed that Thursdays at 1 p.m. is the best time for the committee to meet.

In the beginning of the Fall semester, we will meet twice a month. Once our projects are underway, we will meet once a month. Meetings are scheduled for an hour and a half.

The next meeting date is August 28 at 1 p.m. in Room 605.

Allison Roberts will get the committee an outlook account and set us up for shared calendars.

 

Announcements

There was an invitation from Roger Weaver to host LGBT program on October 16.

Evening presentation is about the book Courting Equality: Gay & Lesbian Marriage by Patricia A. Gozemba and Karen Kahn.

The committee’s role would be to create a day-time program about the digital history project these authors have launched and to help with advertising of the overall program.

 

Agenda Items for Next Meeting

Discuss significant diversity dates and create Diversity Committee calendar. Collaborate with Erik Bledsoe to submit calendar to UT’s Diversity and Intercultural page.

We will do one or two getting-to-know-you exercises.

 

Diversity Committee Meeting Minutes

Room 605- 3:00 p.m.- February 5, 2008

1. Meeting convened by Thura Mack.
2. All members attending:

Sandy Allen, Allison Roberts, Hannah Powell, Jeff French, Marielle Veve,

Trisha Brady, Shantrie Collins, Damon Campbell, Jeanine Williamson, Thura

Mack, and Sara Green

1. Announcements and Discussion:

1. 1. Thura began by talking about the Student Appreciation event we have scheduled for Monday, March 31 between 2:00 and 4:00. We combined the announcement of the time for this being set with commentary from members. Hannah had asked in LEA members could attend, but no one from that committee came due to illness. Hannah asked lots of questions in able to take information back to Hannah Barker from LEA who is helping the Diversity Committee this year with this event. One major area in question dealed with bookplates and who was to handle them. Thura explaned that we had a folder with information on procedures we would share with all LEA members who were helping with this event, and would pass on to LEA when they took over the event next year. Sandy also spoke up and commented that she thought Tech Services conducted the electronic bookplating. Thura talked some of procedures and explained the process for selecting and contacting students who were to be honored, and passed around draft for invitations to staff and faculty as well as a draft for the certificate we will give to student honorees. Hannah asked if Barbara’s Student Advisory Committee wasn’t also honored during this ceremony and Thura agreed to look into that. Barbara has granted the Committee $100.00 to purchase the cake, punch and other food for the event.
   2. Jeff French passed around a Thank You card hand written by a child recipient form the Angel Tree.
   3. Sara Green congratulated Jeanine on her Talk About It held in January on disabilities.
   4. Sara Green mentioned the Culture Corner. Out of all of the items mentioned in the catalog only 15 monographs were found, so it was decided to expand the theme of the new Culture Corner to include other tri-racial groups as well as the Melungeons. Sandy Allen is working on ordering more titles to be included as they arrive for this Culture Corner dealing with the Melungeon topic. Sara Green also stated that in conjunction with this Culture Corner the president of the Melungeon Association of America has graciously agreed to conduct a Talk About It on March 11 at 11:00 in room 605 at his own traveling expense.
   5. Sara Green mentioned the coming event with Pearl Fryer at AgVet and asked Allison Roberts to expound upon the basic information put out by the email. Mr. Fryer has a biographical film that will be shown at 7:00 in the Cox Auditorium on February 27. The Committee agreed to support this event with promotion through email and flyers advertising it. Mr. Fryer will lecture in the alcove at AgVet on February 28.
   6. Thura spoke about the coming Staff Development trip in May to Fayetteville Library. Because this is a historically Black college it was deemed necessary for there to be an effort made to create a collaborative project where the two institutions could mutually benefit from this trip. Hannah mentioned creating an online exhibit with unique materials from both libraries which was met with approval by the members present. This was considered to be the first step in creating a meaningful relationship between the two institutions.

4. The meeting adjourned.