Hello Eagles,
I hope you are all enjoying this transition into the fall. Being new to the area has caused me to really slow down and look at nature in a way that I might not have before. I try to enjoy the vibrancy of the colors to help during the time when the days get shorter and darkness seems never-ending.
As a way of staying in communication with the campus regarding the EDI office, I will send out a monthly email/newsletter/update. I am cognizant of the amount of emails people receive daily so I will keep this as informational and focused as possible.
Updates
- The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Council (consisting of faculty, staff and students) has been actively working through the list of demands from the last 2 years and helping me think through solutions with SLT and other campus partners. They are also reading collectively From Equity Talk to Equity Walk. We will work through case studies and find ways and considerations that would be best for Juniata.
- The Bias Incident Response Team has been informed of the number of cases that have been reported and are in-progress/closed. Since the start of the academic year, 10 cases have been reported. They have involved student interactions, faculty-staff interactions and public displays. Through the work of academic affairs, campus public safety and the office of student life, 4 cases have been closed. The remaining 6 are in-progress. All have been addressed.
- A group of students working as Campus Development Interns are working on programming for the year to address issues closely connected with EDI. (see announcements below)
- A new pilot mentorship program titled Project RISE (Resources and Inspiration for
Student Engagement) will kick-off in November. First-year student athletes will be
mentored by seniors students from another sport. We believe this cross sport mentorship
will help provide our first-year students with another layer of support. Special thanks
to Coaches Curley, Alianiello, Connor, Carter, Young-Ulrich and Christopher for being
willing to pilot this program.
Announcements
Friday, November 5th – The Office of EDI will be hosting a Mask-erade Ball in Sill Boardroom from 7-10 pm. Hors d’oeuvres will be served and there will be a DJ for dancing the night away. There will be a contest for the most creative face mask and the best mask/outfit combination.
Wednesday, November 10 & November 16 – The Baker Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies with co-sponsorship from the Office of EDI and the Office of the Provost will offer Restorative Justice 101 led by Dr. Jacoba Rock – a 2 part workshop covering the history, theory, research, skills and models of restorative justice. You can register here - https://juniata.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dppiUpgVhthSyBo
Wednesday, November 17th – The Office of EDI, Campus Development Interns and PRISM will collaborate for Transgender
Day of Remembrance events around campus. More information will be forthcoming.
Choose Kindness
This week is spirit week for my daughter Carey’s day care center. They had various themes for the days including crazy outfit day. Today was a day when they were asked to wear black and orange. I realized in my panic that my daughter doesn’t own a lot of orange until I found a new shirt in her closet. The words on said shirt were “Believe in Kindness”. I honestly don’t remember when I purchased the shirt but it was the message I needed today and always. We as a campus have a ways to go in order to bring about a small sense of connection and forward progress towards equity and inclusion. However, what I do know is that the best way forward is for each of us to believe in and choose kindness for ALL!
All the best!
Dr. Crystal Sellers Battle
Dean of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion