DAC Archived Reports: September 2006
The Diversity Action Implementation Committee in September conducted seven mini-town hall sessions to get ideas and input to the draft of the action grids.
Members of the Ramapo College community - including student leaders, faculty, staff and administrators - attended the smaller group discussion sessions focusing on the 40-plus action item working document.
The Implementation Plan for Diversity, Equity and Community draft plan is based on the results of the Campus Climate Survey of 2005, as well as other previous reports conducted on campus in recent years. In the summer 2006, the DAC team formed seven subcommittees to propose actionable items to improve diversity and equity in the following areas: curriculum and pedagogy; scholarship, policies; recruitment and retention of students; recruitment and retention of faculty and staff; inter-intra group relations and external relations.
The DAC met on Sept. 27 and reviewed the input from the community. The subcommittee chairs will revise the action grids and identify measurable outcomes where appropriate. The subcommittee chairs will also identify new volunteers who want to work on smaller action items.
In the meantime, DAC co-chairs Kay Fowler and Edna Negron met with President Mercer and the Cabinet and with Prof. Warner Wada, president of the Minority Faculty Staff Association, in separate meetings, to discuss the action items, DAC team progress and to answer questions.
In other matters, the DAC this month co-sponsored a discussion of the movie, "Crash" initiated by the Omega Phi Chi Sorority Incorporated on Sept. 27.
The DAC also met with the new security director, who agreed to join the team. The DAC will meet on Oct. 25 to discuss outcomes and focus on items each committee will complete this semester.
September 6, 2006
More than 100 students, faculty and staff attended the DAC Town Hall meetings on Sept. 6 where the DAC Implementation team unveiled its set of goals and actions to improve equity on campus.
The Ramapo College Implementation Plan for Equity Diversity & Community, presented at two public meetings held in the Pavilion, included more than 40 action items that focused on ways to enrich the curriculum, recruit and retain more faculty, students and staff from underrepresented groups as well as improving internal and external relations in and around Ramapo.
Both President Peter Mercer and Provost Beth Barnett attended and spoke about the importance of the DAC work in reinforcing diversity as one of the college's pillars and in enriching the curriculum and student experience.
The DAC Implementation Team has formed seven subcommittees to work on specific goals: curriculum and pedagogy, scholarship, recruitment and retention of underrepresented students, faculty and staff, inter-intra group relations and external relations.
Members of the DAC Implementation Team will hold "Mini-Town Hall Meetings" (each focused on one of the 7 identified goals) during September to invite members of the campus community to provide more input on the plan. The meetings are scheduled:
- Wednesday, September 13, 1 p.m., Trustees Pavilion 3, RECRUITMENT and RETENTION FACULTY/STAFF
- Thursday, September 14, 1 p.m., Pavilion 1, RECRUITMENT and RETENTION STUDENTS;
- Monday, September 18, 1 p.m., Room To Be Announced, CURRICULUM/PEDAGOGY;
- Thursday, September 21, 9 a.m., SC-137, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES;
- Thursday, September 21, 1 p.m., Pavilion, EXTERNAL RELATIONS;
- Tuesday, September 26, 3 p.m., SC-138, INTER-INTRA GROUP RELATIONS.
Consultant Sue Rankin of Sue Rankin & Associates conducted the public sessions and reviewed the 14 proposed priority action items recommended by the DAC Implementation Team. She solicited comments and reaction. Participants received a full draft copy of the 40 action items. Comments will be incorporated in a final plan to be completed by
the end of the month.
Meanwhile, the DAC Implementation Team will continue its work in smaller subcommittees this month. The Team will invite members of the campus community to help revise and implement the plan.
A full copy of the final action plan will be available online when it is completed this month.
Edna Negrón, CA and Kay Fowler, SSHS, Co-Chairs, Diversity Action Committee.
[ return to top ]
News / Information
Powered by