Appendix I: Rabb School of Continuing Studies
Nov. 10, 2020
At the Rabb School of Continuing Studies, we take the issue of systemic racism very seriously. We have begun working on an action plan that we hope will promote conversation, introspection, and suggestions for positive change. Staff members were asked to contribute suggestions for readings, videos, and other documents. The compiled suggestions cover a wide variety of race-related issues, including health disparities, climate justice, Indigenous Peoples, intersectionality, global health, and more. Staff members have been encouraged to add to this list, and read as many articles as their time allows.
We have requested that all of us take time to view the TED Talk, “How Racism Makes us Sick” in advance of our All-Rabb staff meeting scheduled for August 27. At this meeting we will discuss and assess our reactions gleaned from watching this TED Talk. We will also ask for additional insights gained from other readings. Our goal in the initial all-staff meeting is to come to a common understanding of systemic racism, and to start the process of developing action items.
We have asked for staff to contribute their thoughts about how we can reduce systemic racism within Rabb and at Brandeis. The following is a summary:
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Report the diversity of our staff, faculty, and students in each of the Rabb program units.
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Require job postings to remain open until there is a diverse pool of candidates.
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Ensure diversity in our Advisory Board.
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Consider where we may lose instructor diversity as we phase out certain courses.
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Create a hiring guideline with instructions for advertising, interviewing, and composition of the search committee.
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Track the diversity of applicant pools and hiring decisions.
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Diversify participation in GPS, Precollege, BOLLI, and Summer School. Enabling full participation in the Rabb School’s divisions by underserved groups, particularly people of color, is an important step towards ensuring racial justice. Scholarships are an essential means of ensuring equity.
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Apply aid to summer study when courses are less expensive. Summer School students who are Brandeis students already have their family-expected contribution on file.
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Include a tuition discount for students who work on campus during the summer.
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Offer a limited number of no-cost college credit-bearing spots in summer classes to diverse students currently attending a local community college. If an instructor has 10 students or 12 students they are paid the same, so we do not incur an additional expense financially.
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Expand financial aid and scholarships to include summer terms. Students will be able to graduate more quickly and with additional majors/minors/job skills. This would have the added benefit of freeing up residence hall space post-COVID-19.
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WOW (World of Work) scholarships help provide funding for food or housing for students in need doing summer internships. This is a benefit to rising Juniors and Seniors. There is not similar funding for students seeking to take classes so they can prepare for an internship.
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This year, Academic Services offered BUGS tutors for the first time as part of the extraordinary demand for summer classes. However, the Writing Center is still closed. These important resources should be available every summer and they provide jobs, experience, and resources for all students.
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Summer JBS scholarships are part of the overall JBS budget, so our “self-funded” scholarship funds are limited based on the number of students who pay full or partial tuition. Can this be moved out of our bottom line to increase opportunity? This could help this marquee program expand.
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Know our history as a prelude to taking responsibility for it. Adult Learning has a role to play, e.g. American Political Tradition. For the case for historical education as a starting point, see Bryan Stevenson in conversation with Ezra Klein.
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Offer BOLLI programming focused on diversity, equity and inclusion.
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Invite Mark Brimhall-Vargas to speak with us at an all-Rabb staff meeting.
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Offer training and invite speakers to focus on strategy-setting for recruiting a diverse set of teachers and TA’s.
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Include a diversity and inclusion piece in the GPS online orientation.
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Engage in implicit bias training.
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Audit all communications and marketing collateral to ensure content and photographs demonstrate diversity and inclusivity.
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Make Rabb’s commitment to inclusivity explicit on our website.
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Ensure that blogs, newsletters, etc., feature a diverse group of students.
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Update faculty directory to include photos for all (currently just some) to more accurately display our current diversity among instructors.
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Offer partnership opportunities with corporate partners and their diversity & inclusion groups.
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Partnering with student clubs on campus and bridging those opportunities for our students. If they need support, ask the advisory board and corporate partners if they want to be involved as well. This would bring more opportunities to our community as a whole, including staff.
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Potentially work with advancement on developing scholarships, leveraging external relationships if needed as well. Companies will often match individual donations (potential event or initiative to draw on relationships).
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Create an “Alumni of Color Board” that would: