Dear SSW Community,
Many of you are aware of recent conversations voicing concerns about the school’s culture and curriculum where matters of race, equity, and inclusion are concerned. As the leader of this school that is dedicated, at its core, to promoting social justice and strengthening society, I wanted to take this opportunity to reach out to you, our students, faculty and staff, directly; to let you know that I personally take these conversations and every experience they may reflect, very seriously.
In times like these, it is tempting to want to drive the conversation about what we are doing to make the SSW a better, more equitable place of higher learning, one that well reflects our diverse student body and community. This reaction comes from a place of wanting to fix, to repair, and to improve. The reality is that systemic oppression, at the school and in society, is not a small problem that can be fixed quickly. This is a problem that needs to be addressed by change that takes time, dedication, and effort. Institutional oppression, in any form, anywhere, especially at a school of social work, leads to tremendous pain and harm. I am listening, learning and committed to a more inclusive future for the school and society, both free of any forms of oppression.
I also realize the importance of stepping back from the actions to recognize the distress in our school. I regret that even one person in our school has felt marginalized or lesser than because of their race, gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation and that I have not promptly and fully recognized their concerns and complaints. Recent conversations about related, negative experiences are strong reminders that much work remains to achieve the fully equitable environment we are striving for — that all students, every faculty member, and each staff member, deserves.
I want to assure you that our commitment to creating, together, a more just and effective SSW is strong. While we have long been committed to increasing diversity at all levels of the school, we will continue to listen to our students, our community, and to let what we learn shape our path forward. We recognize it is not just about representation at the school but rather about becoming an anti-oppression institution. At the same time, we will be: adding talent to the SSW’s administration to better foster diversity and inclusion; diversifying the demographic profile of the faculty; supporting the new anti-oppression course offerings for students, and expanding diversity and inclusion training for faculty and staff.
The SSW has obtained the support of the University to conduct an additional climate survey of students that will be out soon. We will use that information, and information previously gathered, to help guide our next steps towards becoming an anti-oppression community. Also, the University’s chief accountability officer is currently contracting for an independent review of the complaints made to that office.
These latest efforts join a host of other existing initiatives that we have been advancing for several years.
We want to do a better job of drawing our entire SSW community into this process. To this end, we will be working to create an online space devoted to stories, news, and updates related to issues of diversity, inclusion, and oppression at the school. Our intent is to create a platform for all to share experiences, stories, and varying points of view. The site will include updates on our many initiatives aimed at the changing curricula, diversity training opportunities, the development of a Staff Council, improving the physical environment to make it more inclusive and welcoming, and measuring our progress.
From this site, which will launch in the coming weeks, you will be able to track our progress and lend your voice.
I am committed to honoring and learning from your experiences, and ensuring that these are reflected in the work that we continue to do to achieve a more equitable environment for all. Your experiences, your voice, matter to me and all of the school’s administration.
