Purpose and Priorities for CEDI Task Forces and Action Teams for 2010-2011

Task forces are standing subcommittees of CEDI.  Action teams are groups assembled to work on specific issues for the duration of an academic year.  Action teams may address issues that recommended by task forces or that span the purview of more than one task force.

Learning Environment Inside the Classroom Task Force

Membership: Cindy Blaha (chair), Adriana Estill, Trish Ferrett, Dan Lugo, Joy Kluttz, Justin Jack 

Purpose: to work with members of the campus community to improve climate within the classroom and to foster diverse and respectful learning environments that will better achieve our campus curricular goals.

Current Priorities:

Conversations about Community and Diversity Courses - IDSC103

• Courses for Carleton’s Intergroup Dialogue Pilot Project launched Winter 2011. Four sections now underway led by pairs of trained student facilitators with faculty and staff leaders and coaches to provide support
• Outcomes of pilot project will be assessed in Spring 2011 with results reported to the ECC and campus community.

Considering Beginning of the Term Student/Family Resource Issues

• Considering how to address student/family resource needs relating to purchase of course materials at the beginning of term
• This issue routed from the Advisory Committee for Curricular and Research Support (CARS)

Climate for Religious Students in the Classroom

• Working with the Learning Environment Outside the Classroom to consider issues of religious diversity in
• classrooms
• LTC presentation on March 1 on “Religious Diversity: Lessons from the 2008 Climate Survey”

Accomplishments:

Faculty Retreat Focus on Diversity - September 2009

• Helped design and lead discussions on diversity focused case studies during the 2009 Opening Faculty Retreat

Implementing Positive Classroom Climate Changes - 2009-10

• Gathered “Best Pedagogical Practices” to establish open and respectful discussion in Arts & Inquiry (First Year) Seminars
• Created “Classroom Climate Guidelines” to promote setting up positive classroom expectations

Launch of Intergroup Dialogue Pilot Project - 2009-10

• Leaders and Advisory Board formed and courses offered to train student facilitators in Spring 2010 and Fall 2010

Talking about Community and Diversity Workshop - December 2010

• 43 faculty and staff participate in experiential inter-group dialogue exercises in workshop led by Kristie Ford (Sociology professor and head of IGD at Skidmore College) and Sue Layden (Associate Dean of Student Affairs; coach for IGD at Skidmore)
• Began creating a base of faculty and staff to support and sustain Carleton’s Intergroup Dialogue course: Conversations about Community and Diversity - IDSC 103

Learning Environment Outside the Classroom Task Force

Membership: Cathy Carlson, Brooke Davis, Carolyn Fure-Slocum (chair), Steve Kennedy, Shari Mayer, Semira Mohammed, Isaiah Thomas, and Gerald Young

Purpose: is to assess and work with members of the community to improve the campus climate outside the classroom for all Carleton community members. 

Current Priorities:

Climate for students of color

• Developing a faculty/student mentoring program

Climate for Religious students

• LTC presentation on “Religious Diversity: Lessons from the 2008 Climate Survey”
• Carletonian article on campus climate for Christian and Muslim students
• Explore the development of a Muslim interest house

Climate on social class issues

Climate for athletes

• Survey athletes on campus climate

Continued work on the Welcoming Atmosphere survey and suggestions

• Engage relevant offices/depts in discussion of findings and help community members create a more uniformly welcoming environment

Accomplishments:

Community Standards/Statement of Rights and Responsibilities Outside the Classroom

• Town Hall Forum: “The Documents that Guide Us”
• Discussions led to the development of 2 new CEDI Action Teams: “Campus Community Expectations” and “Community Concerns and Procedures”

New Students and Student Leadership Development

• New Student Week: Diversity training, international student focus, involved more peer leaders
• Helped Peer Leader Training Committee adapt programs
• Promoted “Carls Ask Questions” theme throughout

Universally Welcoming Atmosphere

• Did a walk-around survey of campus offices and departments to assess welcoming environment

Assess approaches for dealing with Northfield climate issues

• Proposed Northfield Issues Action Team

Workplace Environment Task Force

Membership: Kerstin Cardenas, Ross Elfline, Fred Hagstrom, Terrence Hassanally, Ann Iijima (chair), Linda Irrthum, Candace Koen, and Stefani Tran

Purpose: to assess workplace environment concerns and develop strategic plan to improve community and to promote equity and diversity.

Current Priorities:

• Continue review of benefit & compensation equity issues
• Continue supervisor training (supervisors of staff & students)
• Improve staff access to campus-wide activities (e.g., convocations and campus committees) 

Accomplishments:

• Successfully proposed change to partner tuition waiver benefit
• Successfully proposed change to vacation accrual for bi-weekly staff
• Promoted training for supervisors of student workers (55 supervisors attended Oct.13 session, Managing Student Workers)
• Promoted change in terminology from “non-exempt” to “bi-weekly”
• Promoted clarification of process regarding benefits changes

Sexual Harassment and Assault Task Force

Membership: Kendall Bills, Sara Cantor, Catie Gardner, Kelsey Han, Joanne Mullen, Aaron Rushing, Meera Seghal, Pam Sexton, Amy Sillanpa, Julie Thornton (chair), and Kaaren Williamsen

Purpose: to evaluate and review Carleton's policies on sexual misconduct and recommend any necessary changes or updates.  Consider campus climate issues as they relate to sexual misconduct and make suggestions for improvement.

Current Priorities:

• Monitoring of review committee recommendations
• Campus awareness and collaboration
• Advocate for resources to maintain current level of awareness and support
• Policies relating to  consensual relations and Title IX 
• Ongoing evaluation of sexual misconduct complaint process implementation
• Campus climate

Accomplishments:

Merged CEDI task force on sexual misconduct with SHARE

Reviewed campus policies related to Title IX compliance

Enhancing campus awareness and collaboration

Monitored the work of the Sexual Misconduct Complaint Process Review Implementation Team

• Comprehensive sexual misconduct web site
• Community board on sexual misconduct
• Community concern form
• Fall term report
• Extensive training and proactive education

Campus Community Expectations Action Team

Membership: Samir Bhala, Deborah Gross, Kelsey Han, Orion Martin, Alicia Morrell, Amy Sun, Julie Thornton (chair), and Ann Zawistoski

Purpose: to create circumstances that encourage Carleton community members to think and talk about Carleton values.

Current Priorities:

• Ensuring that Campus Climate issues are central to the campus (web presence)
• Working on the development of campus community standards/ expectations/values for the campus community to live out inside the classroom, outside the classroom and in the workplace
• Collecting what already exists at Carleton that relates to “campus climate” for faculty, staff and students and connecting them together in an explicit way that signals that campus climate is important for our community

Accomplishments:

Campus Concerns and Procedures Action Team

Membership: Lee Clark, Kelly Connole, Noé Hernandez, Joy Kluttz, Gwen Neumeister, Bill North (chair),

Purpose: to understand current procedures for addressing personal and campus concerns; to explore alternative models for resolving campus concerns, especially those related to harassment, bias, and discrimination; to develop a procedure appropriate to Carleton for addressing campus concerns about harassment, bias, or discrimination between students or between students and faculty/staff.

Current Priorities:

• Meeting with stakeholders to ensure that the process achieves four goals: fairnessto all, transparency, timeliness, and education
• Developing a process for complaints of bias, discrimination, and harassment
• Clear articulation of existing resources in academic and campus life contexts as well gaps in existing processes

Accomplishments:

• Worked through 2009-2010 Committee on Student Life report on grieveance procedures
• Met with campus offices and individuals regarding current procedures and needs
• Carefully investigated alternative models at Reed College, Kenyon College, and Macalester College.