COMMISSION ON INCLUSION & DIVERSITY INITIATIVES
MEETING MINUTES
05/14/2021
1:01 pm – 1:56 pm
In Attendance: Marcella DeVeaux, Farrell Webb, Theresa White, Debra Hammond, Marta Lopez, Sarina Loeb, Janet Oh, Amanda Quintero, John Valdovinos, Matt Baram, Boris Ricks
Discussion Items:
A. Commissioner Check-ins
The group began by reflecting on this past year. Some sentiments that were shared included: “emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually exhausted”, “resilient”, “challenged”, “tired, but see the light at the end of the tunnel”. The commission was introduced to its newest member, Dr. Amanda Quintero, who serves as the special assistant to the President for Inclusive Excellence. Dr. Quintero explained that her role at CSUN will be to examine campus infrastructure as it relates to student equity and equity for all employees, to determine whether there are opportunities create alignment towards shared goals. Commissioners discussed the Diversity, Equity and Innovation Grants that were awarded in the first cycle. A commissioner questioned whether the awarded proposals addressed CSUN’s 10-Point Action Plan. This led to discussion regarding how policies and procedures on campus prevent the campus from moving forward.
Commissioners agreed and suggested that there should be accountability for outdated policies. The group agreed that the commission should have more influence on policy and procedure development. A commissioner suggested that the workgroups which are meant to address CSUN’s Action Plan should have specific goals. It was noted that it may be easier to identify problems, but often times it is more difficult to suggest or provide tangible solutions. There was further discussion regarding processes and procedures that have negative impacts on students. Commissioners stressed the importance of asking students directly what is and what is not working for them. Moreover, it was noted that students are often penalized for not knowing processes and accessibility issues, rather than because they are poor students.
B. Workgroup Meeting Updates
It was suggested that the group may develop a google doc where leaders can log their meetings and provide any updates they may have. It was noted that out of the 5 workgroups, the only group that had not met yet was the Faculty & Staff Action Plan Workgroup (Workgroup #2).
C. Fall Meeting Schedule
It was noted that President Beck will review the Commission’s membership and may appoint or replace members over summer. Once the roster has been updated, a doodle poll will be sent out to schedule the group’s first meeting. Commissioners agreed that the hour-long meetings on Fridays worked well this year.
D. Fall Programming / Guest Speakers
It was noted that President Beck, Chief Gregory Murphy, and the Faculty Equity Advocates for Recruitment and Retention met with the Commission this past year. The commission hopes to continue to meet with campus partners in the following year.
The Meeting concluded at: 1: 56pm
Action Items:
1. Azam will send out a doodle poll for the first meeting, once the roster has been finalized by the President’s Office.