Fifty-nine other liberal arts colleges are partnering with us in this alliance, with schools including Bard, Davidson, Macalester, Occidental, and Swarthmore. Although LACRELA sponsors campus climate surveys, a virtual equity resource portal, and quarterly meetings with the presidents of the 60 schools—and although all of those will shape us—we anticipate that VWU will grow most through the strategies and practical approaches of what LACRELA calls the “Racial Equity eConvening Series.” These are 12, three-hour, interactive sessions led by highly respected leaders. These monthly meetings—which start in January—involve theory, case studies, best practices, and clear strategies, and focus on topics that include "Leading Productive Conversations about Racism," "Meaningfully Integrating Race Across the Curriculum," "Disaggregating Data to Identify Racial Inequities," "Recruiting and Strategically Diversifying Staff at All Levels," and "Engaging Students of Color in High-Impact Educational Practices and Experiences."
Eight members of the VWU community will be part of of these 12 sessions. Additional faculty, staff, and administrators will be involved in areas of interest to them. The final third of each of these three-hour sessions focuses on specific tools, resources, and action steps that lead to meaningful change. As the members of this task force participate in this process, they will keep the community regularly informed.
I have asked Craig Wansink, Joan P. and Macon F. Brock, Jr. Director of the Robert Nusbaum Center, to lead our participation in LACRELA. If you have any additional questions, please contact Kelly Jackson (
kjackson@vwu.edu) in the Robert Nusbaum Center.
