ARIE

Conference draws faculty, students to Mason Square to share a vision for an inclusive, anti-racist future

Colleen Rich — Wed, 26 Oct 2022 21:02:42 +0000

Conference draws faculty, students to Mason Square to share a vision for an inclusive, anti-racist future Colleen Rich Wed, 10/26/2022 - 17:02

George Mason University’s first Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence (ARIE) Conference celebrated both the impact of research and the shared goal of shaping a more equitable future.

The Research Panel: Conducting Research through and Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Lens. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

“There’s so much research happening today—and this is the beauty of this conference,” said keynote speaker Gail Christopher, executive director of the National Collaborative for Health Equity and a senior scholar in Mason’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. “We can do the research to change the narrative to drive new stories, to amplify those new stories, to demystify and refute the fallacies. Research is an important part of getting rid of antiquated beliefs.”

More than 400 people attended the Monday conference either at Mason Square or virtually. Sharnnia Artis, Mason’s vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion, marked the event as a milestone for one of Mason President Gregory Washington’s signature objectives. Artis, who facilitated the Mason groups that planned the conference, also served as emcee.

Washington launched ARIE within weeks of arriving at Mason in July 2020 to root out any biases in Mason practices and policies with the ambition that Mason would become a national exemplar for inclusive excellence. Mason is the seventh most diverse public university in the country—and the most diverse public university in Virginia— according to U.S. News & World Report.

Anne M. Kress, president of Northern Virginia Community College (left) with Mason's Sharnnia Artis. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

“There is a generation coming behind us—68 million people of the most diverse group of individuals that this country has ever had,” Washington said in opening the afternoon session of the conference. “They’re going to inherit the country, and they’re going to have to know how to deal with an environment that’s diverse. They need to be prepared to deal with one another.”

Washington later welcomed Northern Virginia Community College President Anne M. Kress and Virginia State University President Makola Abdullah for a presidential panel on advancing anti-racism and inclusive excellence in higher education.

The morning panel focused on conducting research through that lens. It featured three Mason professors and panelists from Harvard and Virginia Commonwealth University.

Charles Chavis, director of Mason’s John Mitchell Jr. Program for History, Justice and Race, noted that he had returned the previous day from a research trip with students to the Maryland Eastern Shore to work with descendants of racial violence. He talked about treating research subjects as collaborators and partners and empowering them to tell their own story.

Mason students shared their research during the poster session. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

“I see what we do as service first,” Chavis said. “And in that service our research needs and our research focus really is birthed out of the expressed needs of those we’re serving.”

During that morning panel, Jerome Offord Jr., Harvard associate university librarian for anti-racism, said he isn’t looking for allies in the cause. He’s looking for “co-conspirators.” That term caught on in the room came up throughout the day.

“This is not just a BIPOC issue,” Offord said. “This is an us issue. I need people who are going to take the risk professionally, personally, academically. People have to be willing to be in the front of the center conversation with me, not in a break room supporting me, not sending me emails saying ‘great job.’”

On an afternoon panel about translating research into action, Mason professor of integrative studies and history Wendi Manuel-Scott used the Enslaved People of George Mason Memorial as an example. The memorial, dedicated earlier this year, came about after five students set out to learn more about the people George Mason IV enslaved at Gunston Hall.

Manuel-Scott said that early in her teaching career she used to get “blank eyes” from students when she talked to them about civil rights actions.

Mason President Gregory Washington chats with students during the poster session. Photo by Stephanie Aaronson/Office of University Branding

“Today, I don’t get blank eyes,” she said. “Students are incredibly engaged and passionate and fearless. That is everything. Don’t lose that audacity, don’t lose that courageous spirit. Continue to ask those questions. Because the memorial that you see today would not exist if our students hadn’t been willing to ask the questions that they asked and challenge us as faculty members to step up.”

Student and faculty researchers across disciplines displayed about 40 posters highlighting research related to anti-racism and inclusive excellence.

Christopher noted that it takes more than passion to eradicate racism. It requires realistic strategy and creativity to assess the challenges, particularly in the age of disinformation.

“It’s a matter of grace and it’s a matter of love and understanding that we’re all on this journey, and we’re each at different places,” Christopher said. “There are extremes, and some people will stay at their extreme no matter what. But there is a wide swath in the middle, and our job is to mobilize that middle and to do so with great intention.”

Topics

Campus News

ARIE

President's Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence

diversity equity and inclusion DEI

Student Research

Strategic Direction

Mason community invited to review, discuss task force recommendations

Colleen Rich — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 19:41:39 +0000

Mason community invited to review, discuss task force recommendations Colleen Rich Thu, 02/18/2021 - 14:41

Editor's note: The link for the draft recommendations has been updated. We apologize for the inconvenience.

George Mason University President Gregory Washington and members of Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Task Force invite the university community to the first of two virtual town hall meetings, which will be held 2-3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23.

Registrations to participate in the town hall via Zoom have reached capacity, and the university community is encouraged to tune in to the event live through GMU-TV at gmutv.gmu.edu/live.

The task force’s six committees—University Policies and Practices, Training and Development, Curriculum and Pedagogy, Student Voice, Research, and Campus and Community Engagement—have worked hard over the past five months and are ready to share their initial recommendations for the Mason community's feedback and consideration. The draft recommendations are available for review, and there is a form for you to provide feedback.

More information about the task force is available at arie.gmu.edu, including additional information about the committees.

Topics

President's Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence

Campus News

Faculty and Staff News

ARIE

Mason Lighting the Way: Josh Kinchen

Colleen Rich — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 21:07:11 +0000

Mason Lighting the Way: Josh Kinchen Colleen Rich Thu, 02/11/2021 - 16:07

Mason Lighting the Way

Spotlights from the Task Force

More than 100 faculty, staff and students are working on George Mason University’s Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Task Force, which is taking a hard look at the current state of diversity and inclusivity efforts at the university and making recommendations for the future.

These individuals come from across our campuses and bring their different skill sets and expertise to this work. In this series, we will spotlight members of the task force and find out what drives them.

Josh Kinchen
Associate Director, LGBTQ+ Resources

Task Force Committee: University Policies and Practices

Josh Kinchen

Josh Kinchen uses the pronouns he/him, and he wants you to know that. He was co-chair of the team that revamped George Mason University’s Chosen Name and Pronouns Policy and worked to add “gender expression” to the nondiscrimination policy.

As associate director of the LGBTQ+ Resources in the Center for Culture, Equity, and Empowerment (CCEE), formerly ODIME, Kinchen advises student groups, sits on many committees and does a lot of consulting and training with schools, colleges, and departments across the university that want to learn more about working with LGBTQ+ students.

“Some of that work looks like training; some looks like conversation,” said Kinchen who serves in leadership roles in the national association ACPA-College Student Educators International. “It's more helping people connect the dots.”

It is work that Kinchen feels called to do.

Kinchen enlisted in U.S. Marine Corps after high school and was at boot camp when 9/11 happened. After his service, he worked some hospitality jobs before ending up at a community college in North Carolina where he was working while taking classes. He found he really loved higher education.

“I had an advisor who said, ‘You should think about working with students for a living.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, that!’” he said.

In the years between that “aha” moment and Mason, he earned a BA in communication studies and an MEd in higher education administration from University of North Carolina-Wilmington, where he also held a graduate assistant position working with LGBTQ+ students. Before coming to Mason in February 2018, he was working at Florida State as the program coordinator for student governance and advocacy.

Kinchen said he was excited to be working on the Policies and Practices committee because this work directly impacts the students and communities he and his CCEE colleagues interact with on a daily basis.

“This is the ecosystem that I work in,” he said. “There are some places that you when say ‘diversity and inclusion,’ the only aspect that comes out is race and ethnicity, which of course is incredibly important. [LGBTQ+ work] is intersectional with every other identity. So having someone who brings LGBTQ+ work into that conversation elevates the whole process.”

For Kinchen, the task force is about coalition building and helping his colleagues understand the nuances of identity and how things might affect people in different ways.

“I think the folks that do diversity inclusion work, none of us would consider ourselves experts because there's always more to know,” he said. “Having more people at the table with different perspectives and understandings makes the work richer, more dynamic and just better in general.”

“It behooves all of us to understand who our students are, to know what they need. We have to understand the complexity of the world for us to be able to do our work. Every social movement in the past 50 years has started on a college campus. Students can lead the way because they are intuitively understanding what the next thing is—and we get to be a part of that process.”

Topics

Faculty and Staff News

Mason Lighting the Way spotlights

President's Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence

Campus News

ARIE

Mason Lighting the Way: Dominique Dowling

Colleen Rich — Wed, 03 Feb 2021 18:36:10 +0000

Mason Lighting the Way: Dominique Dowling Colleen Rich Wed, 02/03/2021 - 13:36

Mason Lighting the Way

Spotlights from the Task Force

A few weeks ago the United States was captivated by poet Amanda Gorman and the words she spoke at President Biden’s inauguration. Among them were: “For there is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.”

President Gregory Washington wants Mason to be a national exemplar in anti-racism and inclusive excellence, and these task force members are helping to light the way for this important work.

Dominique Dowling
Junior, Integrative Studies Major
Committees: Student Voice and University Policies and Practices

Junior Dominique Dowling has been working to enact social change since high school. She joined the GMU NAACP chapter in her second year at Mason, and now she is the group’s vice president.

Through the chapter, she has been involved in numerous panels and committees, which inspired her to do more anti-racism work on campus.

“Being part of the NAACP has exposed me to different initiatives and people who have been doing this work for years,” said the integrative studies major. “It made me realize that anti-racism work requires an ongoing dedication because there is always work to be done.”

Dowling has been involved with a number of organizations including Student Government. She said she was excited to be involved with the task force because she believes students are often left out of the conversation.

“Many times our voices are not heard due to the lack of representation or the simple fact that one student can't express the concerns of more than 30,000 students,” said Dowling. “I felt like this was my opportunity to elevate the voices and grievances that many students have.”

When asked about her career goals, Dowling is clear about her aspirations: She wants to one day be the U.S. secretary of education. Toward that goal, she plans on continuing on at Mason to complete her MEd and then become an elementary school teacher and eventually work in school administration. And she said her task force work has influenced her trajectory.

“I want to implement anti-racist and social justice components into my teaching,” she said. “Through administrative roles, I want to help other teachers to also implement those principles so that young people don't have to wait until they get the opportunity to take a college course on identity to become aware of inequities.”

Topics

Mason Lighting the Way spotlights

President's Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence

Campus News

Students

ARIE

Fighting the fires of social and racial unrest

Mariam Aburdeineh — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 20:16:18 +0000

Fighting the fires of social and racial unrest Mariam Aburdeineh Thu, 01/21/2021 - 15:16

In This Story

Gregory Washington

To honor the memory of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and recognize those on campus who actively live out his vision, George Mason University will host the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Evening of Reflection and awards ceremony on Thursday, Jan. 28, at 6 p.m. via Zoom.

“This year, it is particularly important to continue on with the Evening of Reflection, as we consider the state of our nation,” said Hamal Strayhorn, director of the Office of Coalition Building and Diversity Education at Mason. “Our nation has experienced the loss of 400,000 lives to COVID-19, social and economic disparity in full view, the continuation of black bodies being murdered by police without accountability and racial unrest. On Jan. 6 we all witnessed a failed insurrection in our nation’s capital, which was rooted in divisiveness and racism.”

“Our hope is that students and attendees will understand that in our nation and world there is still a lot of work to do around issues of social justice, equity and inclusion and that ‘the time is always right to do what is right,’” Strayhorn said, quoting Dr. King.

Mason President Gregory Washington will be the event’s keynote speaker and will address this year’s theme of “The Burning House,” which comes from another Dr. King quote:

“I’ve come upon something that disturbs me deeply. We have fought hard and long for integration, as I believe we should have, and I know we will win, but I have come to believe that we are integrating into a burning house…”

“How will our commitment to anti-racism work be like the ‘firefighters’ preventing the ‘house’ from burning completely down?” Strayhorn said. “[President Washington] will also look at how the work of anti-racism touches and affects our students, professional members, the local community, the commonwealth and eventually our nation.”

Following the keynote address, representatives from the student body will have the opportunity to ask questions relating to the theme, the work the university is doing around anti-racism, or how they can play a part in keeping Dr. King’s vision at the forefront of social change, Strayhorn said.

Students, faculty and staff who are doing influential work centered on Dr. King’s vision will also be honored with the Spirit of King Awards.

“The MLK Evening of Reflection shows that George Mason University is committed to diversity, excellence, and inclusion and to addressing the hard questions of where we are as a people and nation,” Strayhorn said.

Topics

Spirit of King awards

anti-racism

Racism

systemic racism

President's Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence

Campus News

ARIE

Anti-Racism Task Force prepares to share recommendations, receive feedback

Melanie Balog — Thu, 12 Nov 2020 10:00:32 +0000

Anti-Racism Task Force prepares to share recommendations, receive feedback Melanie Balog Thu, 11/12/2020 - 05:00

Dietra Trent (left), the interim vice president for Compliance, Diversity and Ethics and special advisor to the president, and co-chairs Wendi Manuel-Scott (center), a professor of history in the School of Integrative Studies within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the former director of the African and African American Studies Program, and Shernita Rochelle Parker (right), Mason’s assistant vice president for HR strategy and talent management, spoke about the work of the Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Task Force. Creative Services photos

Over the past several months, members of George Mason University’s Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Task Force have been hard at work analyzing the current state of the university, making recommendations, and preparing for the major work ahead.

We recently spoke with the task force leadership—Dietra Trent, the interim vice president for Compliance, Diversity and Ethics and special advisor to the president, and co-chairs Shernita Rochelle Parker, Mason’s assistant vice president for HR strategy and talent management, and Wendi Manuel-Scott, a professor of history in the School of Integrative Studies within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the former director of the African and African American Studies Program—to see how the initiative is going.

“[The task force’s work] is our best chance of creating real and lasting change at Mason,” said Trent. “As a university, we tout diversity as a core value. But, with less than 10% of our full-time faculty being African American or LatinX, our data show otherwise. I believe we have systemic problems that have perpetuated biases and discrimination over time; this task force will lead us in our efforts to root out racism and discrimination university-wide.”

“I've been at Mason for almost two decades as a faculty member,” said Manuel-Scott. “While the campus has grown, I think what has remained consistent is a deep desire that Mason be an institution that lives up to who we say we are and give meaning to what we say our core values are on a daily basis.”

“Racial Justice, Anti-Racism, and Inclusion” is also the theme of the first Freedom and Learning Forum hosted by President Gregory Washington. The campus community has the opportunity to ask questions of President Washington and other key leaders on issues of campus climate, racial justice, equity and inclusion. The forum will take place on Monday, Nov. 16, from 4-5 p.m. To RSVP or submit a question, go here.

Committee reports were due Oct. 31. What’s happening now?

Trent: The task force was launched late August. Many of the committees started working immediately; they are now six to eight weeks into their work. The committees submitted their initial reports on Oct. 31. In their reports, they recommended short-term goals (within this academic year) and longer-term goals (within the next academic year) to accomplish.

To ensure that everyone on campus has an opportunity to review and weigh in on the committee recommendations, we will host a series of town halls. We are also planning to engage the community through their individual work…whether it’s through their current research on marginalized populations, or through centers to enhance opportunities for marginalized communities, or decolonizing curriculum, or through creative expressions in the arts. We believe everyone can contribute and should be provided an opportunity to do so. We are also setting up an interactive website where the Mason community can stay informed about this initiative, and offer suggestions and solutions to some of our challenges.

And people will also be able to participate in the process through the new website?

Trent: Yes. One of our major priorities in terms of process is to ensure that we have total transparency. This will require consistent communication and engagement. We plan to have the website launched in the next few weeks. As previously mentioned, it will be interactive so people can make recommendations, identify challenges, provide solutions, and of course, keep up with our progress. There will be plenty of resources on the website, including committee recommendations and deliverables, performance measures, faculty/staff/student spotlights, interviews, a report card, etc. This website is key for Mason to tell our story, keep our community engaged, and share our progress.

Does Mason really need a task force to do this work?

Manuel-Scott: It is important to keep in mind that justice-centered work at Mason did not begin with the establishment of the task force. An initiative like this does not just bubble up from nothing. It bubbles up from student activism, faculty and administrators who believe that building a more just institution is worthwhile. There are so many individuals across the campus—staff, faculty, administrators, and students—who believe in building an inclusive university, and they have been doing that work for years.

The nearly 100 members of the task force are from many different corners of campus, and they all have different gifts, skill sets, and expertise. They are committed to creating an anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-heterosexist, and anti-classist institution. They sit in virtual spaces collectively thinking about the work we need to do to help our institution live up to the promises we've made to our students. And I think it's an honor to join my colleagues and our students in this transformative process because even in the scariest and most difficult moments, we continue to talk to each other, stay engaged, dream boldly, and imagine an institution that sees and values every single person.

What makes this task force unique from other institutions' anti-racism efforts?

Parker: We have had a lot of conversation about what Mason's definition of anti-racism might be. We thought it was important to get some sense of what anti-racism means for the committees in terms of the work on which they were focused. Each committee created its own definition as a part of their reports, and those definitions will be made available to the Mason community on the website. We're trying to figure out how Mason community members can also add their anti-racism definitions. There’s an opportunity for people to be able to see that chorus of voices that are a part of this work, and that would live on the website. Those definitions will be part of the creation of a Mason definition.

I think for me the most important thing about this task force and this initiative is that it's bold. At institutions, we create a lot of plans. There's always good work being done, but sometimes there is the challenge of recognizing that that work is disruptive, that work is challenging, that work takes courage. What's exciting about this initiative is that it recognizes all of those things, and we've made a commitment. Dr. Washington has made a commitment to that work. For me, it is an opportunity for us to live our values. When we talk about thriving together, this work is a testament to that commitment. And for our surrounding community, the state, and other institutions of higher education to see that it's more than just words. It's the action that goes with the words. For me, that's exciting. It's not going to be easy. It's a long-term effort and challenging, but it's work that's so worthwhile because it speaks to what we need to do and should do. It allows fulfillment of our values.

Many people wanted to be involved in this initiative. How were participants selected for the task force and committees?

Parker: It is a wonderful challenge to have so many people who want to be involved. In terms of the process, we really did look at individuals with varying degrees of subject matter expertise in diversity, inclusion, social justice, and racial justice across campuses, schools, colleges, and units. We were trying to make sure that we were as inclusive as possible, but also recognizing that when you talk about creating a body that needs to take action(s) that you are challenged by managing the number of people involved. The sheer numbers really can grow to such a point where it's impossible to be productive in terms of creating the infrastructure that's needed for execution of the activities, programs, and initiatives. So we sought to expand membership and participation through involvement in the committees. As the committees are identifying their different initiatives and projects, it starts to be about the doing and the activities that create the change. Those activities are portals for wider involvement. That’s where we really have a great opportunity to make sure that we pull even more people into this. We want everyone to be involved.

How is the task force including all voices in this work?

Trent: As Dr. Washington pointed out when he arrived, Mason enters this conversation from a very strong place. Currently, Mason is engaged in significant anti-racism and inclusive excellence work, and has been for some time. I think one of our greatest challenges is how we build organizational synergy and create seamless networks across colleges/schools. This is our foundation. Our committees are working very hard; they are inviting voices from all around campus to be engaged in this work. These are not just the voices of advocates and people doing work in this space, but also the voices of those who have not been involved. Dr. Washington’s charged the task force with leading Mason in becoming a national exemplar in anti-racism and inclusive excellence. Mason’s capacity to accomplish this depends on the full diversity and inclusivity of our community. We define diversity in the broadest sense of the word—with no one excluded. We welcome all voices, even those who may automatically feel excluded. Inclusive excellence requires that we leave no one out. The task force is leading this charge, and I know Mason will be a better and more inclusive university as a result of their commitment.

Students are playing a large role in this initiative. Why is that?

Trent: We believe it’s important to include students in every conversation. Student perspectives are key to this effort. Our student members are offering viewpoints and solutions that promote diversity and inclusion. They serve on every committee. When we're looking at university policies and procedures, pedagogy and curriculum, research, training and development, or campus and community engagement, students’ voices are well represented. Additionally, there is a Student Voice committee, chaired by an undergraduate and graduate student that has 12 to 15 members. The Student Voice committee meets regularly and has contributed significantly to the task force work.

What are the next steps for the task force?

Manuel-Scott: There are going to be some short-term initiatives that we can do immediately, and the funding will be available to tackle those quickly. Then there are going to be the institutional changes that are going to require a long-term commitment, such as thinking about how we recruit and how we can be more intentional in terms of who we recruit. It is a complex effort, and the initiatives will impact people across campus. For example, I've been working with my colleagues, Ben Carton and George Oberle, for three years now on the Enslaved People at George Mason Memorial project, and I think about what the memorial will mean for our institution in terms of changing the narrative and transforming the landscape of our Fairfax Campus. I think about what the memorial will mean for new students and what it says to them about who we are—and the story that we tell about who we are. Going forward we are choosing to be an institution that amplifies marginalized voices—voices from the past and voices in the present.

Carter School set to build strong foundation for Mason president’s Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Task Force

Audrey Williams — Fri, 04 Sep 2020 19:51:40 +0000

Carter School set to build strong foundation for Mason president’s Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Task Force Audrey Williams Fri, 09/04/2020 - 15:51

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In This Story

Mason community marches on campus to peacefully protest on the Fairfax campus to voice their support for Black Lives Matter. (Photo by: Ron Aira/Creative Services/ George Mason University)

When George Mason University President Gregory Washington announced that he would establish an Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Task Force, he named the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution as playing a central role in building a strong foundation for anti-racism work at the university.

“[The Carter School is] one of the nation’s few schools dedicated to social justice and peace, and one of the very best,” President Washington wrote in his July announcement on the task force’s formation.

Now that the Fall 2020 semester has begun, the task force is ready to begin its work, and a number of Carter School community members will be playing a role in setting a national model for what it means to create a truly inclusive campus rooted in an anti-racist approach to teaching, scholarship, research, and practice.

The task force’s central membership of 32 Mason-based experts, scholars, students, and practitioners includes two Carter School faculty members, Charles L. Chavis, Jr. and Tehama Lopez Bunyasi.

Chavis is an assistant professor of conflict resolution and history at the school, where he is the founding director of the John Mitchell, Jr. Program for History, Justice, and Race. His scholarship and practice focus on “salvaging” the “human story” of marginalized communities through narrative change and critical historiography.

Read the Mitchell Program’s “Letter to White America” in recognition of the 57^th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

Lopez Bunyasi is an assistant professor of conflict analysis and resolution at the Carter School, where her work is focused on race, racism, and anti-racism in the United States. Her co-authored book with Candis Watts Smith, Stay Woke: A People’s Guide to Making All Black Lives Matter (New York University Press, 2019), has gained national attention, particularly over the past summer, and was written to help people of all backgrounds open up constructive conversations about race and racism in the United States.

In addition to its core membership, the task force will involve more than 100 people from across Mason’s colleges, schools, and units in carrying out anti-racism and inclusion work across six committees: 1) Training & Development; 2) Campus & Community Engagement; 3) University Policies & Practices; 4) Curriculum & Pedagogy; 5) Student Voice; and 6) Research.

Chavis will serve as a co-chair for the Training & Development Committee, while Lopez Bunyasi will serve as a co-chair for the Curriculum & Pedagogy Committee.

The committees will draw on the expertise of a number of Carter School community members, including Sheherazade Jafari (Director of the Point of View International Retreat and Research Center), Susan Hirsch (Vernon M. and Minnie I. Lynch Chair of Conflict Analysis and Resolution), Al Fuertes (PhD ‘07 and affiliated faculty member), Derek Sweetman (PhD ‘20), and Kat Trejo (bachelor’s student).

Read the complete membership list of the Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Task Force and its affiliated committees.

The contributions of the Carter School’s community to the task force reflect its commitment not just to educating peacebuilders and conflict resolution specialists in theories of peace and social justice but also to putting those principles into practice by playing a role in dismantling structural racism and inequality in its own classrooms and hallways.

“Condemnation alone will not do the work that is needed to dismantle systems of racial injustice,” said Carter School dean Alpaslan Özerdem in the school’s May statement against white supremacy. “It is our firm commitment as a School to undertake an ethos of research, teaching, and practice that prioritizes anti-racism and opposes oppression. That means continually engaging in reflective scholarship and practice that contemplates our own place in this system while lifting up the efforts of our community members working to dismantle white supremacy.”

The school’s faculty, students, and alumni are already engaged in scholarship, research, and practice that interrogates the role of white supremacy and systemic racism—and anti-Black racism, in particular—not just across society as a whole but in the field of peace and conflict studies.

One of the Carter School’s initiatives includes its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, which has been working since 2017 to support the school in being attentive and responsive to the various needs and experiences of students from all backgrounds, including those from minoritized and marginalized communities.

“One thing is for sure, DEI work is meaningless if we do not center an anti-racist approach,” said Jafari and Pushpa Iyer (PhD '07), who are co-chairs of the DEI Committee, in a July story for Carter School News.

The Carter School and George Mason University are doing this work in response to and in conversation with the widespread, interracial protest movement in support of Black Lives Matter, which throughout summer 2020 has laid bare once again the enduring nature of white supremacy and anti-Black racism in the United States.

“The fissures of inequality are on full display,” said Lopez Bunyasi in a recent interview with George Mason News. “We are amidst a great reckoning with who we are in this country and who we want to become.”

The Complete List of Members of the Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence (ARIE) Task Force

John Hollis — Wed, 02 Sep 2020 16:45:00 +0000

The Complete List of Members of the Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence (ARIE) Task Force John Hollis Wed, 09/02/2020 - 12:45

Anti-Racism Inclusive Excellence

TASK FORCE

“George Mason University will become a national exemplar in anti-racism inclusive excellence.”

Task Force Chairs

Wendi Manuel-Scott – Associate Professor (CHSS)

Shernita Parker – Assistant Vice President for Human Resources

Task Force Members

Ignacia Moreno – Board of Visitor’s member

Zofia Burr – Dean, Honors College

Shelby Adams – President of Student Government (UG)

Laurence Bray - Associate Provost for Graduate Education

Van Bailey – Assistant Dean, Director of Diversity and Inclusion (UL

Christopher Carr – Chief Diversity Officer (VSE)

Charles Chavis – Asst. Professor of Conflict Resolution and History (Carter School) 

Shannon Davis – Faculty Senate Chair

Elizabeth DeMulder – Professor and Academic Program Coordinator (CEHD

Na’ama Gold – Executive Director, Mason Hillel

Nance Lucas – Executive Director, Center for the Advancement of Well-Being

Creston Lynch – Associate Dean (UL)

Holly Mason – Coordinator of Graduate Programs Admissions & Fiscal Management

Christy Pichichero – Associate Professor & Director of Faculty Diversity (CHSS)

Lauren Reuscher – Community Manager, University Information, (Communications)

Millie Rivera – Director of Faculty Diversity, Inclusion and Well-Being, (FA&D)

Kevin Rockmann – Professor of Management (Business)

Craig Sawyer – Director, Corley Institute for Diversity and Inclusion Education (Law)

Bethany Usher – Associate Professor for Undergraduate Education

Gerald Weatherspoon – Chair, Chemistry and Biology (COS)

Mariely Lopez-Santanna – Associate Professor (Schar)

Rachel Wernicke – Chief Mental Health Officer (UL)

Ayondela McDole – Graduate Student

Robyn Madar – Director, Organizational Development and Learning (HR)

Cynthia Fuchs – Interim Director, Film and Video Studies (CVPA)

Rebekah Hersch – Interim Vice President for Research and Innovation 

Emily Ihara – Associate Professor and Chair (CHSS)

Nena Rogers – Sr. Associate Director, Student Services (Athletics)

Tehama Lopez-Bunyasi – Assistant Professor (Carter School)

Lauren Cattaneo – Associate Professor (CHSS)

Gesele Durham – Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness and Planning

Bill Dracos – Associate Vice President for Business Services

Anti-Racism Inclusive Excellence Committees

Training & Development: The Training & Development committee’s charge is to enhance, develop, recommend, and integrate anti-racism and inclusive excellence training. Currently, implicit bias and anti-discrimination training occurs in various units within the university. This committee should work with the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, as well as University Life, to assist schools and units with tailored training and workshops to meet individualized needs.

Committee  Co-chairs:  

Christopher Carr - Chief Diversity Officer (VSE)

Robyn Madar - Director, Organizational Development and Learning (HR)

Charles Chavis - Asst. Professor of Conflict Resolution and History (Carter School)   

Committee Members 

Millie Rivera - Director of Faculty Diversity, Inclusion and Well-Being (FA&D)

Kyle Warfield- Equal Opportunity Specialist (CDE)

Khaseem Davis-Director, Early Identification Program (UL)

Julie Owen-Assoc. Professor, Leadership and Integrated Studies (CHSS)

Jennifer Shelton (alum)

Brandi Blake- Assistant Director, Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Multicultural Education (staff)

Hamal Strayhorn - Director, Coalition Building and Diversity Education (UL)

Campus & Community Engagement: The Campus & Community Engagement committee is charged with developing, implementing, and supporting programs that promote access, diversity, equity, and inclusion through campus and community partnerships. This committee will establish guidance for engaging the university and broader communities in the ARIE work. Further, it will leverage Mason’s unique position in Northern Virginia and the National Capital Region to recommend and implement strategies that create long-term and sustainable change at Mason and our surrounding communities.

Committee Co-chairs

Creston Lynch-Associate Dean (UL) 

Elizabeth DeMulder- Professor and Academic Program Coordinator (CEHD

Nance Lucas- Executive Director, Center for the Advancement of Well-Being

Committee Members

Hansel Aguilar-Graduate Student (CHSS)

Jesse Guessford- Associate Director, Undergraduate Education 

Colby Grant- Operations Coordinator, SciTec (staff)

Michael Guston- Police LT., Police & Public Safety 

Kerin Hilker-Balkissoon- Director, Educational & Career Pathways (COS) 

Kimberly Holmes- Associate Dean for Student Affairs (CHHS) 

Sheherazade Jafari-Director, Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

Kristin Johnsen-Neshati- Associate Professor (CVPA) 

George Oberle - History Librarian (University Libraries) 

Lisa Snyder- Associate Director, Leadership Education and Development (UL)

Janae Johnson (alum)

Julie Choe Kim- Director, Graduate Student Life (UL)

Dann Sklarew- Director Sustainability Initiatives

University Policies and Practices: The university policies and practices committee is charged with identifying systemic inequities within Mason’s policies, practices, processes, and procedures to enable needed change. The committee will develop and implement an action plan for achieving meaningful, long-term structural change and accountability throughout the university community.

Committee Co-chairs 

Christy Pichichero - Associate Professor & Director of Faculty Diversity (CHSS)

Millie Rivera- Director of Faculty Diversity, Inclusion and Well-Being (FA&D)

Cheryl Druehl- Associate Dean of Faculty (Business)

Committee Members 

Juliet Blank Godlove- Dean of Students (UL)

Christopher Carr - Chief Diversity Officer (VSE)

Susan Hirsch- Professor (Carter)

Joshua Kinchen- Associate Director of LGBTQ+ Resources, ODIME (staff)

Michelle Lim- Assistant VP (HR)

Dan Taggert – Director, Human Resources and Employee Relations (COS)

Xiaomei Cao – (Faculty Senate rep)

Tiffany O’Neal- Assistive Technology Program Support Specialist (CDE)

Zavin Smith (alum)

Curriculum & Pedagogy: The curriculum and pedagogy committee is charged with recommending, helping to develop, and/or expanding current curriculum that prepare students to not only understand and address systemic racism and values a multi-cultural world, But also a curriculum that is in intentionally inclusive of the diverse scholars and voices that contribute to the academy.

Committee Co-chairs 

Lauren Cattaneo- Associate Professor (CHSS) 

Tehama Lopez-Bunyasi- Assistant Professor (Carter School)

Van Bailey- Assistant Dean, Director of Diversity and Inclusion (UL)

 Committee Members 

LaNitra Berger- Senior Director, Office of Fellowship (UG Ed);

LaTisha Elcock- Administrative Assistant, Kellar Institute for Human disAbilities (staff)

Melissa Broeckelman-Post- Director, Basic Course/Faculty, Communication (CHSS)

Al Fuertes – Associate Professor (CHSS)

Mark Hopson- Director, African and African American Studies (CHSS) 

Shelley Reid- Director for Teaching Excellence (Stearns Center) 

Derek Sweetman- Graduate Student Lecturer (CHSS, Carter School)

Kristen Wright- Director of Civic Engagement (UG Ed)

Kelly Knight – Professor/STEM Accelerator (COS);

Student Voice: Students often experience racism and bigotry in the university setting differently than faculty and staff. While students will be included on the larger taskforce, the student voice committee will allow for more input from student leaders from across the university on the student experience and campus climate. Student voices will support and enhance the work of the ARIE and share the task force work with their constituencies. Additionally, the student voice committee will participate in a student engagement campaign and provide input into additional faculty/staff training beyond curriculum and pedagogy.

Committee Co-Chairs

Shelby Adams - President, Student Government (undergraduate student)

Rose Pascarell- Vice President, University Life

Committee Members

Austin A. Deray -Doctoral Candidate

Sharrell Hassell-Goodman -Doctoral Candidate

Joshua Miller- Undergraduate Student

Tamyra Washington – Undergraduate Student

Kat Trejo – Undergraduate Student

Avery Ransome – Undergraduate Student

James Condo- Vice President Pride Alliance

Deion Maith- President of Collegiate Black Men

Domonique Dowling- Vice President, NAACP

Nautia Smalls- Student Government

Yessica Tello- President, Hispanic Student Association

Justin Suegay - Former President-APAC

Paola Choque Villarroel- Hispanic Student Association

Research: The research committee will promote an inclusive community that advances the meaningful contributions of diverse perspectives and views to the research, scholarship and creative activities of the campus community. This committee will establish guidelines and work with colleges and schools to promote diversity and inclusion in all areas of research, scholarship and creative activities across campus. Additionally, they are charged with establishing programs, opportunities and formal mentorships to increase historically underrepresented candidates. Finally, the committee will look at Mason's engagement in innovation and economic development activities to ensure that inclusive excellence is core to the entrepreneurship and economic development activities.

Committee Chairs

Laurence Bray- Associate Provost for Graduate Education

Rebekah Hersch – Interim Vice President for Research and Innovation 

Committee  Members

Ben Carton- Associate Professor (CHSS) 

Toya Frank- Associate Professor (CEHD)

Rosemary Higgins- Associate Dean for Research (CHHS) 

John Hollis – Communications Officer (staff) 

Aditya Johri – Professor, Information Sciences & Technology (VSE) 

Jessica Kallista - Founder/Curator/Art Instigator (CVPA)

Jessica Rosenberg- Associate Professor (COS) 

Michele Schwietz - Associate Dean for Research (CHSS) 

Paula Sorrell - Associate Vice President, Office of Research

Bonnie Stabile - Research Associate Professor (Schar)

President Washington's plan positions Mason for success

Colleen Rich — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 19:36:25 +0000

President Washington's plan positions Mason for success Colleen Rich Mon, 08/03/2020 - 15:36

At his first planning conference with the Board of Visitors, George Mason University President Gregory Washington outlined his ambitious framework for the university, including a mission to “reposition, restore and reinvent” Mason to achieve success in the post-COVID era.

“We are not going to look like we are the same institution two, three, four, five years from now….and it would be a mistake for us to think that we’re going to do that and to not correspondingly make the hard choices and the hard changes,” Washington said Thursday at the virtual conference, televised on GMU-TV. See the video here.

Washington said the institutions that will succeed in this new environment will be those that focus on reskilling, upskilling and retraining; provide clear pathways and flexible access to higher education; and focus on the grand challenges of their community and the planet.

“People are going to need to be reeducated and retrained in unprecedented ways,” Washington said. “We are the best-positioned institution in this state to do this, without question. But I contend we’re one of the best institutions in the country to move it forward as well.”

Washington unveiled or elaborated on several key initiatives, including executing the Safe Return to Campus plan, implementing a fiscal management plan to support the university through this COVID period, and forming a President’s Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence, which he announced last month.

Washington also announced that Mark Ginsberg, appointed as interim provost and executive vice president in March, will serve a two-year appointment in that position to provide continuity in leadership while the university conducts a search for its next provost.

Among other goals that Washington set forth at the annual planning conference:

Establish an Innovation-Mason Commission of “the most-forward thinking faculty, staff and administrators” to make recommendations to chart the direction of the university
Complete a national search for a vice president of research, innovation and economic impact to replace Deb Crawford, who is now the vice chancellor of research at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.
Restructure the position of the vice president of compliance, diversity, and ethics, and then establish and complete a national search
Restructure, redistribute, and reposition the responsibility of the vice president of academic innovation and new ventures
Establish an initiative aimed at retaining key faculty
Examine and decide on the possibility of forming a standalone graduate school
Become a national leader in forming public-private partnerships to take advantage of university assets

“We are at a time in history where we need institutions like Mason more than ever,” Washington said. “And I truly believe that not only I am here, but we are all here at this moment in time to continue the university's positioning to be at the pantheon of the nation’s great universities.”

Dietra Trent, interim vice president of compliance, diversity and ethics and special advisor to the president, gave a presentation about the President’s Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence, a group charged with rooting out and preventing bias in university practices.

Trent said the university-wide task force is still being formed but announced that Wendi Manuel-Scott, professor within the School of Integrative Studies and the Department of History and Art History, and Shernita Parker, assistant vice president for Human Resources Strategy and Talent Management, will serve as co-chairs, and Honors College Dean Zofia Burr will serve as the deans' representative to the task force, in addition to advising Trent.

Mason is the largest and most diverse public university in the state and one of only 24 designated Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Campus Centers in the country—and the only one in Virginia. Historically underrepresented groups make up 53% of Mason’s undergraduate student body, with little to no disparity in graduation rates based on ethnicity or economic status.

“Our vision is that George Mason will become a national exemplar of antiracism and inclusive excellence,” Trent said. “Excellence requires diversity, it requires equity, it requires inclusion, and it requires performance. It all goes hand-in-hand.”

President Washington Announces Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence

Melanie Balog — Thu, 23 Jul 2020 10:00:00 +0000

President Washington Announces Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Melanie Balog Thu, 07/23/2020 - 06:00

Hello, Fellow Patriots,

In the days that followed the murder of George Floyd, I sent you a message that promised action to address racial inequities that persist here at George Mason University.

As I enter my fourth week as president, I want to share with you the actions we will begin to take, as a community of Patriots.

George Mason University enters this national conversation with an admirable track record as a pace-setter of action for racial justice, and for truth-telling about our own past.

We are proud to draw upon the expertise of:

The Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Campus Center, one of the first of its kind in the nation
The Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, one of the nation’s few schools dedicated to social justice and peace, and one of the very best
The Enslaved People of George Mason research and memorial project, the ground-breaking undertaking by our own faculty and students to tell the full truth of our university’s namesake so that we may learn and grow from it.
And of course we take pride in hosting Virginia’s largest and most diverse university student body, with a majority of our students representing communities of color, and our Black student population in particular recognized as among the nation’s top academic performers

These are just some of the many examples of excellence and inclusion around racial justice that the Mason community has undertaken. They make us proud.

But we have work to do if we are to ensure that every student, faculty, and staff member is welcomed and respected as a full equal in this community of learning.

And the uncomfortable truth is not everyone at Mason feels equal, or is treated equally.

So, today I am creating the President’s Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence, and giving its members some big assignments.

We need to know where systems, practices, and traditions of racial bias exist at George Mason University so that we may eradicate them.
We must build intentional systems and standards of anti-racism that will keep racial injustices from regenerating.
I want George Mason University to emerge from this exercise as a local, regional, and national beacon for the advancement of anti-racism, reconciliation, and healing.

This task force will have a broad focus, with particular areas of emphasis including short-term and long-term improvements to how we approach:

Curriculum and Pedagogy
Campus and Community Engagement
University Policies and Practices
Research
Training and Development

The task force will comprise many of Mason’s luminaries in racial justice, who will be joined by national experts in this topic. Members will be announced over the course of the coming weeks, and they will represent the full diversity of George Mason University, including racial, ethnic, gender, sexual identity, and religious identity.

The recommendations that we act upon will be incorporated into the university’s planning and budgeting process to ensure they have the priority and resources to take root and flourish. I am not interested in reports that sit on a shelf, only to collect dust.

Many reforms at Mason will require thoughtful consideration over time by the task force and university leadership. Others are obvious, overdue, and simply require executive leadership.

So, in keeping with my pledge to deliver actions and not just words, I am announcing immediate steps that we are taking to advance systemic and cultural anti-racism at George Mason University.

The many steps that we have identified are available in their entirety on my website, President.gmu.edu. The categories of immediate steps we are taking include:

Policing

In addition to state-mandated anti-racism training for all police personnel, we will convert the existing Community Police Council into a Police Advisory Board that actively monitors the nature of police activity and reports its findings to me.

University Policies

A number of university policies and practices that carry racist vestiges in their practices will be examined and/or curtailed, including:

Faculty salary equity – We will complete and act upon a faculty salary equity review and work with the schools and colleges toward correcting any issues over a three-year period.
Inclusive excellence planning – At the college and school level, we will establish Inclusive Excellence Plans that articulate the vision and definition of anti-racism and inclusiveness for that unit. The task force will develop a metric-driven template for units to use.
Implicit bias training – Mason will establish an Inclusive Excellence Certificate Program that certifies that the schools and colleges have completed Implicit Bias Training and have established Inclusive Excellence Plans.
Implicit bias recognition in faculty promotion and tenure – We will develop specific recommendations for the renewal, promotion, and tenure processes that address implicit bias, discrimination, and other equity issues (e.g., invisible and uncredited labor) to support faculty of color and women in their professional work.
Equity Advisors in every academic department – Equity Advisors are senior faculty members, appointed as Faculty Assistant to the Dean in their respective schools. Equity Advisors participate in faculty recruiting by approving search committee shortlists and strategies and raising awareness of best practices. Additionally, they organize faculty development programs, with both formal and informal mentoring, and address individual issues raised by women and faculty from underrepresented groups.
Recognizing and rewarding adversity barriers in promotion and tenure – We will develop specific mechanisms in the promotion and tenure process that recognize the invisible and uncredited emotional labor that people of color expend to learn, teach, discover, and work on campus.

Racial Trauma and Healing

We will increase the support provided to students, faculty, and staff through Mason’s Counseling and Psychological Services for students, and Human Resources for faculty and staff.

Curriculum/Pedagogy

We will finalize development and implementation of required diversity, inclusion, and well-being coursework.
We will require an anti-racism statement on all syllabi.

Buildings and Grounds

We will convene the University Naming Committee to evaluate names of university buildings and memorials to ensure they align with the university’s stated mission to serve as an “academic community committed to creating a more just, free, and prosperous world.”

Community Engagement

We will grow our K-12 and community college partnerships by 50 percent, and become a true partner in the development of our region.
We will establish a lecture series on anti-racism and inclusive excellence to establish a collective consciousness among the campus community.

Resource Commitments

We will identify associated budget to achieve above immediate actions, beginning with an initial $5 million commitment over three years to strengthen initiatives already underway and to fund critical priorities that need immediate attention.
We will identify an Executive Director for the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Campus Center.

Leadership in an anti-racism environment demands that we recognize how our history has shaped our view of the world and how our own actions can reshape it.

My vision is nothing short of establishing George Mason University as a national exemplar of anti-racism and inclusive excellence in action. Given the considerable head start we have on most of our sister institutions in the United States, this is a vision we can realize.

So, Patriots, let’s get to work.

ARIE

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Read the Mitchell Program’s “Letter to White America” in recognition of the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

Read the complete membership list of the Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Task Force and its affiliated committees.

The Complete List of Members of the Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence (ARIE) Task Force

President Washington's plan positions Mason for success

President Washington Announces Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence

Hello, Fellow Patriots,

We are proud to draw upon the expertise of:

Policing

University Policies

Racial Trauma and Healing

Curriculum/Pedagogy

Buildings and Grounds

Community Engagement

Resource Commitments

Josh Kinchen
Associate Director, LGBTQ+ Resources

Dominique Dowling
Junior, Integrative Studies Major
Committees: Student Voice and University Policies and Practices

Read the Mitchell Program’s “Letter to White America” in recognition of the 57^th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.