Call for Racial Justice on Campuses
The NYSC AAUP stands in solidarity with members of the campus community who speak out in the name of anti-racism and racial justice.
Click here to read the AAUP Statement on Racial Justice in Higher Education
Faculty and students at Brooklyn College Campus have initiated a campaign against anti-Blackness. The union chapter is working in coalition to link the politics of austerity funding, budget cuts, and layoffs in public higher ed with the anti-racist demands of these groups. “It isn’t always simple, but it is necessary, ” says James Davis, Brooklyn College chapter chair of the Professional Staff Congress-CUNY and member of the NYSC AAUP leadership. Holding events that are social-media friendly is possible, even within the constraints imposed by Covid. Here is an example of their efforts:
A group of Dutchess Community College faculty in partnership with a local activist organization (Nobody Leaves Mid-Hudson) put up a petition online (on Juneteenth) asking for (1) pause on security plan, (2) administration to work with local people on reform of Poughkeepsie police who have been the ones responding to 911 calls on campus, and (3) action on policies that move us toward being an anti-racist institution. More signatures are certainly welcome as the issue is not yet resolved. If you know of others who would care to sign, please pass around.
The petition can be found at: https://secure.everyaction.com/1MctLNNQ_0iigq4L0-A-Ww2
They are also working with ENJAN (End the New Jim Crow Action Network) and NYCLU. Another action, especially in response to the killing of Maurice Gordon, is endorsement of a statement from a group of SUNY Black faculty and staff for a Call to Action.
You can read and sign on to that statement at:
https://docs.google.com/forms/
The importance of diversity in recruiting and retaining faculty and administrative talent has never been more important. Inside Higher Ed has released a booklet “The Challenges of Recruiting and Retaining Diverse Faculty and Administrators” that reflect some of the strategies used. Here is the link to that publication: https://www.insidehighered.com/system/files/media/IHE_Diversity_Booklet_20201013.pdf
Here is a link to Racial Justice resources that are available on the AAUP National website: https://www.aaup.org/issues/racial-justice