Equity Task Force Issues Final Report

The Equity Task Force established in January to explore the establishment of a resource center, and other means of improving equity and inclusion on campus, has issued its final report.

The nine-person task force is made up of faculty, students and staff, and tri-chaired by Gina Ulysse, professor of anthropology, professor of feminist gender and sexuality studies; Antonio Farias, vice president for equity and inclusion and Title IX officer; and Shardonay Pagett ’18. Over the course of the spring semester, it dedicated a considerable amount of time to studying Wesleyan’s historical attempts to address equity and inclusion, and meeting with various groups of faculty, staff and students to receive input. In February, it released an interim report.

The final report, issued May 3, makes three recommendations:

• The university should establish a new Center “that has a clear, intellectually grounded mission in social justice and a focus on intercultural development and literacy, which integrates students, faculty and staff in its core operations at the developmental stage to work sustainably toward a deeper commitment to inclusion campus-wide;”
• The university should embark on a “long-term, comprehensive, campus-wide initiative with concrete action plans” addressing student concerns, patterns of inequity, and retention problems among faculty and staff on campus;
• Finally, the university should transform the task force into a standing institutional committee comprised of students, faculty and staff, to work together with the larger Wesleyan community toward ongoing institutional change efforts.

In a response sent out to the campus community, President Michael Roth thanked the task force for its hard work and urged everyone to read the report. He wrote, “…it is vital that we seize this moment to improve the educational experience for all Wesleyan students, most especially those who have felt marginalized by practices of this institution, past or present.”

Roth says the administration will proceed with all three recommendations in the report.

“We will plan a Center within the time frame suggested that will enable students to deepen their education and enhance their ability to thrive on campus – especially those groups of students who have struggled against legacies of discrimination. This will build on the accomplishments of student activists, and also of professors and staff members who have worked hard to make this university a more equitable and inclusive place.”

He also promised to “add to the considerable resources we have already dedicated to recruiting and supporting students, faculty and staff from under-represented groups. […] Our goal is to ensure that all students have every opportunity to excel in all sectors of the curriculum and co-curricular activities.” The university will also establish a committee to coordinate efforts and measure their outcomes.