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BSETF Implementation Committee

History

In spring 2015, Vice President for Student Affairs Patricia Telles-Irvin commissioned a task force to examine the Black Student Experience at Northwestern.  The Black Student Experience Task Force (BSETF) report outlined 14 data-driven themes and associated recommendations for initiatives that Northwestern should pursue to improve the Black student experience. In December 2016, the report and recommendations were presented to University leaders with the goal of establishing priorities. From that discussion, based on student feedback, three were selected.

BSETF Implementation Steering Committee Leadership

To address these priorities, implementation-focused steering committees were established.  These groups are overseen by:

Committee One Committee Two Committee Three
Charge

Increase the Number of Black Students, Faculty, and Staff

Create an Academic Hub

Listen to Black Students
Chair Jabbar R. Bennett Ron Braeutigam Kelly Schaefer

The steering committees will convene to set strategy, develop an action plan, and move forward with implementation.  Each committee submits regular updates to the Office of the Provost for review and broad dissemination. Additionally, as student input and experiences remain integral this work, student groups will serve, as or identify representatives for each group.

Context

The work of the Listening to Black Students Committee derives from recommendation #9 of the Black Student Experience Final Report published in the summer of 2016. Recommendation #9 suggests that the University and stakeholders should "[g]et to know and listen to Black students regularly, not just in time of crisis. This includes increasing faculty/student interaction, student interaction with those in administrative and staff positions, and interaction with academic advisors."

As the work of “listening” is necessarily collaborative and dynamic, so it follows for the structure and function of the Listening to Black Students Committee. This work is divided among five working groups, each guided by an of area of focus identified in report recommendation #9: Student and Faculty Interactions, Student and Academic Advisor Interactions, Student Interactions with Senior Leadership and Administrators, Communications and Logistics, and Data and Analysis.

Listening to Black Students Steering Committee Leadership

Name Campus Role Steering Committee Role


Lesley-Ann Brown-Henderson

Executive Director of Campus Inclusion & Community, Student Affairs

Student and Faculty Interactions: Working Group Co-Chair

Tracey Gibson-Jackson

Associate Director for Student Organizations & Activities, Student Affairs

 Student Interactions with Senior Leadership and Administrators: Working Group Co-Chair

Kourtney Gray

Director for Student Organizations & Activities, Student Affairs

 Student Interactions with Senior Leadership and Administrators: Working Group Co-Chair

Travis Martin

 Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life, Student Affairs Student and Academic Advisor Interactions: Working Group Co-Chair

Daviree Velazquez Phillip

 Director of Multicultural Student Affairs, Student Affairs Student and Faculty Interactions: Working Group Co-Chair

Kelly Schaefer

 Assistant Vice President of Student Engagement, Student Affairs Steering Committee Chair

Brent Turner

 Executive Director of Campus Life, Student Affairs Data and Analysis: Working Group Chair

Lee West

 Director of Undergraduate Education, Office of the Provost Student and Academic Advisor Interactions: Working Group Co-Chair

Myrtie Williams

 Administrative Assistant for Student Engagement, Student Affairs Communications and Logistics: Working Group Chair

Join the Committee

Students and other stakeholders who are interested in the work of the Listening to Black Students Committee are invited to participate, in either a short-term on long-term capacity, by joining one of the five sub-committees. Please complete the linked form to indicate your interest for further consideration.

We Want to Hear From You!

Please let us know if you have any questions about the Black Student Experience Task Force Implementation Committee, the work of Listening to Black Students, or other input that you would like to provide to the Office of Campus Inclusion and Community.