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.
- Recommendation #1: Increase the number of Black students, faculty and staff.
- Recommendation #6: Create an academic support hub.
- Recommendation #9: Listen to Black students regularly.
BSETF Implementation Steering Committee Leadership
To address these priorities, implementation-focused steering committees were established. These groups are overseen by:
- Patricia Telles-Irvin, Vice President, Student Affairs
- Jabbar R. Bennett, Associate Provost and Chief Diversity Officer
- Ron Braeutigam, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education
- Lindsay Chase-Lansdale, Associate Provost for Faculty
- Pam Beemer, Vice President for Human Resources Officer
- Amit Prachand, Assistant Vice President, Information & Analytics
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 |
---|---|---|
|
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.