By CAMERON MONGOVEN
For those who may not have heard, Colorado College is commissioning an external review of racism in response to the racist events of last year. The steering committee, made up of staff, faculty, and students, has invited Dr. Roger Worthington from the Center of Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education to hold residency for all of Block 3. The Inclusion Committee has taken this opportunity to gear our open-dialogue meeting this semester towards providing a space for students to voice their thoughts and opinions on issues regarding race. The intent of this dialogue is to give students a platform to speak about race and to aid Dr. Worthington’s review. The findings of this review will be absolutely critical in shaping CC’s future approach to diversity, inclusion, and equity.
The dialogue will be centered on classroom culture and student dynamics. The former is meant to give Dr. Worthington a deeper understanding of how faculty recognizes — or omits — the validity of the experiences of marginalized identities. We also want to consider how faculty chooses to represent a diversity of thought within the syllabus to either uphold or challenge hegemonic ways of thinking. The faculty have a great deal of power in deciding how students, experiences, thoughts, and identities are recognized. This dialogue intends to directly address their decisions.
Students also play a critical role in the learning environment within a classroom. Rather than drawing on the lived experiences of select students in order to learn about issues of race and identity, students should have the right to demand that this information comes from the knowledge and readings provided by the professor; anything less is a disservice to all students. There are ways to promote intercultural exchange without needing to draw on personal student experiences.
While the focus of this dialogue is on race, we cannot aptly address race without considering how it intersects with other identities. Therefore, if anyone has a story to tell or thoughts to share, they have the right to be heard here regardless of race, gender, sexuality, or economic status. We encourage anyone to share any stories they wish to be heard; we can make sure your story remains anonymous if desired.
The Inclusion Committee Dialogue on classroom culture and student dynamics will be held this coming Monday, Oct. 29, in the Loomis Lounge at 12:15 p.m. and lunch will be provided. If you cannot make it, please feel to reach out to Inclusion Committee Vice President Cameron Mongoven ’21, or members David Fouladi ’20, Olivia Schultz ’21, Danny Zamudio ’21, and Halle Schall — we will make sure you are heard.