Dec. 2: Teach-in on diversity and racism

I am pleased to invite you to a university-wide “teach-in” on the topic of diversity and racism on college campuses to be held Dec. 2 in the Loading Dock, Memorial Union, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This teach-in is being organized by an interdisciplinary group of faculty, staff and students who would like to create an occasion to discuss (more than is typically allowed in our busy classes) diversity and racism.  This teach-in was already in the works before the recent event with student SnapChat photos, but those incidents reinforced our belief that UND would benefit (as would most university campuses) from an opportunity to gather and discuss these important issues.

We are still getting everything organized, but our plan is to invite student groups (diversity groups along with other student organizations) along with faculty facilitators to hold discussions in 90-minute blocks in the Loading Dock, which we have reserved for the day.  The paired student organizations and faculty (which we will call “block leaders”) will choose texts or short films to start the conversation and will develop any content.  The direction of the conversation is really up to the block leaders and attendees, but will include facilitated discussion time and debrief time.  We are planning to invite the whole campus to this teach-in and even ask if faculty will work this discussion into their classes, perhaps offering extra credit or sending their students to the teach-in in lieu of class.

Again, our hope is that this teach-in will help to facilitate the kind of educational opportunities President Kennedy has been calling for in his discussions of diversity around campus.  Please feel free to email me, Melanie Sage, or Jaynie Parish privately with questions or suggestions.  We hope you will each be able to stop in at some point in the day and join in the conversation.

Please feel free to share this message.

— Rebecca Weaver-Hightower, Professor of English and Postcolonial Studies