A+H Plans for Harris: Inclusivity and Intersectional Support for a United Harris
While some progress has been made in terms of diversity and inclusion at Harris, there is still MUCH progress to be made.
The Harris Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Board (DIAB) was created in 2015 and has since made progress in increasing the number of underrepresented students in the school, established a full-time diversity and inclusion officer position in the Student Affairs Department, and institutionalized search processes for more diverse pools of faculty candidates. While these are all wonderful initiatives, there is a need for Harris to fully support underrepresented students once they are actually at Harris.
The DIAB conducted a survey in 2018 called the Harris Climate Survey;[1] they also analyzed the results and put together a report with recommendations and initiatives for diversity and inclusion.
From this survey, we learn of issues relating to diversity and inclusion in the classroom. Particularly, in the Core classes, students felt that there was little discussion of key diversity issues and only 40% of respondents felt that the Core curriculum addresses identity.1 The importance of including these issues in the Core classes that nearly everyone at Harris takes is essential in creating policy makers who need to be engaged with these issues and to broaden perspectives of students. Moreover, 60% of respondents felt that the curriculum was too US-centric.1 With half of students at Harris being international students[2] and with the goal of developing knowledgeable policy-makers, a shift away from being US-centric towards a more inclusive and diverse curriculum is essential. Having both served on the Harris Student Government Academic Committee, we know that these changes are possible with the support of students. As Co-Presidents, then, we would advocate for these changes and build up a coalition of students to show support for these changes. We would also work with other students to identify specific areas — particularly in the Core, and also in elective classes — in which key diversity issues could be discussed and where the curriculum could be less US-Centric.
Elective classes addressing diversity and inclusion, as well as key diversity issues are limited. While there are limited classes regarding race and gender and the intersection with policy, there are NO classes offered by Harris on issues such as disability or disability policy.[3] There is also no certificate offered at Harris related to these issues — not even a broadly defined social policy certificate.[4] The lack or courses and certificates surrounding diversity is a sign that Harris needs to put more resources and time into this area. As Co-Presidents, we would advocate for a more inclusive and diversity focused commitment in relation to official ways that students interact with Harris academically-through classes and certificates. These issues cannot just be addressed outside of the classroom; rather a commitment to diversity and inclusion includes creating structural changes that address what classes are taught, what material is covered in each and every course, and the certificates that students can choose to focus on — all changes that we will prioritize.
Additionally, according to the Harris climate survey, cases of bias and discrimination in the classroom were widespread: nearly a quarter of all respondents reported one of these cases, with that number growing to nearly half of students identifying as Black or African American.1 While greater than 70% of students expressed that students and staff value diversity, that number drops to just 43% when asked about whether faculty value diversity.1 These cases of discrimination and concerns with faculty valuing diversity are of utmost importance to us as we run to be Co-presidents of Harris where we can push Harris on these issues. While cases related to bias and discrimination may be reported in surveys that are conducted here and there, or to people such as Dean Kate Biddle or academic advisors, action cannot be taken promptly through surveys, and some people may not feel comfortable identifying themselves and talking about issues related to discrimination with people like Dean Biddle or their academic advisor. Thus, as Co-Presidents, we would like to develop an anonymous form for students to submit not only cases of discrimination, but also any suggestions or concerns they are having throughout Harris. This would be monitored by SG, who can then amplify these concerns and suggestions immediately to the administration at Harris who can make a change. This solves the issue of action not being taken promptly enough to make a difference, and allows for anonymity for those who may fear repercussions. Additionally, it is clear that with such a high number of cases of bias and discrimination, faculty need to be involved in consistent training regarding diversity and inclusion — whether it be implicit bias training or training on how to make an inclusive classroom environment, faculty must be challenged to question their own perspectives and biases and learn to think thoughtfully about the environment they are creating. Thus, we will advocate for more trainings for staff and faculty — as well as students — in order to reduce the bias and discrimination students at Harris face.
A key avenue to create an inclusive environment at Harris is through Harris Student Organizations (HSOs). After talking to multiple leaders of HSOs representing marginalized groups, they all wanted a stronger connection with SG. HSOs are absolutely essential in creating an environment that is supportive to students of all identities. When transitioning from a virtual environment back into an in-person one, HSOs will be even more important in creating a community among students. Thus, as Co-Presidents of Harris, we plan to provide as much support as possible to HSOs in order to create inclusive environments immediately. Working with leaders of HSOs on creating events and welcoming all students to the Keller Center will be of utmost importance. We also see HSOs as a strong way to get feedback from students — are there issues students are experiencing in regards to the way their identities are being treated? Or are there resources students need when transitioning to an in-person environment? Through a strong bond between Student Government and HSOs, we believe that we can create an environment where everyone feels welcome and like they are a part of something. We also believe we can identify areas where more support is needed and immediately take those concerns and act on them.
Finally, there needs to be greater transparency in regards to diversity and inclusion initiatives at Harris. While Harris may have institutionalized search processes for more diverse pools of faculty candidates, it is hard to know what the outcomes of doing so were. To be able to hold administration accountable, Harris should make hiring processes, recruitment strategies, retention plans, and overall monitoring of diversity across students, faculty, and staff more accessible — something we as Co-Presidents would push the administration on. This includes not just putting the information out there, but actively holding town halls that allow for actual feedback, promoting the information to students and allowing students to easily provide questions, concerns, and suggestions, and being sure to share not just achievements, but areas where Harris is struggling with clear, actionable steps and goals to improve upon these areas. By increasing transparency and holding Harris accountable, we can better understand where Harris is in terms of diversity and inclusion and then elevate the voices of underrepresented students to better understand their needs and ideas.
While the number of underrepresented students at Harris has increased, there is still much to be done to support students once they are here. Ensuring a diverse faculty while also improving resources for students — whether that be providing additional supports to students with disabilities when Student Disability Services (SDS) is slow and/or not able to provide enough support, or providing resources to HSOs — is essential in driving an inclusive environment for everyone, especially as we transition to in-person learning.
[1] https://harris.uchicago.edu/files/inline-files/DIAB%20Recommendations%20for%20Harris_Fall%202019.pdf
[2] https://harris.uchicago.edu/about/who-we-are/harris-by-the-numbers
[3] https://harris.uchicago.edu/academics/programs-degrees/courses?keys=&harris_course_quarter%5B531%5D=531&harris_course_quarter%5B536%5D=536&harris_course_quarter%5B541%5D=541
[4] https://harris.uchicago.edu/academics/design-your-path/certificates