Social Justice and Inclusion

I was recently asked “How far are you willing to go to advocate for your students?”, which has made me consider the work that I have done in the past and how that influences how far I would be willing to go. It is a test of values and beliefs and how they align or conflict with the values and beliefs of an institution. I have learned that it is important to reflect on your boundaries as a professional to be able to respond to that question. The following sections show evidence of the skills I have gained that align with the SJI competencies.

Please click the numbers below to review artifacts that align with my work.

Hiring Committee Spreadsheet

This spreadsheet shows what the SILC’s hiring committee’s resume review was like. We had ranked six categories on a scale of 1 – 3 and then asked the top five scorers to interview with the office. I learned how the hiring process works and how to stay ethical within the search.

GAP Doc

I was a part of a group that researched Black Students’ sense of belonging and institutional connection following the dissolution of IUB’s OVPEDI office. I had taken the lead in this group to make sure tasks were delegated equally and that everyone was supported throughout the process. From this research, we had learned that departments and events create a sense of belonging of campus, there has been a noticeable change in diversity initiatives on campus, racism and microaggressions are still prevalent on campus, and that there is a lack of trust for the administration from Black Students at IU.

GA Interview Questions

My supervisor and I edited this document to be our framework for the Graduate Assistantship interviews that we held. We had in-depth conversations to make sure our questions focused on key indicators that they would be a good fit in the office, while staying ethical. I was able to gain experience on how to enact proper hiring processes.

Email to VP Student Success for Rural Students

During my undergraduate career, I noticed that there is not much support for rural students on IU’s campus. I had created and presented a presentation at the FYE Conference that was facilitated by the Center for Rural Engagement on how to support students from small towns and rural communities. After that, I was recommended to reach out to Julie Payne-Kirchmeier, the former Vice President for Student Success. We discussed ways to support rural students and what the timeline would be. This shows how I am committed to supporting students that have little support in place for them to succeed on campus.

Foundational Outcomes	Experiences that meets the Outcomes
Engage in hiring and promotion practices that are non-discriminatory and work toward building inclusive teams.	I have been a part of two committees that focused on hiring both a full-time staff member and a graduate assistant. I learned from those positions how to enact proper hiring practices and to remain non-discriminatory during the process.
Advocate for the development of a more inclusive and socially conscious department, institution, and profession	I had a practicum at the Accessible Educational Services office, which helped me gain perspective on how to support students with disabilities on campus. I use the knowledge that I gained from that office to advocate for a more accessible environment on campus.
Implement appropriate measures to assess the campus climate for students, staff, and faculty	I identified a gap in support for rural students and connected with a student leader at another institution to learn effective strategies. I then presented these ideas to campus leadership to advocate for improved support.
Advocate on issues of social justice, oppression, privilege, and power that impact people based on local, national, and global interconnections	I worked on a research project to better understand 3rd & 4th year Black college students’ sense of belonging on IU’s campus. I gained a better understanding on students' struggles. This allowed me to better advocate for resources that align with students’ identities.
Identify systems of socialization that influence one’s multiple identities and sociopolitical perspectives and how they impact one’s lived experiences.	I am aware of how systems of socialization have impacted my life and how they have shaped my identities and perspective. From this, I know that this bears the weight of what drives me and what I take from a conversation.
Connect and build meaningful relationships with others while recognizing the multiple, intersecting identities, perspectives, and developmental differences people hold.	I always connect with the students that I meet with to gain insight on how I can best support them. I recognize that each student has intersecting identities that influences their values, opinions, and beliefs that I need to be aware of when working with them.