Connecticut College

Refocus the diversity portion of new student orientation, again starting with the Class of 2024, to include a more intentional focus on combating interpersonal racism within the campus community. Revamped new student orientation program to focus on anti-Black, and anti-BIPOC racism. Issuing Anti-Racism Action Plan guidebooks to new students.

Required course for graduation, starting with class of 2024, from the Social Difference and Power curriculum. "The Social Difference and Power requirement ensures that all students engage in questions of social difference and power at least twice during their course of study at Connecticut College. Students may choose to take these courses at any time and may take them as part of their Connections general education courses, major or minor courses or electives. In Social Difference and Power courses, students will develop: a more informed understanding of systemic forms of inequality and underlying structures of power and their disproportionate impact on underrepresented and/or marginalized peoples and communities; deeper analyses of social identity and difference."

To address one of the first goals of our Equity and Inclusion Action Plan (1.2.1.a., 2.1.7., 3.1.1.) we will require all members of the Connecticut College community to complete an online program that offers foundational training around questions of diversity, equity, and inclusion. This online instruction is meant to be just the first step in a much larger effort to promote advanced dialogue and understanding across difference.

Established a new Dean of Institutional Equity and Inclusion (DIEI). "John F. McKnight Jr. joined Connecticut College in 2016 as dean of institutional equity and inclusion. He is responsible for the overall vision and leadership of the work of equity and inclusion, and collaborates with leaders across campus to fulfill its commitment to full participation. He oversees the offices of the equity and compliance programs, gender and sexuality programs, race and ethnicity programs, and religious and spiritual programs."

ANTI-RACIST EDUCATION AND ACTION (C. 2020) In the June 2020, Connecticut College expressed solidarity with global racial justice movements in response to a string of senseless killings of Black Americans by white police and vigilantes. Our community called on the College to prioritize the implementation of new anti-racist policies and practices. The following three priorities were established, based on the broad goals of the original Equity and Inclusion Action Plan, with a special focus on anti-racist education: campus safety and law enforcement; teaching and learning; and campus climate.

In 2018, Connecticut College issued a 28-page report, Equity and Inclusion Plan 2018-2025, that completely reimagined campus life and academic requirements.

The Education Department views American education as a reflection of a set of political, economic and cultural relationships that reflect the dominant social arrangements of society. Teaching is therefore viewed as a political act. The goal of the Teacher Education Program is to produce critical educators who understand that one of the consequences of living in a pluralistic society is the existence of a variety of conflicting views of what it means to be educated. As such, it works to instill in students a sense of responsibility to participate in the political process by which educational policies are initiated, employed and resisted. The Department employs a social justice curriculum where students are expected to: (1) achieve excellence in their field, (2) understand classrooms as a reflection of larger social-political and economic forces, (3) develop critical and anti-bias pedagogies and, (4) to view the classroom as a dynamic and dialectical space.

Several faculty members in the Education Department focus on critical theory and teaching for justice.

Connecticut College offers courses in #BlackLivesMatter (CRE-166 and CRE-167)

Developed and implemented new multi-part training program on establishing anti-racist practices in campus safety. Delivered first training session on August 10, 2020; subsequent sessions being developed. Issued personal Anti-Racism Action Plan guidebooks to campus safety officers as a training tool. Invited Jeanne Milstein to engage in follow-up campus safety training sessions with NLPD and NLFD representatives.

Ally Development resource list compiled by White CC Colleagues Committed to Anti-Racism. Racial Justice and Healing resource list compiled by the Psychology department. Sustainable Engagement in Anti-Racism resource list compiled by Student Counseling Services. Critical Study of Race resource list compiled by CCSRE. Anti-Racist Teaching and Learning resource list compiled by the Library. Revising DIEI website to include links to these and other resources.

In 2015, Connecticut college canceled classes for one day and held mandatory campuswide conversations about racism, equity and inclusion.

Global Islamic Studies faculty are hosting a summer-long series of conversations for Connecticut College students, staff and faculty focused on critical questions about race, religion and politics that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the forefront in the U.S. and the world. The series, “What Is the Pandemic Teaching Us? Critical Conversations hosted by Global Islamic Studies,” takes place every other Thursday at 4 p.m. through early August. The conversations take place virtually.

Connecticut College hosted a series of events to commemorate the 1619 Project, including a lecture: Khalil Gibran Muhammad exposes the ‘long arc of racial criminalization’ Khalil Gibran Muhammad Khalil Gibran Muhammad America’s story of mass incarceration “begins in the hulls of slave ships,” Khalil Gibran Muhammad told Connecticut College students, faculty and staff, with the transportation of the first captured Africans to the British North American colonies in 1619 commencing a 400-year “relationship of carcerality to moneymaking.”

Connecticut College co-hosted a panel discussion with Ibrahim X. Kendi on how to be an anti-racist.

The college hosted its second annual social justice conference to further its commitment to antiracism in January 2022.