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Montclair State University

Undergraduate School

Mailing Address
1 Normal Ave
Montclair, New Jersey 07043
Phone
(973) 655-4000
School Information
"Building on a distinguished history dating back to 1908, Montclair State University is a leading institution of higher education in New Jersey. Designated a Research Doctoral University by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, the University’s 10 degree-granting schools and colleges serve more than 20,000 undergraduate and graduate students with more than 300 doctoral, master’s and baccalaureate level programs. Situated on a beautiful, 252-acre suburban campus just 12 miles from New York City, Montclair State delivers the instructional and research resources of a large public university in a supportive, sophisticated and diverse academic environment." The university also has a student-faculty ratio of 17:1. (Source: https://www.montclair.edu/about-montclair/)
General Information
Although Montclair State University has yet to implement a university-wide initiative for anti-racism, individual colleges have taken steps to implement anti-racism into their curricula. According to the university president, the College of Humanities and Social Science asked every instructor to "take one week this fall and dedicate it to focusing on Black Lives Matter, as related to the specific discipline." No Critical Race Training sessions are yet required of all students. See developments below:

Actions Taken

Curriculum Changes and Requirements
  • The university president announced, "The College of Humanities and Social Science Dean’s Office and the College Working Group on Equity and Inclusion prepared for the fall semester by reminding the College of the commitment to social justice at the core of their mission, and asking every instructor to take one week this fall and dedicate it to focusing on Black Lives Matter, as related to the specific discipline. To assist with the implementation of this idea, the Working Group provided a highly accessible syllabus to members of the faculty."
  • The Office for Faculty Excellence encourages professors to incorporate their curriculum with DEI principles. A website describing precisely what steps professors should take to do this has been made, outlining steps such as course content auditing, “adding a diversity statement to your syllabus,” and others.
Program and Research Funding
  • The Montclair State University Community Action Nexus includes a value statement which says, “We value diversity of approach, experience, expertise, and worldview in our workforce and partnerships. We recognize the power of encouraging and embracing diverse perspectives to inform the work we do. We strive to create an environment that is accessible and equitable for all.” In support of this value, Charles J. Muth donated $5 million to Montclair State University.
  • Montclair offers a voluntary Equity and Compliance Search Committee Training program.
Resources
  • The Montclair library offers a guide of resources to consult for those who wish to further "understanding and knowledge about race, racism and anti-racism."
  • On March 4, 2022, the school held an event on the topic, “How Do We (Mis)Understand Critical Race Theory In The Classroom.”
  • The Office for Social Justice and Diversity offers several recorded workshops on topics such as “Black Lives Matter,” “Connecting the Dots: Diversity and Inclusion Training Presentation,” and more.
  • Montclair has a site dedicated to resources on Black Lives Matter, ranging from books, articles, videos, and others.
  • Montclair hosts an annual virtual symposium on “Transforming the Health Research Landscape for Justice and Equity” in November.
  • Montclair has a site which defines terms related to DEI as a resource for teachers.
Symbolic Actions
  • In April 2022, Roman Liera, an Assistant Professor at Montclair State, participated in a meeting of the "Committee on Advancing Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in STEM Organizations."
  • The university's Transformative Education Network released its bi-monthly newsletter from April 2022 and spotlighted the "Squeaky Wheels, Mothers From Hell, and CEO’s of the IEP: Institutional Ableism, Privilege, and the Politics of Inclusive Education" spaker event.
  • The school is conducting a campus survey and has appointed Dr. Ashante Connor as the leader. This survey will be done in order to “gather information about our campus climate around diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging” in an effort to “strengthen our inclusivity and belonging.”
  • On May 5, 2023, Montclair State University highlighted Dr. Milton Fuentes, a faculty member who received the 2023 Society for the Teaching of Psychology Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award.
Last updated October 29th, 2023
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