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As part of a university-wide efforts on systemic racial inequities and injustices, research groups will present their findings from the first year of funding from the Chancellor’s Call to Action to Address Racism and Social Injustice.

Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, director of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research and author of five #1 New York Times bestsellers, including How to be an Anti-Racist, will participate in the keynote conversation by answering questions submitted by the public. Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Sean C. Garrick will moderate the event, which will be held at the Spurlock Museum of World Cultures. Registration has reached capacity and is now closed.

Dr. Kendi is the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities at Boston University, and the founding director of the BU Center for Antiracist Research. He is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a CBS News racial justice contributor.  

Dr. Kendi is the author of many highly acclaimed books including Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, which won the National Book Award for Nonfiction, making him the youngest ever winner of that award. He had also produced five straight #1 New York Times bestsellers, including How to Be an Antiracist, Antiracist Baby, and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, co-authored by Jason Reynolds. In 2020, Time magazine named Dr. Kendi one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He was awarded a 2021 MacArthur Fellowship, popularly known as the Genius Grant. His two most recent books came out in summer 2022. They are How to Raise an Antiracist and the picture book, Goodnight Racism. 

The first year of research projects will be presented during the first research symposium. Researchers from the 22 2021-2022 funded projects will present their findings through presentations and poster sessions. 

The symposium will be held at Levis Faculty Center from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on October 7. For more information and a full schedule, please visit the website. Registration is available for Friday, October 7 as well. To attend both days of the event, please complete both registration forms.

In July 2020, Chancellor Jones announced a $2 million annual commitment by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to focus the intellectual and scholarly talent of our university to examine two of the greatest challenges facing our society and seek new solutions. Recognizing the critical need for universities across our nation to prioritize research focused on systemic racial inequities and injustices that exist not only in our communities but in higher education itself, the Call to Action to Address Racism & Social Injustice Research Program provides support for academic research and the expansion of community-based knowledge that advances the understanding of systemic racism and generationally embedded racial disparity.

The program focuses on three critical research areas that are currently the most important and complex challenges facing local communities, states, and our nation. The first two years are focused on systemic racism and social injustice, law enforcement and criminal justice reform, and disparities in health and health care. 

The projects explored topics from research that can lead to the removal of barriers that inhibit access to education, opportunity, support, and resources, strategies for increasing perspective taking and understanding, and the interrogation of structural and institutionalized systems of disparity and disenfranchisement. The researchers also focus on the reduction of violence and harm that can increase racial equity, well-being, safety, and belonging.

The Call to Action includes 179 individuals from the campus and the local community including faculty, staff, community members, graduate & undergraduate students. 45% of Principal Investigators represent people of color. And 82% of Principal Investigators are women.

The Chancellor’s Call to Action to Address Racism & Social Injustice Research Program is administratively supported by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

September 12, 2022, 1:02 P.M.

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

I am pleased to announce the recipients of the 2022-23 Call to Action to Address Racism & Social Injustice Research Program, a $2 million annual commitment by our university to respond to the critical need for universities across our nation to prioritize research focused on systemic racial inequities. During this second year of the program, 25 projects were funded in three research focus areas: systemic racism and social justice; law enforcement and criminal justice reform; and disparities in health and health care.

The breadth of this year’s funded projects reflects a commitment to research that centers the needs of the communities we serve throughout our state and nation, from more equitable outcomes through the juvenile justice system, to the impact of social infrastructures and the built environment on mental health and wellbeing, to support for foster care providers.

These projects represent 17 departments and reporting units in seven colleges and administrative units. Awards this year range from $25,000 to $75,000. In total, $1.49 million in research funds will be distributed during this second year of funding. A full list of projects and descriptions is available at go.illinois.edu/CallToActionProjects.

Each Call to Action research funding year concludes with a symposium to share project results and recognize the extraordinary accomplishments of the project leaders. The impact of the first year of funding will be presented during the inaugural Research Symposium, October 6 and 7, 2022. Opening this symposium will be a keynote conversation with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, Director of the Center for Antiracist Research at Boston University, and one of America’s foremost historians and leading antiracist scholars.

Dr. Kendi will be in conversation with Vice Chancellor Sean Garrick on Thursday, October 6 at 5:30 pm in Knight Auditorium at the Spurlock Museum. Friday, October 7, will feature research presentations and poster sessions at the Levis Faculty Center, showcasing the work of the 22 funded projects during the first year of the Call to Action Research Program. More details about how to register for the symposium will be available soon.

Please join me in recognizing each project leader and community partner, and their deep commitment to research that addresses the pervasive barriers to justice and equity in our nation. I encourage you to explore these second-year projects of the Call to Action Research Program and to attend the research symposium in October.

Sincerely,

Robert J. Jones
Chancellor

The 2022-2023 recipients of the Broadening Inclusion Grants were announced by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Six projects were funded for the 2022 to 2023 period.

The purpose of the grant is to develop programs and initiatives that broaden and strengthen Illinois’ community and diversity of experiences. It builds collaborative, interdisciplinary, and inclusive experiences across diverse groups to foster a climate of inclusion that creates transformative change across campus.

The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion is committed to supporting sustainable efforts and co-curricular practices that foster respect and inclusion. OVCDEI invites students, staff, and faculty to apply for the Broadening Inclusion Grant. This grant is designed to encourage members of our campus community to think broadly about innovative ways to engage across disciplines and perspectives to create a more inclusive and just society.

The grant funds research from across campus including the Colleges of Education, Media, ACES, and Fine & Applied Arts. Some projects help students connect across national and cultural differences to create a sense of understanding and belonging. Other topics focus on Environmental Justice, stopping anti-Asian racism, and helping first-generation students transition to college. Another project will host disability-focused events including dance and theater events, art displays, and adaptive sports.

For more information, please visit our website.

2022-23 Funded Projects

Disability, Arts and Sports (DARTS) – $5,000

Lead: Ricky Price, Department of Special Education, College of Education

Collaborators: Special Education Graduate Student Association (SEGSA), The Autism Program (TAP), College of Fine and Applied Arts, Applied Health Sciences Department of Kinesiology

The Welcome Mercadito – $5,000

Lead: Stephanie Peréz, Institute of Communications Research, College of Media

Collaborators: La Casa Cultural Latina

Stop Asian Hate – $5,000

Lead: Sang Lee, Asian American Cultural Center, Student Affairs

Collaborators: International Education, Department of Asian American Studies, LAS Global Studies, and the Counseling Center API Roots team

The Environmental Justice Outreach and Research Initiative – $2,583

Lead: Shannon Anderson, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, College of ACES

Collaborators: College of ACES, Applied Research Institute, Indoor Climate Research and Training, Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment

Tastes of Cultures – $5,000

Lead: Yun Shi, International Education, Student Affairs

Collaborators: International Student and Scholar Services, University Housing, McKinley Health Center, Illini Union, Asian American Cultural Center

Nominations are now open for the Emerging Women Leaders Forum. The group provides leadership development for early career professional women at Illinois who aspire to become organizational leaders. The women are nominated to participate in this 9-month program by senior administrators.

Women from across campus are encouraged to nominate others to participate in this program. The deadline for nominations is August 8.

“The Emerging Women Leaders Program is a great way to provide networking opportunities across campus,” said Medra Roberts-Southerland assistant director for diversity initiatives. “This group of women is remarkable and allows our campus to grow with more women strengthened as leaders.”

The focus of this program is to equip participants with leadership skills and strategies that will positively impact their departments and the communities in which they live and serve.

Meetings are designed to help women identify and reinforce their strengths while developing proactive strategies and behaviors to make a greater impact within their organizations, their personal networks, and the communities in which they live and serve. Topics will focus on core professional concepts and personal competencies.

Accessible workplaces provide opportunities for employees to be successful. Sometimes, this means providing assistive technology like screen reader software or anti-fatigue floor mats. And the new AccessLab@Illinois allows employees to test out these items with the help of experts.  

The goal of the lab is to raise awareness about the importance of ergonomics in the workplace for avoiding injury and body fatigue and to provide innovative, and proactive accessibility services to employees across campus. All employees including faculty, staff, student employees, and extra help employees can access the lab. 

“We are working to increase accessibility across campus to ensure individuals have access to ergonomic equipment that can assist them in their workspaces especially if they have underlying health needs,” said ADA Coordinator Allison Kushner.  

The AccessLab provides people with support as they pursue the accommodations process, she said. It can also help them find the appropriate devices easier and with the help of a specialist. Individuals may also request to check out the equipment that they are interested in for use in their office space on campus on a short-term basis.  

“By meeting with Accessibility Specialists, employees can find the right tools to be successful,” Kushner said. “By using the ergonomic equipment at the AccessLab, the employee who has an underlying medical condition can think about items that may assist them now and in the future possibly preventing additional damage and pain.” 

A certified ergonomist is also available to answer questions regarding the proper fit and use of equipment during scheduled one-on-one consultations.   

Devices available for testing:  

• Several types of ergonomic chairs 
• Several ergonomic mice, both left and right-handed 
• Wrist rests for both mouse and keyboard 
• Keyboard trays 
• A variety of ergonomic keyboards 
• Automated sit to stand desks 
• Footrests 
• Anti-fatigue floor mats 
• Several types of headsets, including noise-canceling 
• Blue light blocking screen protectors of various sizes 
• Digital recorders 
• Alternative lighting desk lamps 
• Laptop risers 
• Document holders 

The Access lab is available for employees who are interested in pursuing an accommodation or those currently engaged in the accommodation process as well as anyone interested in learning more about ergonomic assistive devices that may be helpful to plan for office equipment upgrades to create a more accessible workplace environment.

Employees can contact the Accessibility and Accommodations Division by emailing accessibility@illinois.edu to schedule an appointment  at the Access Lab located in the Office for Access & Equity suite at 614 E. Daniel St. 3rd Floor.  

May 16, 2022

Our Illinois community has lost a great person, scholar, and friend with the sudden passing of Professor Dara E. Goldman last week.

Dara’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion was rooted in her genuine desire to empower those who are often unheard throughout our society. Her kindness, generosity, and great humor were as readily apparent as her sharp intellect and humility. She encouraged sincere, generative dialogue and connection. Dara’s voice was one that I greatly valued and one that our office regularly relied upon. 

Her numerous campus affiliations – the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, the Program in Jewish Culture & Society, the departments of Latina/Latino Studies and Gender & Women’s Studies, the Unit for Criticism and Interpretive Theory, and multiple centers in the Illinois Global Institute – only partially reflect the breadth of her knowledge and impact on our campus.

Dara is and always will be greatly missed. May her memory be a blessing.

Sincerely,

Sean C. Garrick
Vice Chancellor

As part of its campus efforts, the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion is working with University of Illinois Extension to diversify its Master Naturalist program.

Extension’s Master Naturalist program provides science-based training to volunteers to help them become active environmental stewards in their community. Currently, the vast majority of the program’s volunteers indicate their race as white and there are limited service projects that specifically engage with communities of color.

Started by Professor Joy O’Keefe in the Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences, the Diversify Master Naturalist Project is taking steps to make the program more inclusive by identifying and removing barriers for participants and addressing racial inequity in its training and programs.

Ross Wantland, director of curriculum development and education with the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, worked with the Diversify Master Naturalist Project to focus on communities of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), groups that have been excluded from outdoor spaces.

Due to systemic racism practices, such as exclusionary housing, BIPOC communities are more likely to be impacted by pollution and climate change. However, they cannot advocate for change if they are not included in conservation efforts.

 “We’ve had the chance to explore from the ground up what structural racism is and what coordinators can do with this knowledge at the county level,” Wantland said.

Please visit the University of Illinois extension website for more information.  

Queen Reese had a big decision to make. She went over the information again and again but couldn’t decide. She was struggling to choose between a predominately white institution, a PWI, or historically black colleges and universities or HBCU.

“I was worried about going to a school where everyone didn’t look like me and didn’t have the same experiences,” Reese said. “It made me want to go to school with the rest of the kids who look like me.”

In the summer of 2018, 24 students arrived on campus a few weeks before school started for the Illinois Scholars Program, ISP.  Now, a short four years later, the first cohort of students is graduating.

Reese is one of them. She is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in African American Studies and Sociology. She said that when she decided to come to Illinois, she joined ISP and felt at home.  

“Everybody clicked so fast,” she said. “And it already felt like a family.”

The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion hosted the Illinois Scholars Program Senior Celebration Saturday to congratulate Reese and the other graduating seniors.

“The Illinois Scholars Program is a great investment in exceptional students from across the state of Illinois,” said Executive Associate Vice Chancellor for Diversity Gioconda Guerra Pérez. “We are so proud of the first group of students for successfully completing their education at Illinois.”

The program allows us to support a diverse group of students and help prepare them to pursue their personal and professional goals and dreams, Dr. Guerra said.

“We are so proud of what they have accomplished at Illinois and what they will continue to do after graduation,” she said.

The ISP graduating seniors include: 

• Arelis Janissa Campbell, BA in Political Science
• Maddie Horbach, BS in Economics, Minor in Global Studies
• Sharon Laby, BA in Communication
• Elie Masanka, BS in Statistics, minors in Computer Science and Computational Science & Engineering
• Queen Reese, BA in African American Studies and Sociology
• Hannah Schum, BS in Elementary Education with ESL Endorsement
• Priscilla Vargas, BS in Speech & Hearing Science, Speech-Language Pathology Concentration
• Casandra Vences, BS in Political Science with a minor in Criminology, Law and Society

Designed to serve residents of the state of Illinois from historically underserved populations and low-sending counties, the Illinois Scholars Program helps to guide new undergraduate students’ transition to the University of Illinois. The Illinois Scholars Program (ISP) aims to combine opportunity and access, experiential learning, and support to position students for academic success and personal growth throughout their time at Illinois.

“They have worked so hard to get here, and it has been exciting to be part of their journey.,” said Ross Wantland, Director of Curriculum Development and Education with the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. “I cannot wait to see what’s next for each of them.”

Staff past and present were able to celebrate with the graduating seniors.

“Dr. Desiree McMillion – the very first coordinator for ISP – has been a mentor and role model for so many of our students since day one. I was so glad she was able to come join us and say a few words about our graduates,” Wantland said.

The Illinois Scholars Program began in 2018. The Program begins with a four-week intensive summer bridge experience for incoming freshmen, but ISP continues to provide support and community for Illinois Scholars during their undergraduate years. During the summer experience, Illinois Scholars are matched with an ISP Mentor, receive personalized math and writing instruction, and build a strong relationship to peers and campus to support them during their first year and beyond to help them meet the rigorous challenges of university life.

Some of the students shared reflections from their time on campus. One big area of focus was the support they received from the ISP staff throughout their four years. Staff supported the students through academic challenges as well as how to be successful in day-to-day life.

Arelis Campbell, senior in political science, said then ISP Director Dr. Desiree McMillion helped her make the adjustment to college life and its challenges.

“She had my back and I was nervous coming in but we had her she told us she had our back and there is nothing to worry about,” Campbell said. “It made me feel so welcome and involved from the get-go.”

The students said the program allowed them to get out of their comfort zones and try new things.

“Don’t quit on yourself,” she said. “Don’t be scared I promise it is worth it.”

Some experiences the students learned were how to read a syllabus, how to conduct research, and find appropriate sources. They also learned about campus resources like McKinley Health Center and the cultural houses.

“It was interesting to meet other people like me,” Senior in communications Sharon Laby said. “The most meaningful thing is having a community on campus it can be hard to find people to connect with.”

The students faced the added challenge of the COVID-19 Pandemic which began halfway through their sophomore year.

“Having to go virtual my sophomore year it was a big change I had just got on campus, so I just got used to going to my classes,” Laby said. “When we made that transition online, I had to learn how to be a college student again.”

Laby said ISP and the people she met helped make the transition easier and contributed to her success.

“I wouldn’t have gotten this far without all of the support and the help having a community definitely makes things easier and comfortable,” she said.  

Overall, college is a learning process, Reese said, and ISP gave her the tools to be successful.  

“They saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself,” Reese said.

“The statistics were not in my favor for graduating in four years, but I can do whatever I want if I stay determined,” Reese said. “We made it to the finish line.”

The Illinois Scholars Program is sponsored by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in partnership with the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, the Division of General Studies, and the Merit Program for Emerging Scholars. The Illinois Scholars Program is supported by generous donations from graduates of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

The Larine Y. Cowan Make a Difference Award is open for nominations until May 25. The awards celebrate the achievements of faculty, academic professionals and civic service employees who made significant contributions in creating and sustaining an inclusive living, learning and working community at Illinois.

There are four categories of awards. The Advocacy for LGBTQ Affairs, Excellence in Access and Accommodations, Leadership in Diversity and the Teaching and Mentoring in Diversity.

Named in honor of the past Assistant Chancellor and Director of what is now the Office for Access & Equity, the Larine Y. Cowan Awards were created to reflect the commitment to human rights advocacy, social justice, and diversity that defined her leadership for nearly 20 years at Illinois.

Nominations may be submitted by any member of the University community. For specific information regarding each category, please see the nomination form.

The Cowan Awards are presented each year during the annual Celebration of Diversity hosted by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

April 21, 2022 4:06 PM

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

The Massmail of April 13 stated that “The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion was incorrectly identified as a co-sponsor for a talk ‘Unfinished Business: Zionism as Racism and Racial Discrimination.” This is a mistake. To clarify, co-sponsorship had been sought and was approved for the speaker series entitled, “Blueprint for Transitional Justice in the United States: Building on Lessons and Insights from Global Perspectives” organized by the Illinois Global Institute and funded by the Chancellor’s Call to Action to Address Racism & Social Injustice Research Program. The goal of the lecture series has been to open discussion of difficult questions about contested histories of racism and discrimination by featuring speakers who highlight their complexities. The OVCDEI did not intend to appear to endorse or advocate for any of the perspectives presented throughout the series.

The mission of OVCDEI is to foster an inclusive community on our campus. While the OVCDEI strives to ensure no group feels excluded or silenced on our campus, the core mission of universities must include critical scrutiny of all commitments, ideologies, and claims, and a willingness to engage in a range of perspectives on profoundly controversial questions, especially with those with whom we are in fundamental disagreement. While co-sponsorship does not imply endorsement, the OVCDEI plays a role in convening those conversations, especially across contentious and difficult topics that address issues of justice and equity. Inclusion in the Illinois community must encompass all voices, and engagement on critical issues such as those in the Middle East must include all perspectives.

We realize that the title of the lecture may have been offensive to some, and the Massmail of April 13 also offended others. This is not surprising in view of the extremely difficult and painful nature of the Middle East conflict.

To be truly inclusive, our commitment to academic freedom is even more important when controversial topics are discussed. We strive to be the best shared learning community we can be. This statement is part of that process.

Sincerely,

Sean C. Garrick
Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Dara E. Goldman
Director, Program in Jewish Culture & Society
Associate Professor, Department of Spanish & Portuguese

Waïl S. Hassan
Director, Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
Professor of Comparative & World Literature and English

Colleen Murphy
Acting Executive Director of the Illinois Global Institute
Roger and Stephany Joslin Professor of Law