Curricular Transformation

Dear Colleagues,

The Melvin L. Oliver Racial Justice Initiative planning group would like to call your attention to a funding opportunity – the RJI Distinguished Lectureship.

In spring 2022, the RJI committee seeks to invite a distinguished scholar-activist for a college-wide presentation on the themes of the RJI, including public health, public policy, criminalization, racial bias, social movements, intersectionality, and empowerment. Preference will be given to a speaker that is sponsored by two or more field groups. Funding in the amount of $5,000 is available to cover airfare, hotel, and the honorarium. The Dean of Faculty Office will provide additional funding for a reception. The event may be modified to enhance the health and safety of the community.

To apply for the distinguished lectureship award, submit the name of the speaker, vita, and bio to [email protected] Include the field groups inviting the speaker and a prospective date for the event. The field groups receiving the award will work with the Office of Advancement and Communications to advertise the event.

The deadline for submission will be announced.

Spring 2021 Curricular Transformation

In spring 21, the RJI continued the work of curricular transformation by funding class speakers grounded in racial justice work. This provided faculty and students with an opportunity to meet and network with such speakers and to foster an inclusive classroom space by having diverse voices represented in the syllabus and classroom. These events were widely advertised and open to the community. We had 32 speakers and events in Spring 21. Below is a sample of some of the posters advertising these programs.

The Melvin L. Oliver Racial Justice Initiative Course Development Award Recipients for Fall 2020

One of the goals of President Melvin L. Oliver’s Racial Justice Initiative is embedding the study of racial violence and justice throughout the curriculum. The following classes have been awarded a Melvin L. Oliver Racial Justice Initiative course development award for Fall 2020. These are new or revised courses that focus on the themes of the RJI, including the Black diaspora, criminalization, racial bias, racialized violence, policing, abolition, social movements, and racial justice.

ART 017           Eco-Photography (Prof. Tarrah Krajnak)

ANTH 152        History of Anthropological Theory (Prof. Dan Segal)

ASAM 82         Racial Politics of Teaching (Profs. Kathy Yep and Carmen Fought)

ASAM 88         Social Theory of Thich Nhat Hanh (Prof. Kathy Yep)

CASA 101        Critical Community Studies (Prof. Tessa Peterson)

CHLT 115         Gender, Race and Class: Women of Color in the US (Prof. Maria Soldatenko)

GLAS 185         IGLAS Seminar (Prof. Nigel Boyle)

ECON 125        Econometrics (Prof. Linus Yamane)

ECON 91          Statistics (Prof. Linus Yamane)

ENGL 186         Post-Apartheid Novels (Prof. Amanda Lagji)

FREN 2             Introduction to French (Prof. Fely Catan)

FYS 4                Race, Gender and Health (Prof. Alicia Bonaparte)

FYS 18              African/a and Latinx Food Identity and Resistance (Soldatenko & Dengu-Zvobgo)

ORST 100a      Organization Theory and Praxis (Prof. Barbara Junisbai)

MATH 10D       Mathematics of Democracy (Prof. David Bachman)

MATH 52          Intro to Statistics (Prof. Jemma Lorenat)

MLLC 132:       Critical Analysis Through Literature (Prof. Leah Herman)

POST 20           US Politics: Resistance and Transformation (Prof. Adrian Pantoja)

POST 096         Social and Political Justice (Prof. Hamid Rezai)

PORT 001        Intro to Portuguese (Prof. Juanita Aristizabal)

PSYC 186         Internships in Psychology (Prof. Marcus Rodriguez)

SOC 91             Political Sociology (Prof. Erich Steinman)

SOC 035           Race and Ethnic Relations (Prof. Jessica Kizer)