Sallyportal: Madly Blogging Reed

Reed Faculty Adopts Anti-Racism Statement

By Chris Lydgate ’90 on September 13, 2017 04:21 PM

The Reed faculty voted to adopt an anti-racism statement at its regular meeting on Monday:

REED ANTI-RACISM STATEMENT

Reed College is committed to fostering an environment in which students, faculty, and staff from all backgrounds can live, work, and learn free from the insidious and debilitating effects of prejudice, discrimination, and marginalization.

Racism in all its forms is antithetical to this commitment. Racism occurs with and without malicious intent, often as a result of unconscious bias. We recognize that the effects of racism are caused not only by the isolated actions of individuals, but also by the policies and practices of institutions. Whether intentional or unintentional, individual or institutional, racism is harmful and dehumanizing and has adverse effects on our community.

We acknowledge the historical legacy of exclusion and marginalization in higher education. We affirm our responsibility to continuously learn about and disrupt systems of privilege, inequality, and oppression, and to reform our programs, policies, pedagogy, and practices in accordance with this responsibility.

We expect that every member of the community will work to combat racism—both intentional and unintentional. This requires that we work to improve listening and enhance empathy, at both personal and institutional levels.

We commit to helping the community identify and challenge discrimination and marginalization of any sort. Institutional policies and practices deserve particular scrutiny, including but not limited to: the recruitment and retention of students; the recruitment, hiring, retention, and professional development of a faculty and staff; curriculum and pedagogy; health and other student support services; and overall campus climate.

We are constantly reminded that much work needs to be done to achieve racial equity. We implore every member of our community to dedicate themselves to this goal.

—Adopted by the faculty 9/11/2017

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