ADDI Update – October 2020 – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Dear Friedman Community,

Happy Halloween! Unfortunately, things are actually kind of scary right now, with COVID numbers rising and the election just around the corner. We’ve all been living with a high level of uncertainty for some time, and it continues…I hope everyone is taking good care, and doing your best to find and make meaning amidst the challenging situations we are in.

The major activity related to the School’s diversity, equity, and inclusion action plan over the past month has been starting the process of integrating these activities into the fabric of the School. Each of the School deans is working with primary implementers (staff, committees, etc.) to develop plans with milestones and timelines. I deeply appreciate all of you who are involved with this and who have taken pieces on – so many of you have stepped up with leadership, creativity, and dedication to meaningful and lasting change. Things are still in the planning phase, and future updates will have more specifics regarding these efforts.

Other updates:

Fostering a Culture
- A subcommittee of the Social Justice, Inclusion, and Diversity (SJID) Committee planned and held an event for Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Over 50 attendees watched the film Gather, followed by discussion with Danielle Hill, a Mashpee Wampanoag tribal member who appears in the film. It was a meaningful and food-centric way to honor the day. Many thanks to the subcommittee: Adriana Black, Elena Martinez, Nicole Blackstone, Larry Parnell, and Edwin Ortega.
- SAVE THE DATE: another SJID subcommittee is planning a book discussion of How to Be an Anti-Racist by Ibram Kendi. Please hold Thursday 19 November at noon or 7 PM for the discussion. For options for obtaining the book, please contact Ellen-Marie Bransfield.
Curriculum
- I am currently chairing a subcommittee on graduate and professionals students for the University’s workstream on Equity and Inclusion. The workstream is focusing on curricula and ensuring that issues of equity and inclusion are addressed in classrooms and all non- classroom learning spaces and throughout the Tufts community. Our subcommittee has been considering curricular changes that we would like to see across schools. We’ve had consensus on the need for courses on the history of racism that are tailored to the disciplines of each school. We’ve also discussed the need for professional development in this area for grad and professional students, especially since they will be taking on leadership roles in their careers. Overall, the workstream is working toward a report with concrete and actionable recommendations for the entire Tufts community.
Student Involvement
- I met with members of the Student Alliance for Social Justice and Racial Equity to discuss student involvement with enacting the School’s action plan, recognizing that students have long been major advocates for DEI at Friedman and bring both prior experience and a willingness to learn. Students will be involved in committees and subcommittees formed specifically to address these issues, and in most cases opportunities will be promoted to the entire student body. There will be some exceptions, for example when an existing committee has a structure for student involvement that is defined by School by-laws. There will also be opportunities for paid work related to implementing the action plan. These will be announced to the student community once the primary implementers become ready to start enacting their pieces of the action plan.

I hope everyone stays healthy and safe.

Best,
Sara C. Folta, PhD
Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion

ELECTION-RELATED RESOURCES AND EVENTS

There are many resources across Tufts to help discuss and process the election, including opportunities to watch results on election night, discuss issues with panels of Tuft experts, and obtain support during office hours with various faculty and staff. Please see https://vote.tufts.edu/election-week-events.

In addition, for faculty: CELT Roundtable: Put On Your Oxygen Mask Before Assisting Others. November 4, 9 – 10 a.m. The upcoming election is destined to be an emotionally taxing event for students, staff, and faculty alike. This roundtable offers an opportunity to process this moment, support each other, and reflect on coping strategies that will enable you to marshal the resources to support your students with empathy and attunement. Zoom link.

OTHER RESOURCES AND EVENTS: Research funding opportunities focused on structural racism, diversity, and equity (compiled by the Research Administration team): https://tufts.app.box.com/s/chk9t63tccdgva4xgow20pgmdlq9eghe

Event: Moving from Nutrition Equity to Power: Viewing Diet, Food Insecurity, and Food Access through the Lens of Structural Violence, Liberation, and Peace. A virtual guest lecture about nutrition and health disparities by Angela Odoms-Young on November 9, from 3:00-4:30 pm EST for NUTR 305 (nutritional epidemiology). Open to the general Friedman community. For questions, please contact Meghan O’Hearn: meghan.o_hearn@tufts.edu

ELECTION-RELATED RESOURCES AND EVENTS: There are many resources across Tufts to help discuss and process the election, including opportunities to watch results on election night, discuss issues with panels of Tuft experts, and obtain support during office hours with various faculty and staff. Please see

https://vote.tufts.edu/election-week-events.

ADDI Update – October 2020

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