Panelists share next steps for President’s Advisory Council on Race

UB is serious about advancing equity throughout university life, but there will be some challenges along the way. And while some changes can be implemented right away, others will take longer.

Those were a few of the takeaways coming out of the three, 90-minute virtual town halls held last Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday on how best to implement recommendations from the President’s Advisory Council on Race.

“If we are to be successful as a university, we must make certain that we are living our values every day,” President Satish K. Tripathi said at the start of Tuesday’s town hall. “Today’s conversation is very important in this regard as it builds on UB’s commitment to equity, inclusion and social justice.”

Tripathi, in the wake of racial and social unrest across the U.S., created the President’s Advisory Council on Race in June 2020 to help the university “dismantle structural barriers to equality” and guide UB toward becoming more equitable in its polices, programs, activities and traditions.

Last fall, Provost A. Scott Weber charged an Implementation Committee with operationalizing recommendations from the President’s Advisory Council on Race. During last week’s town halls, committee co-chairs presented both short- and long-term recommendations to make UB a more inclusive place to live, learn and work.

The focus was on seven key areas: faculty recruitment, mentoring and retention; scholarship, tenure and recognition; staff recruitment, mentoring and advancement; curriculum and pedagogy; student experience and programs; inclusive space; and community engagement. Broadly speaking, the recommendations included:

• Increasing diversity among faculty, staff and students.
• Enhancing mentoring and recognition of faculty and staff to improve retention.
• Practicing inclusive curricula and pedagogy, and enhancing student success.
• Building a welcoming campus environment.
• Better supporting and recognizing community engagement and engaged research.

Recordings of the three webinars, along with the PowerPoint presentations, can be viewed online.

Over the three days, some 420 people tuned into the webinars with the opportunity to submit questions to the panelists.

Common themes emerged throughout the series, including some of the challenges ahead. While some of the recommendations can be implemented immediately, others will take time, the panelists acknowledged.

Lee Melvin, vice provost for enrollment management and co-chair of the student experience and programs subcommittee, encouraged the campus to start considering changes now — and to persist.

“You have to look around at your unit and question yourself: Are we doing enough to show that we are committed to this kind of work? And this is a lot of work,” Melvin said.

“Sometimes leadership changes and then initiatives drop to the side, but if the full unit is committed to it, you can continue to move forward on this kind of work,” he said. “So, try not to get discouraged if you don’t get it done all at once. Do not get discouraged if you don’t succeed the first time and do not get discouraged by others who might try to pull you from your focus.”

The panelists also acknowledged that whatever recommendations are ultimately implemented, they need to be sustainable and supported with adequate funding and resources.

At the end of the day, the university will have to make sure that being a diverse institution remains a priority, said David Milling, senior associate dean for student and academic affairs in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

“We have to mean it. We have to value it. And that accountability comes from the top all the way down,” said Milling, who serves as co-chair of the community engagement subcommittee. “So, I think that that’s how this gets implemented and that’s where the transparency and accountability come from.”

The provost reaffirmed the university’s commitment to this work. He said he is confident UB can collectively make significant progress on the recommendations.

“I think we’ll want to celebrate where we have made progress, but also acknowledge where we have more work to do,” Weber said.

“This is a top priority for our university and for me. And we will prioritize resources toward implementing the recommendations as needed. And while my office is leading the implementation, ultimately our success will require the commitment of UB’s faculty, staff and students across campus working wholistically and collectively and supportively to make this a reality,” he said.

The provost encouraged the UB community to submit feedback through March 31.

The town halls were led by Implementation Committee co-chairs Suzanne Rosenblith, dean of the Graduate School of Education, and Mark Alnutt, vice president and director of athletics, who thanked subcommittee members for their “dedication, commitment and tireless effort.”

“UB is indeed indebted to each of you for your service and contribution,” Alnutt said.

Rosenblith also thanked those who participated in the webinars.

“The questions showed that these issues are really top of mind for many people, not just those of us who are on the subcommittee,” Rosenblith said.

Despina Stratigakos, vice provost for inclusive excellence, served as moderator.

“We are in the process of gathering feedback from the UB community on the recommendations,” Stratigakos told UBNow. “The final report, with the full recommendations, will be shared with the UB community by the end of the academic year.”

The provost plans to report back to the campus community each fall on progress made.