TOCAR Steering Team Minutes

Friday, December 5, 2003

CMU 203

 

Present:  Ferman Woodberry, Steve Pletta, Judy Peterson, Brian Oxton, Tracy Clark, Amy Phillips, Ron Jeppson, Abner Arauza, Donna Rosh, Phyllis May-Machunda, Anita Bender

 

Absent:  Wade Swenson, Warren Wiese, Yoke-Sim Gunaratne, Linda Palmer, Kim Gillette, Veronica Michael, Rose Bakke, David Crockett

 

I.                   Unit Reports:

Academics Unit – Approximately 17 people attended the last meeting in November.  The group worked at clarifying roles of team members and facilitators, setting ground rules, and debriefing the last meeting.  At the next meeting, Thurs. 9-11AM, the group will be using the various handouts to discuss P1, P2 and P3 at the various institutional levels at MSUM.

Campus Services Unit – Steve reported that the groups has been working on recruiting community members.  He has emailed the Fargo Moorhead Human Resources Association asking to make a presentation at one of their regular luncheons. We are waiting to hear from them.  An all-day format, for the level I training, makes it difficult to recruit participants from the areas represented by Campus Services.  Les Bakke has created a proposal for a possible training format that divides it over several days for shorter periods of time.  This format would require training MSUM folks to be trainers.  Campus services will bring this proposal to the next Steering Team meeting.

Administration and Alumni Unit – This unit has its last meeting a couple of weeks ago.  Approximately six people attended.  This meting was more of an informational meeting to recruit participants for the Unit.  It was a good discussion and the group decided to watch “Race: The Power of an Illusion” at the next meeting.  There are several community people that are interested in being on the team: Sarah Kjos and Claudia Simon.  Judy and Veronica will follow-up with phone calls to them.

Student Support Unit – Anita reported that Linda Palmer emailed and said that she and Kim Gillette met to talk about recruitment for the Unit.

II.                Survey:  Administration of the Student Survey is winding down.  Approximately 40 classes and over 500 students have been surveyed so far.  Ron Jeppson reported that out of all of the students surveyed, only one has approached him to complain.  There have not been many students of color who have taken the survey so Abner Arauza, Gus Claymore, and Ferman Woodberry will be administering it to the various Students of Color organizations.  Ron Jeppson suggested that a reminder through “Dragonews” be sent out.  Phyllis and Deb will follow-up with sending out a reminder through both the campus list serve and “dragonews.”

 

Approximately 10 Departmental multicultural Histories have been received so far.  Phyllis is still waiting for word from MNSCU concerning how students’ names can be collected before she resends the request for Multicultural Histories out to the departments.

III.             Level III Training:  Since we have more room, anyone from the Unit teams who has attended at Level II training is welcome to participate in the Level III training on Jan. 29-31 and Feb. 5-7.

IV.              Caucusing:  The team divided into white caucus and people of color caucus to discuss how they see P2 (white privilege) playing out at the various levels of the institution and then reassembled to share the caucus discussions.  Since there was so much more to talk about, it was decided that both the white folks and people of color should caucus one more time before the next Steering Team Meeting.

V.                 Announcements: 

There will be a two-day Cross Cultural Awareness Seminar Lillian Roybal Rose on January 13 and 14.  The cost is $75 to participate.  If you are interested in participating, please contact ________.

 

There will also be a free SEED Summit with Lillian Roybal Rose on January 14^th, 6-9pm in the CMU Ballroom E/F.  If you are interested in participating, please contact _________________.

 

Martin Luther King Celebration, January 15, 7:30pm, MSUM Gaede Theater.  MSUM will be honoring Mr. Joe Rogers, Colorado’s former Lt. Governor, and will present The Dream Alive Program, an acclaimed dedication to the memory and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. and leaders of the Civil Rights Movement.

 

Next Meeting, January 16^th, 11:30am-1:30pm, CMU 203

 

Submitted by,

Anita Bender