Faculty members, in consultation with the Plymouth State Black Lives Matter Task Force and other stakeholders, have crafted the following draft proposal for a Center for Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice at our university. We welcome feedback from the broader PSU community, and look forward to improving this proposal, answering questions, and ultimately moving forward this year to put this or a related plan in motion. While we know a center such as this cannot transform our community overnight, and that no one person will be able to solve the deeply embedded challenges that we face from institutional racism and inequity, we believe this plan will be a good step towards structural change and towards supporting the individuals in our university who are working hard to survive, thrive, and make a difference.
The document is open for commenting, and we welcome your feedback. You may also contact Drs. Filiz Ruhm, Meg Petersen, and Metasebia Woldemariam, the Open CoLab, or any member of the BLM Task Force to further discuss this proposal and related issues. We hope our community will galvanize and come together to move forward!