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ReconstRucting DemocRacy

university of illinois Volume 6 • Fall 2008

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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign1108 West Stoughton MC-253 ∙ Urbana Illinois 61801 Telephone (217) 244-0188 ∙ Fax (217) 333-8122Web cdms.ds.uiuc.edu ∙ Email [email protected]





Center on Democracy in a Multiracial Society

cDms was founded at the recommendation of the chancellor’s Diversity initiatives committee. supporting and advancing diversity and democracy on campus are at the heart of cDms’ mission. Recently, the Diversity initiatives committee challenged the university to Increase Capacity for Diversity Related Scholarship. our Race, Diversity, and

campus climate conference was one response to this challenge. We are editing the conference papers and working towards their publication. to reflect our ongoing commitment to campus diversity issues and as another step towards supporting scholarship on this topic, we are announcing a recurring commitment to annually fund at least two faculty and/or graduate student fellowships focused on campus diversity issues . Last fall’s Presidential election gave us ample opportunity to promote democracy on campus and has helped us to identify areas that need further attention. cDms worked with a number of student groups, campus offices and others to inform students how to register and to encourage them to vote. the transitory nature of student housing and the fact that students often maintain a permanent residence elsewhere, frequently creates challenges to their voter participation. these challenges are well-known and were addressed by the campus efforts to register student voters. However, one surprising and disappointing result of the student voting effort was that some students were turned away from their polling places without being allowed to vote. this was due to confusing and varying iD requirements and the fact that election judges inconsistently applied these requirements. For example, the nature of iD required at a polling place, if any, depends on how and where the student registered, on the county’s ability to match voter information against various other sources of data, and on the local interpretation and implementation of complex laws and

regulations. i believe that we can and must do a better job. next year, two additional faculty and/or graduate student fellowships will be focused on facilitating and promoting voting by our students. another facet of cDms’ mission is to learn how to negotiate conflicts and form coalitions with individuals and groups of various racial and ethnic backgrounds. many aspects of immigration highlight the need to negotiate conflicts and build coalitions. therefore, we proudly announce a new initiative on immigration and Race in illinois. the planned initiative will include the organization and support for working groups focused on various aspects of this topic. examples of possible working group topics include “immigrants in Rural communities” and “immigrant access to Health care services.” We expect to award two additional faculty and/or graduate student fellowships for next year to support this initiative. these will bring the fellowships supported by the center to a total of six per year. We expect to work with these fellows in securing external funding opportunities to support programs and additional research on this topic. cDms is facing the same budgetary challenges as many other public institutions. However, even with a much tighter budget, i know we can do work that will make a difference. this newsletter describes current center projects and the work of our fellows. this newsletter describes current center projects and the work of our fellows. more information about our fellowship applications can be found at http://cdms.ds.uiuc.edu/pages/Fellowship_Fellows/CDMSFellows.htm

We look forward to another exciting year. —Jorge chapa

n FROM THE DIRECTOR

n INSIDEitunes university & cDms Diversity Blog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2Public agenda For Higher education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Research at the center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5cDms Faculty & graduate Fellows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-8Race, Diversity, & campus climate conference Highlights . . .9-14

2 reconstructing democracy

currently, cDms is the only space on the illinois itunes u page that addresses the issue of diversity at the institution. the center plans to use this opportunity as part of its commitment to diversity at illinois. to access the illinois itunes page or cDms Blog, go to https://itunes.illinois.edu/ or https://communities.cites.uiuc.edu/cDms/

*itunes u is part of the free software program itunes, created by apple. itunes u allows universities and colleges to upload video/audio content, as well as coursework, to itunes. students can download the content to their computers

and sync it with their iPod.

the center on Democracy in a multiracial society (cDms), in collaboration with campus information technologies and educational services (cites), introduced the cDms Blog and, also has joined the itunes u* community. Both the blog and the cmDs itunes u page were unveiled at the Race, Diversity & campus climate conference on april 10, 2008. the cDms Blog and itunes u webpage are new online spaces that provide the illinois community access to the center’s sponsored programs. the Race, Diversity & campus climate conference was the first event the center has uploaded to itunes u and is available to the campus. the center’s goal is to create an online learning environment centered on the issues of race, diversity, and illinois campus climate. in conjunction with itunes u, the center launched the cDms Blog site. the objective of the blog is to generate constructive and informative discussions about diversity at illinois. as part of cDms’ mission to foster positive discussions about diversity, the center established a Blog code of conduct created by aimee Rickman, one of the 08-09 Fellows. the code is a set of guidelines outlining what will and will not be tolerated on the site. students can voice their opinion freely without the fear of harassment or intimidation.

n iTUNES UNIVERSITY + CDMS DIVERSITY BLOG

cDms bids farewell to Ruth mathew who is now pursuing graduate studies at the sit graduate institute in Vermont. While Ruth will be greatly missed, we wish her well in her academic and personal endeavors. ms. Jennifer Roether replaces Ruth as the center’s program coordinator bringing a wealth of knowledge about university business policies and procedures to her new position. Welcome Jenny - we are glad to have you as a cDms team member.

n FAREWELL & WELCOME

n FELLOWSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT

Ruth mathew Jennifer Roether

cDms will be exploring the theme Diversity, Democracy, and immigration during the 2009-2010 academic year. to find out more information about cDms Fellowships, visit

http://cdms.ds.uiuc.edu/pages/Announcements/Announcements.html

center on democracy in a multiracial society 3

n RACE DIVERSITY & CAMPUS CLIMATE throughout the 2007-2008 academic year, the center on Democracy in a multiracial society (cDms) led several events related to race, diversity, and campus climate. such events included research and discussions that could lead to a consensus on valid and useful ways to assess and improve the campus climate; public lectures by invited experts and open forums to build interest and knowledge regarding the conference; and the establishment of a blog that allows for continuous dialogue on various campus events, initiatives, policies, and practices. the university of illinois’ first Race, Diversity, & campus climate conference, held on april 10th, 2008, marked the culminating event of the 2007-2008 year and built upon the theme from the inaugural conference (2006) which focused on “Documenting the Differences Racial and ethnic Diversity makes: uncovering, Discussing, and transforming the university.” Research presented at the Race, Diversity, & campus climate conference addressed forms of inquiry that could impact research and practice in higher education, while advancing the commitment to the practice of democracy and equality within a changing multiracial u.s. society. the central goal of the conference was to present information the university of illinois and similar institutions could use toward an end-in-view of a more diverse and inclusive campus, and the major objectives were as follows:

• Determine and understand how race, diversity, and campus climate issues can be addressed by colleagues and differs depending on institutional context;• Discuss how to foster an environment where race, diversity, and campus climate issues can be addressed by

colleagues;• initiate a dialogue around issues of race, diversity, and campus climate;• Provide an interactive atmosphere whereby participants are able to recognize and respect the pluralistic nature of diversity; and• Provide a context in which participants can further discuss how to create a campus climate that promotes inclusion and social justice. the Race, Diversity, & campus climate conference engaged no only those previously immersed in such research, but also those possibly less familiar with issues

presented at the conference. in addition to presenters and moderators, over 400 students, faculty, staff, and members of the university of illinois community attended the day ‘s events. Please see pages 9-14 for highlights from the conference. the remainder of this edition of Reconstructing Democracy features a letter from the director, Dr. Jorge chapa, as well as an overview of cDms’ activities during the 2007-2008 academic year.

Signifying as Personal Relationship: Chief Love & Grief at Interdisciplinary Crossroads - November 30, 2007

“getting at the ‘Wellsprings of chief Love’” examined myriad expressions related to discontinuing chief lliniwek as the official symbol of the university of illinois at urbana-champaign. the presenters—D. anthony tyeeme clark (assistant Professor of american indian studies at illinois) and Lisa B. spanierrman (assistant Professor in educational Psychology at illinois) invited an interactive dialog as they develop their interdisciplinary methodological approach to analyzing data from web-logs, cyber-meeting sites, and newspaper commentary.

Cyberbullying in ‘Dangerous’ Conversations: Online Student Newspaper as Virtual Town Hall -- April 18, 2008

this presentation merged the scholarship of two illinois graduate students—aimee n. Rickman (doctoral student in the university of illinois Department of Human & community Development) and cassidy c. Browning, m.a. (an activist theatre scholar and artist)—who sought to clarify and explore the phenomenon of race- and diversity-related cyberbullying, and examined the Daily Illini as a specific case study.

the Brown Bag series was developed to provide faculty, staff, and students

with the opportunity to discuss ongoing research that impacts the university

of illinois and the surrounding urbana-champaign community. seminars can run from one to two hours and focus on various forms of interdisciplinary research.

Brown Bag Series2007-2008

n SELECTED CDMS CO-SPONSORED EVENTS: 2007-2008


n PUBLIC AGENDA FOR ILLINOIS HIGHER EDUCATIONthe Public agenda for illinois Higher education persists as a relevant source of discussion and interest to the center on Democracy in a multiracial society. according to the illinois Board of Higher education (iBHe) website*, “the Public agenda for illinois Higher education is a planning blueprint for the state of illinois to direct state policies and resources to the higher education and career needs of illinois residents and to address the current and future economic needs of the state.” as a precursor to the Race, Diversity, and campus climate conference, cDms hosted a presentation led by terry nunn (Deputy Director of the iBHe). nunn shared information regarding enrollment trends in higher education in illinois and gathered feedback and insight from the audience—the majority of which were educators—regarding public policy in higher education. of the Public agenda process, nunn stated: “…we will need you as educators to help us to get it right, to understand what the priorities are, validate research, find some basis for developing policy solutions…[…] this whole notion of how

the landscape is shifting, we’re constantly reminded that things aren’t the way they used to be.” a full podcast audio recording of terry nunn’s discussion a can be downloaded through the ‘ilinois on itunes university’ website. Please visit the iBHe website for current news and additional background information regarding the Public agenda. Downloadable audio files from various public forums that took place throughout summer 2008 are also available on the website. †

* http://www.ibhe.state.il.us/† http://itunes.illinois.edu

n RESEARCH AT THE CENTER as a site for the initiation and support of multiracial and interdisciplinary research, the center on Democracy in a multiracial society encourages proposals to establish study, Working, and Research groups. as conceived at cDms, these groups have the following purposes: Study Groups consist of faculty with complementary research interests who meet on a monthly basis at the center to engage in informal, coordinated discussions about the scholarly interrelationships and common interests of individual members. study groups provide the space and time for faculty to identify potential research collaborations among group members. study groups may receive small seed grants for planning, programming, and the like. Working Groups extend the opportunities provided to faculty in interest groups by moving existing collaborative research project ideas toward searches for external sources of funding and into pre-proposal grant writing. cDms expects to share in the indirect cost Recovery generated from grants written with center support. Working groups may receive seed funds consistent with the need of the project. Research Groups. cDms will also accept proposals for Research groups, faculty-led collaborative research efforts closely related to cDms priority areas. the format and funding for these research groups will be negotiated based on goals and deliverables of the research and the availability of cDms resources. the selection committee will give positive consideration to research proposals that offer matching funds or other means for sharing costs of the proposed research. this year’s study, Working, and Research groups include the following: education Justice Project; education or incarceration? school and Prisons in a Punishing Democracy; immigration and Race in illinois; and the Racial microaggressions Research group.

CDMS Office - 1108 W. StoughtonUrbana, IL


ImmIgratIon and race In IllInoIs (IrI)

IMMIGRATION AND RACE IN ILLINOIS (IRI)immigration has been a major force in illinois’ history and it has every prospect of continuing to shape the state’s near-term and long-term future. Race is a major dimension of the impact of immigration on

illinois society. Because it offers many ways in which to pursue its goal and values, cDms has a new initiative on Race and immigration in illinois. specific aspects of this initiative include the following:

1. Race and urban immigration – chicago focus on economic impact of immigration on different racial groups;

2. Rural immigration – immigrant needs and prospects for social integration;

3. improving college of agricultural, consumer and environmental sciences (aces) research and extension programs for the immigrant population; and,

4. Participating in national networks of major university (Harvard, Berkeley, stanford, ucLa, osu, etc.) race centers investigating black-brown issues.

EDUCATION JUSTICE PROJECT (EJP)education Justice Project (formerly education Beyond Bars) supports the efforts of incarcerated illinois residents to receive a college education.evidence links the presence

of college-in-prison programs to fewer disciplinary incidents within prison, finding that they produce safer environments for prisoners and staff alike.

Formed in 2006 by Rebecca ginsburg, eJP is currently investigating available educational resources and prisoner needs, as well as conducting research on the history and current status of correctional education in illinois. eJP is funded by the office of continuing education and the assistant Vice-President of academic affairs and collaborates with a range of community partners and campus units. Research reveals that college-in-prison programs reduce arrest, conviction, and re-incarceration rates among released prisoners.

EDUCATION OR INCARCERATION? SCHOOL AND PRISONS IN A PUNISHING DEMOCRACY stephen Hartnett has spent the past sixteen years in prison activism and scholarship. His ongoing project at the center is an edited book that will

focus on further diagnosing the prison industrial complex and building a network for teaching democracy with goals of empowerment. While the prison-industrial complex has expanded dramatically over the last generations, becoming one of the fastest growth industries in the united states of america, now housing over 2.1 million prisoners and supervising another 5 million parolees and probationers, public education in america has suffered a precipitous decline. the state of california now spends more money on its prison system than on its once celebrated universities and state colleges combined. one result of such political choices in california and elsewhere is that there are now more african-american men in america’s prisons than in its colleges. ” gathering essays by some of the nation’s leading scholars, teachers, artists, and activists, this book will tackle the complicated and compelling question of how to reclaim our schools—and hence the future of democracy—from the clutches of the prison-industrial complex.

RACIAL MICROAGGRESSIONS RESEARCH GROUPstacy anne Harwood and Ruby mendenhall seek to uncover the extent to which racial microaggressions affect the lives of students of color on the university of illinois campus;

educate the campus community about the negative impact of racial microaggressions in fostering an inclusive illinois community; and provide the administration withrecommendations to improve the campus climate for all community members.

according to Harwood and mendenhall, one possible reason for the differential experiences of campus climate by racial minority and majority students may be related to racial microaggressions, and Harwood and mendenhall find it important to explore the experiences of students of color in order to work to eliminate the negative academic outcomes and health effects of subtle and contemporary forms of racism on college campuses.

(continued on page 6)

n RESEARCH AT THE CENTER


in addition, one of the implications of this research project is to promote and foster an inclusive campus community that respects differences and offers all members an equal opportunity to engage in a diverse democracy.

Language, Family & Health: Enhancing Treatment Adherence Among Latino Immigrants Diagnosed with Chronic Illnesses

Dr. Lissette Piedra’s research has found that Latino immigrants with limited

english proficiency (LeP) who are experiencing obesity, diabetes, and heart disease face worse health outcomes than their english-speaking counterparts. Part of the problem can be traced to language and culture barriers. For chronic conditions, bilingual health communications have to convey knowledge that calls for changes in everyday behaviors—changes which includes taking medication, eating an appropriate diet, and exercising. yet, much is lost in translation. the lack of national standards for interpreters and the diversity of types of medical interpreters contribute to the uneven efficacy of interpretation services in medical settings. Recent conceptualizations of bilingual health communications have suggested that rather than focusing on interpreters as the pathway to better communication, a more realistic approach is to recognize the diversity of interpreters and to focus on the interrelationships between interpreters and healthcare professionals (Hsieh, 2006). in addition to the daunting obstacles that language and cultural barriers pose, the individualistic nature of health care services further contributes to the problem of treatment adherence in unforeseen ways. in matters of public health, the individual is never the sole unit of analysis (Levins and Lewontin, 1985). Because most human beings live their lives in connection with families and groups, the harm created by chronic illness radiates from individuals to their family members. yet, most health providers fail to capitalize on this reality in discussing treatment plans. Diagnosis and treatment of chronic illnesses are handled on an individual basis which reflects the cultural value orientations embedded in the american health care system. Latino immigrants who operate from a different cultural value orientation often will prioritize family well-being over individual well-being. this study aims to enhance the treatment of

chronic illness by investigating how sociocultural factors affect communication in clinical encounters and whether reframing chronic illnesses as family problems and engaging trusted family members and friends in treatment plans will enhance patient motivation to manage their chronic illnesses.

Psychological Adjustment of Latina Women with Breast Cancer: Institutional and Psychosocial Factors

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer affecting Hispanic (Latina) women (american cancer society, 2007). among

Latinas, this cancer is more likely to be diagnosed in advanced stages of the disease, resulting in a lower 5-year survivorship rate of 76% for Latina women compared with 85% for non-Hispanic White women (gilliland, Hunt, & Key, 1998; Li, malone, & Daling, 2003; national cancer institute, 2002). this trend is concerning, particularly because the number of Latina survivors is expected to increase due to a growing population, improvements in screening practices, increased early detection, and advances in treatment options. Dr. Lydia Buki is in the process of writing three manuscripts on this topic. the first paper reports on a study of women diagnosed twice and their specific challenges, a topic on which there are no published studies. the second manuscript reports on women’s perceptions of their social support needs, and contrasts these perceptions with reports of services provided by organizations offering support to this population. Preliminary data show that of 40 organizations which provide mental health services to Latina survivors, 77% reported moderate to unprecedented growth in demand for their services in the past several years, and 80% reported a perception that survivors’ needs are not adequately met. the third manuscript addresses the process of attitude change that women undergo as a result of their experience battling a potentially fatal disease. these studies build on previous research showing that many women feel the risks of breast cancer screening outweigh the benefits (Buki, Borrayo, Feigal, & carrillo, 2004; Borrayo, Buki, & Feigal, 2005), which may help explain lower rates of mammography screening and rescreening in this population. she hopes that by conducting these studies and raising awareness about these critical issues impacting Latina women, policy changes can be made to ameliorate health disparities and enhance the mental health outcomes of this neglected population.

n RESEARCH AT THE CENTER


Ruth Nicole BrownAssistant Professor Educational Policy StudiesGender & Women’s Studies

as a unique application of critical pedagogy and civic engaged scholarship, Brown created and co-facilitates saving our Lives Hear our truths (soLHot). soLHot is an arts-infused

space dedicated to documenting the lived experiences of Black female students (from middle school to graduate students) for the purpose of producing knowledge that is relevant, action-oriented, and collaborative. in soLHot, Black women and girls creatively engage with and work against the obstacles in their daily lives.

“My research offers an alternative reading of the actions and behaviors Black women and girls take to make themselves visible in spaces that do not value

their knowledge and presence.”-Ruth Nicole Brown

Working against and through a dominant culture that claims their race, gender, class, age, and sexuality cause their “problem behavior,” these Black women and girls work together to disrupt contemporary discourses of Black girlhood as inherently problematic. Brown’s research analyzes the kinds of individual and collective actions Black girls and women courageously take to intervene on their own behalf. Beyond contributing to academic theories of civic engagement and democratic participation, research findings articulate the significance of soLHot as a collaborative project between the university and community that exemplify principles and practices of a self-affirming and critically engaged educational experience. teachers, parents, and community workers are quick to offer anecdotes about Black girls as problems not because of what they say, but how they say it.

n 2008-2009 FACULTY FELLOWS the center on Democracy in a multiracial society offers fellowships to illinois faculty and graduate students. Fellowships provide release time for one semester, during which fellows are in residence to conduct research across the broad area of “multiracial democracy.” all research projects are expected to have substantial focus on u.s. domestic racial life, including connections to communities in illinois. the center also supports projects that examine u.s. domestic racial life in a global context. Fellowship application guidelines are generally announced in December and applications are due in February. Please visit the cDms website for additional information.

Julie DowlingAssistant ProfessorLatina/Latino Studies Program

chicago area high schools are some of the most racially segregated in the nation. When these students attend university of illinois, their placement in the campus housing system transposes these racial divisions onto the university landscape.

this project explores race and space on campus, specifically focusing on the student dormitories. currently, african american and Latino students are disproportionately housed in two residential halls. using student demographic data, Dowling will investigate how race, socio-economic status and neighborhood of origin influence placement in the illinois dorms. Furthermore, Dowling will explore the racial composition of student networks and perceptions of race relations through a campus survey. While this issue of racial segregation in housing at illinois has been described anecdotally, little has been done empirically to investigate this phenomenon or its effects on students’ experiences and attitudes towards race. using data available through the university, Dowling proposes to “map” where students live on campus based on their race/ethnicity, their neighborhood of origin, and financial aid status. the goal of this project is to explore empirically how socio-economic status, racial background, and neighborhood influence placement in the illinois dorms. it has been suggested that students (both White and minority) often request the same dorm as their high school friends, and that in effect they may be able to transition to the university without ever changing their social circles. this project will examine the extent to which students’ previous spatial worlds (primarily in the greater chicago area) are transposed onto the illinois campus. to explore this issue further, Dowling will construct a short survey to be administered to a probability sample of students residing in campus housing that will collect information regarding the racial composition of students’ social networks and their perceptions of campus race relations.


Sharon S. Lee Doctoral CandidateEducational Policy Studies

this research project re-integrates asian americans into the notion of a multi-racial society and challenges the model minority stereotype (a construction that implies asian americans have no racial problems and

are “honorary whites”). By examining asian american racialized experiences with access and campus climate, this work pushes the boundaries of what it means to be a “minority,” beyond parity. as a racialized non-white group in the united states, asian americans belong in discussions of diversity, racial campus climate, and minority students. Lee seeks to examine racialized students’ experiences and to expand the understanding of what it means to be a racial minority, not to dismiss the continuing challenges of under-representation faced by african american, Latina/o, and native american students. Rather, by uncovering the history of asian american student activism at illinois, larger coalitions can be built around communities that continue to be negatively racialized. this coalition can also challenge the damaging discourse of asican american model minority that has been used to discredit the continuing significance of race for all students of color. secondly, this project examines the impact of higher education policies on different racial groups over time. inter-racial student relationships will be an important component of this study. as asian american students advocated for services, their struggle was in conversation with how the university was serving minority students writ large. african american and Latino students gained services in the 1970s, but asian americans did not make headway until the 1990s. [. . .] Lastly, this project advances a more nuanced and complex way of understanding racial campus climate at illinois. asian american students, while on some measures high achieving and seemingly well adjusted, still experience a less than ideal campus climate. Purely academic measures do not tell the whole story for any racialized group on campus. Hurtado, milem, clayton-Pedersen, and allen conceptualize a multi-dimensional framework for campus climate that includes examining an institution’s history, structural diversity, and behavioral climate.

Aimee N. RickmanDoctoral Candidate Department of Human & Community Development

Rickman proposes a case study project using the cyberbullying framework to analyze primarily student-based discussions related to race in the online forums of the university of illinois

student newspaper – the Daily Illini (DI). the DI online forums create a rare, university-specific, if ad hoc, virtual “town hall space” in which exchanges of ideas on topics related to campus are allowed to take place between divergent groups of individuals and ideologies at any time. of particular interest to this inquiry will be the manner in which ideas related to campus diversity and racial inclusion are represented within this space, the ways contributors present themselves and regard one another within these online forum dialogues, and the binary or pluralist nature taken on by discussions related to race and diversity. also of note will be the level of monitoring within these forums and the way in which these topical discussions – as archived texts – might continue to inform campus climate long after “conversations” have ended. a preliminary review using a definition of cyberbullying as “the act of willfully sending or posting intentionally distressing, demeaning, defaming, manipulative, or threatening aggressive electronic messaging or information using the internet to gain power through anonymous or misleading harassment or public humiliation” – found cyberbullying occurring within these forums. How does it occur, and what might it contribute to campus climate? this project will use document review, interviews, and qualitative case study analysis to address these questions, and examine the role cyberbullying plays within the university’s effort to support campus diversity and racial inclusion.

n 2008-2009 GRADUATE FELLOWS


n RACE, DIVERSITY, AND CAMPUS CLIMATE CONFERENCE

Conference Highlights

WelcomeApril 10, 2008 - 9:00AM-10:15PM

wJorge Chapa, Director, Center on Democracy in

a Multiracial Society

wIntroduction of the Chancellor

Nathaniel C. Banks, Director, Bruce D. Nesbitt

African American Cultural Center

(University of Illinois)

wOpening Remarks

Richard Herman,

Chancellor, University of Illinois

wIntroduction of the Keynote Speaker

Rochelle Gutierrez, Associate Professor,

Department of Curriculum &

Instruction, University of Illinois

wKeynote Address

“Globalism and its Discontents:

Old Thought for a New Century”

Arturo Madrid, Ph.D., Murchison Distinguished

Profesor, Modern Languages & Literatures

Trinity University (San Antonio, Texas)

the Race, Diversity & campus climate conference began with an overall conference welcome from Dr. Jorge chapa, opening remarks from chancellor Richard Herman, and a keynote address from Dr. arturo madrid. chapa dedicated the conference in memory of cathy acevedo, associate Dean of students (university of illinois), and he led a moment of silence in her memory. of acevedo, chapa stated, “she was an ebullient, enthusiastic and tremendously effective supporter of this conference, of diversity, and building a positive campus climate here.” nathaniel c. Banks (Director, Bruce D. nesbitt african american cultural center, university of illinois) echoed chapa’s remembrance of acevedo: “...[i]t’s going to be impossible to replace that energy that cathy brought. We will continue the work that we have started in cathy’s honor.” Following these comments was Banks’ introduction of chancellor Herman. Banks asserted Herman as “dedicated to excellence in education through scientific and intellectual innovation, diversity, public engagement and providing students in education with a global perspective.” in Herman’s opening remarks, he, too, spoke to acevedo’s devotion to the university of illinois. Herman offered, “We will continue to celebrate her accomplishments and hope to do so in a permanent way.” Herman further framed his remarks by acknowledging the newly approved Department of african american studies and the then nearing 40-year marker of martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination (1968). Herman quoted from Dr. martin Luther King, Jr.’s nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech (1964):

(Continued on page 10)

“This is an important conference that comes at an important time in this university’s history.”

-Chancellor Richard Herman, Race, Diversity, & Campus Climate ‘Conference Welcome’.

i refuse to accept despair as the final response to the ambiguities of history. […] i refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never be-come a reality.

Pictured:(Left)Chancellor Rich-ard Herman, Opening Remarks

Pictured: Cathy Acevedo, Conference Honoree

“We [the United States] have inescapably become a multiracial, multiethnic, and multicultural society.”

-Arturo Madrid, PhD


Dr. madrid is the norine R. and t. Frank murchison Distinguished Professor of the Humanities at trinity university. He has an impressive life-long record of service towards advancing the works and contributions of Latina/o students. Dr. madrid was the founding president of the tomás Rivera center, the nation’s first institute for policy studies on Latino issues. in addition to holding academic and administrative appointments at Dartmouth college, the university of california, san Diego, and the university of minnesota, he has also served as Director of the Fund of the improvement of Post- secondary education (FiPse), u.s. Department of education. He also served as national Director of the Ford Foundation’s graduate Fellowship Program for mexican americans, native americans, and Puerto Ricans.

Herman also addressed the conference’s theme, and in reference to campus climate at the university of il-linois, Herman stated, “We are making progress, but there is still much to be done.” Herman also scaffolded his vision for campus climate with Joy ann Williamson’s Black Power on Campus:The University of Illinois 1965-75 (2003). included in Williamson’s book are interviews with alumni of the uni-versity of illinois, and Herman underscored the “intense loneliness” that african american alumni of the university of illinois speak to in Black Power on Campus. only when “every student, every faulty member and employee never experience that level of loneliness” could we “honestly de-clare we have made progress,” Herman asserted. the conference welcome culminated with a keynote address from Dr. arturo madrid. after an introduction by Rochelle gutierrez (associate Professor in the Depart-ment of curriculum & instruction, university of illinois) in which gutierrez spoke of madrid as a “shapeshifter” and someone who made possible her opportunities in the acad-emy, madrid spoke eloquently to the challenges that face institutions of higher education in a 21st century united states and suggested ‘stories’ as a way to make sense of hu-man experience. madrid began his speech by sharing what he deemed “very personal” stories from his youth and life’s experiences in a now “inescapably multiracial, multiethnic society.” madrid further contextualized his stories with the concept of “community” and the ways in which its inter-pretation has changed throughout u.s. history, given the milieu of historical events such as World War ii and sep-tember 11, 2001; given developing technologies; and given a perhaps undue “romanticism” or “idealism” of a past uto-pian sense of community.

moreover, madrid emphasized that he did not portend to have “silver bullets” or “golden arrows” to offer the audience relative to the theme of the conference’s events; nevertheless, madrid offered:

Pictured: Dr. Arturo Madrid, Keynote Address

n RACE, DIVERSITY, AND CAMPUS CLIMATE CONFERENCE

(Continued from page 8)

Please visit the CDMS section of ‘iTunes University’ to listen to

the full conference welcome and keynote address.

i continue, however, to be tenacious in my belief in the promise of america and its institutions. […] We must continue to be informed and engaged citizens who challenge misperceptions and who advocate for high quality opportunities for all and who constitute selflessness rather than self interested representatives of the institution.

i call on you to remain constant in seeking to pro-vide and ensure opportunities. i challenge you to open evermore wide the windows of opportunity, and i urge you to keep the faith, to stay the course to remain committed to creating and sustaining community and to serving it wisely, intelligently, and consciously.

Highlights


wInvited Speakers wAddressing the Chancellor’s Plan of Action:

The Strategies and Struggles of the Department of Anthropology’s Diversity

Committee at University of Illinois wNew Technologies and Their Effects on

Campus Climate wConversation with Dr. Arturo Madrid

wBuilding a Culturally Competent Learning Community

wSignifying as Personal Relationship: Chief Love & Grief at Interdisciplinary Crossroads

wCampus Climate Race Relations: Understanding Campus Activities, Incidents,

& Practices

n RACE, DIVERSITY & CAMPUS CLIMATE CONFERENCE

Session: Signifying as Personal Relationship:

Chief Love & Grief at Interdisciplinary Crossroads

Pictured: (left to right) sharon cabana (Department of anthropology, illinois);

Jason R. soble (Department of educational Psychology, illinois);

D. anthony tyeeme clark (american indian studies, illinois).

Session: New Technologies and Their Effects on Campus Climate

Pictured (left to right): Raina Dyer-Barr (educational Policy studies, illinois); cassidy Browning (theatre, illinois), aimee n. Rickman

(Human & community Development, illinois); and edelmira P. garcia (educational Policy studies, illinois).

Session: The Strategies and Struggles

of the Department of Anthropology’s

Diversity Committee at the University

of Illinois

Pictured: moderator Brian montes

(Department of anthropology, illinois).

FIRST CONCURRENT SESSION10:30AM – 12 NOON

Session: Conversation with

Dr. Arturo Madrid

Pictured: (Left) Dr. arturo madrid

Highlights


Session: Asian American College

Perspectives of Campus Climate

Pictured: (above) teresa mok; (right)

sharon s. Lee

Session: Diversity Initiatives at the University of Illinois

Pictured: (left to right) Karen carney (assoc. Dean, Las, illinois);

Wynne Korr (Dean, school of social Work, illinois); ilesanmi ad-

esida (Dean, college of engineering, illinois); Helen a. neville

(Professor, Department of educational Psychology, illinois); Fe-

niosky Pena-mora (associate Provost, illinois); Linda Katehi (Pro-

vost, illinois). Pictured: (below, right) audience member asks a

question to the panel.

DIVERSITY DIALOGUE WITH PROVOST LINDA KATEHI

12:30-1:00PM

SECOND CONCURRENT SESSION1:00-2:30PM

wDiversity and the University CurriculumwAre You Down for the Cause? Student

Activism & Leadership in the 21st Century wStudent & Faculty Perspectives on

Campus Climate wDiversity Initiatives at the

University of Illinois wCampus Climate Change

wPerformance: Inner Voices Social Theater


Session: Are You Down for the Cause? Student Activism

& Leadership in the 21st Century

Pictured: (Below) chime o. asonye

Session: Inner Voices Social Theater (Performance)

Pictured: Facilitators including Ruth nicole Brown (far left),

author of Endangered Black Girls.

Highlights


wImplementing Change: Diversity Initiatives

& Assessment at Predominately

White Institutions (PWIs)

wHearing, Understanding, & Living ‘The Dream’:

Programmatic Models of Success

wEnhancing the Living & Working Environment

at the University of Illinois

wHow Does Off-Campus Service Learning Affect

the Campus Climate at University of Illinois?

wThe McNair Scholars Program: A Proven Path

to Faculty Diversity

wCommunity-based Pedagogies for Social Justice

wResidence Life - Administrative & Organizational

Campus Issues

wLatino/a Students at the University of Illinois

(Urbana-Champaign)

Highlightsn RACE, DIVERSITY & CAMPUS CLIMATE CONFERENCE

Session: Enhancing the Living & Working

Environment at the University of Illinois

Pictured:(clockwise from top) Larine cowan,

Director; cloLeeta simpson & chad martinez,

assitant Directors. (office of equal opportunity

and access, illinois).

Session: Implementing Change: Diversity Initiatives & Assessment at Predominately White Institutions (PWIs)

Pictured (left to right) christopher span (asst. Prof., educational Policy studies, illinois); John matlock (assoc. Vice Provost,

office of academic multicultural initiatvies, u of michicagn, ann arbor); melodie yates (Director, Diversity training & Research, cleveland state u);

Denise green (assoc. VP, office for institutional Diversity, central michigan u); a.m. ulana Klymyshyn (Director, multicultural education center, central

michigan u); Katrina Wade-golden (senior Research specialist, office of academic multicultural initiatives, ann arbor).

Session: Latino/a Students at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign)

Pictured: (left to right) Belinda De La Rosa (office of the Dean of students, illinois); adele Lozano (Director, La casa cultural Latina, illinois);

celina Villanueva (undergraduate student, illinois); christopher garibay (Las, illinois).

THIRD CONCURRENT SESSION 2:45-4:00PM



CLOSING POSTER SESSION & CONFERENCE RECEPTION

4:00-5:00PMPOSTERS

wCOMM--U aNd I-TY: A Call for University and

Community Collaboration for Social Justice

wCreating a Connected and Collaborative Community:

Exploring Effective Literacy Pedagogy in and for a

Richly Diverse School

wLibrary and Information Science Access Midwest

Program (LAMP)

wMapping Environmental Racism in the Contaminated North

End of Champaign, IL

wThe Impact on Staff and Student Climate after Three Years of the

Mandatory Para-professional Staff Training Course

wThe UIUC African American Architecture Alumni Web Site:

A National Prototype

EXHIBITS

wAfrican American Studies and Research Program

wAsian American Cultural Center

wAsian American Studies Program

wBruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center

wCenter on Democracy in a Multiracial Society

wIntersections Living Learning Community/Housing

wKrannert Art Museum - Landscapes of Experience

& Imagination: Explorations by Midwest Latina/Latino Artists

wLa Casa Cultura Latina

wLatina/Latino Studies Program

wNative American House

Pictured: (above) Library & information science access midwest

Program (LamP) poster; (right) african american studies &

Research Program display table.

Pictured: (above) asian american cultural center display table

Pictured (Left to Right): african american studies and Research Program display table;

melissa Pognon (Human & community Development, illinois) comm--u and i-ty: a

call for university & community collaboration for social Justice poster.

Pictured: (above) Ken salo (Dept. of urban

& Regional Planning, illinois), mapping

environmental Racism in the contaminated

north end of champaign, iL poster.

Highlights


n UPCOMING EVENTS

February 7thart and Resistance Lecture featuring Favianna Rodriquez, the award winning Bay area printmaker Latzer Hall, university ymca 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm

February 15thcDms co-sponsorship Request Deadline 5:00p.m.

February 20thcDms Fellowship application Deadline 5:00p.m.

February 20th-22nd 4th Biennial Latina/Latino studies graduate student conference: “terquedades/ nuevos ‘sitios y Lenguas’: (Re)imagining gender, sexuality and Feminism in Latina/o studies” Levis Faculty center

February 25tha conversation with Julian Bond (social activist, chairman of the naacP Board, and narrator of “eyes on the Prize” alice campbell alumni center (Ballroom) 7:00p.m.

March 30th 2009-2010 Fellowship award announcement

April 15thcDms co-sponsorship Request Deadline 5:00p.m.

May 20th-23rdthe Fifth international congress of Qualitative inquiry (Qi2009) theme – “advancing Human Rights through Qualitative inquiry”all Day

n GRADUATE INTERN

amy sponsler is a msW candidate for the school of social with a specialization in advocacy, Leadership, and social change. Her studies and research have included: Race and gender discrimination among african american and Latino youth, the Latino Health Paradox, the benefits of Bilingual

programs for Latino children, childhood obesity, the effects of the national school Lunch Program on elementary children’s health and behavior. amy’s interests are to develop programs that inspire, educate, and advocate for health, diversity, and tolerance in public institutions.

n CENTER STAFF

Director Jorge chapa

Program CoordinatorJennifer Roether

Research Specialistmargaret Browne Huntt

Office Assistant Jared collins

Student Office AssistantsRoy Linzy-turnerKaylin young

Student Volunteer Assistanturiel montoya

Editorial AssistantKristin mccann

Graduate Internamy sponsler

center on Democracy in a multiracial society1108 W. stoughton, urbana, iL 61801Phone: 217.244.0188 • Fax: 217.333.8122 e-mail: [email protected]

CONTACT CDMS

ReconstRucting DemocRacy

university of illinois Volume 6 • Fall 2008

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