The message below was sent by Eleanor JB Daugherty, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students, to students on all campuses on October 27, 2021
Dear Huskies,
I really need students to apply for the Bias Action Group. We have some interested students but I know there are more of you out there who care deeply about this work and want to be part of our future efforts. The Bias Action Group is a new group that will meet every semester to review our bias data, identify trends and concerns, and create programming and messaging that address the real issues present at UConn.
You may remember that Dr. Tuitt and I wrote to you about a month ago reviewing all the bias data shared with the university. In that email, we shared that bias occurs on our campuses and that bias behavior harms and insults members of our UConn community. Those actions undermine our ability to care for one another, respect identity, and be a global center for learning and scholarship.
UConn wants to be better about how we respond to those referrals and identify those areas where we need to improve in training, education, and programming.
I find that we often learn from one another and do better work for UConn in the process. Here are a few examples of what resulted from those efforts:
- Students shared with me the importance of disclosing what we have learned about bias at UConn. That led to the regular email from myself and Dr. Tuitt as well as other colleagues.
- Students advised me of the need to share what we know and how we respond.
- Students sought to have a clear reporting pathway, which led to this comprehensive site that was easy to understand.
Clearly, involving students in how we handle complex issues makes UConn better. You have always helped myself and my colleagues be a better UConn. We do our best work together.
If you are interested in joining this group, please email your name, contact information, and a brief explanation of your involvement and interest in participating on the Bias Action Group to dos@uconn.edu. Please write “Bias Action Group” in the subject line. Applications should be received no later than November 14, 2021 (yes, Saturday) at 5 pm.
We need you in order to do our best work for UConn. I hope you will consider applying. All students on all campuses are welcome to apply.
Yours,
Eleanor JB Daugherty, EdD
Associate Vice President and Dean of Students
For more information, contact: Janice Canniff at janice.canniff@uconn.edu