In Summer 2020, the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officer Derek Chauvin sparked outrage across the world and at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). It was yet one more reminder of the disproportionate numbers of Black and Brown individuals who die at the hands of police in the United States, and of longstanding structural racism and lingering white supremacy in our country. George Floyd’s murder, in the wake of many others, also sparked a call for institutions and other power structures to be more responsive to racism and to be, in fact, anti-racist. Silence was no longer an option.
Themes & Actions Bridging Anti-Racism to N2025 Commitment to Continued ActionBridging Anti-Racism to N2025
This effort comes in the midst of UNL’s N2025 Strategic Plan where the institution committed to every person and every interaction mattering through our teaching, research, and service—with a keen focus on marginalized communities. The ELT reviewed the themes of recommendations provided by the Journey Co-Leaders, existing efforts across the institution, and the N2025 strategic plan to derive a list of actions that advanced our journey and fulfilled our institutional aim to make inclusive excellence and diversity a greater priority.
While these actions map to many aspects of the N2025, the ELT recognizes the strategic plan was not originally constructed through the lens of anti-racism. Therefore, there are new areas for which UNL will need to explore to fully engage in our journey. These actions are intended for the journey to be all of our work—together.
These action items are organized into five themes:
- Theme 1: Advancing Diversity and Inclusion Across the Institution
- Theme 2: Positioning Academic Excellence and Learning Through Diversity
- Theme 3: Promoting Community, Sense of Belonging, and Mattering
- Theme 4: Building and Sustaining Anti-Racist Infrastructure and Accountability
- Theme 5: Acknowledging the Impact of COVID-19 on Communities who are Under-resourced or Racially Minoritized
Within those themes are the:
- Action
- Status of the Action - New (has not started); Initiated (there has been an initial meeting or start of work); In Progress (work is underway); Completed (effort is completed and evidence of completion to be provided)
NewInitiatedIn ProgressCompleted
- Timeline
The Leads denoted are only to represent the primary leads or contacts responsible to ensure accountability and the progress and completion of the action. However, this work will rely on hearing and engaging individuals from racially minoritized communities and having our entire community come together to support this journey. We also recognize there has been efforts to promote racial equity and anti-racism already occurring at the University, which inspires us and contributes to our journey. We encourage you to share what you are doing with us.
Commitment to Continued Reflection and Action
Any set of actions will not reflect all of the work that must be done to dismantle racism, but it provides a starting point identified by many stakeholders across the institution. Again, the use of the term “journey” emphasizes we will continue to listen, identify opportunities, and act. Visit the Taking Action section to learn more about what you can do to promote racial equity and inclusion. Our journey for anti-racism expands and strengthens, as opposed to replaces, our existing efforts to advance inclusive excellence and diversity and calls for engaging in deep self-reflection and self-assessment, learning and understanding racialized histories and critical concepts, raising our consciousness, identifying racial inequities, and continuously addressing those inequities. As noted by Anneliese Singh, “healing from racism is a journey.” Visit the Understanding Racism section to learn more.
The First Implementation of the Journey
Theme 1: Advancing Diversity and Inclusion Across the Institution
What we heard: There are significant disparities in representation of Black, Indigenous, and people of color among faculty and staff ranks and a dearth in resources to support Black students, Indigenous students, and students of color who are faced with navigating hostile and challenging racial climates.
We will develop strategies, programs, and support mechanisms to attract, recruit, retain, and support students, staff, and faculty from racially minoritized populations. [N2025 Strategy: a) Expand systematic efforts to recruit and retain students, faculty, staff, and administrators from underrepresented groups; and b) Engage in practices that value every person and every interaction in ways that promote equity, dignity, and respect for individuals from a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives.]
Student Support
Provide current and historical data regarding enrollment, financial aid, retention, and graduation rates for students from racially minoritized groups at UNL and use the analyses to inform and improve student supports and services.
Dedicated staff person focused on undergraduate diversity and equity data
Timeline: 0–3 Months
Lead: Academic Affairs / Undergraduate Education and Graduate Studies
Provide education and information for students engaged in activism on how to obtain legal services and support available to them, their rights when encountering law enforcement, and ways to report in-person or virtual harassment.
Timeline: 3-6 Months
Lead: Student Affairs
Increase outreach and engagement of mental health and wellbeing professionals with racially minoritized communities on city and east campuses and enhance programming to meet the needs of communities of color.
Timeline: 0–3 Months
Lead: Student Affairs, Business and Finance/Human Resources, Athletics, Academic Counseling Centers
Create an inclusive excellence fund to support projects, study abroad, and service-learning opportunities that expand local and global perspectives on racial justice.
Timeline: 6–12 months
Lead: Chancellor
Faculty and Staff Recruitment Support
Begin a comprehensive review of hiring practices and retention data of tenure-track, non-tenure track faculty, extension faculty, and staff in the context of race and ethnicity.
Timeline: 3–6 Months
Lead: Equity and Compliance, Academic Affairs/Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics, and Diversity and Inclusion
Develop and regularly offer workshops on equitable and inclusive recruitment and hiring for faculty and staff members serving on search committees.
Timeline: 3–6 Months
Lead: Equity and Compliance, Diversity and Inclusion, Academic Affairs/Faculty Affairs, and Institute for Agriculture and Natural Resources
Incorporate UNL’s core responsibility to “create a positive culture and to safeguard equity, inclusion, dignity, and respect for all” in new employee and new faculty orientation sessions.
Timeline: 3-6 Months
Lead: Business and Finance/Human Resources, Academic Affairs/Faculty Affairs, Diversity and Inclusion
Implement broader recruitment practices among athletic administrators, head coaches, psychologists, and mid-level staff who come from underrepresented groups compared to the demographics of student athletes from those groups.
Timeline: 12+ Months
Lead: Athletics
Theme 2: Positioning Academic Excellence and Learning Through Diversity
What we heard: There is little to no institutional or centralized effort and resources to strengthen the University’s research and creative activities that reflect racial and ethnic scholarship and studies.
We will leverage, strengthen, and elevate the expertise and scholarship across our institution and within academic departments and curricula that address race and diversity. [2025 Strategy: a) Prioritize diversity of perspectives, approaches, and backgrounds when solving challenges, b) Recruit and develop diverse world-class researchers, scholars, artists, and staff and provide them with strong institutional and community support; and c) Identify Grand Challenges that leverage existing strengths and seek to solve issues important to Nebraska and the world.]
Promoting Faculty Scholarship
Develop a fund to support a research Consortium on Anti-Racism, strategic hires for scholars who contribute to the UNL Grand Challenge to address racism and racial inequity, and research and creative activity collaborations.
Grand Challenges
Timeline: 6–12 Months
Lead: Academic Affairs, Research and Economic Development, and Diversity and Inclusion
Reexamine promotion and tenure processes to include clear expectations on diversity and inclusion and ensure equitable representation in the review and decision process in the case of joint appointments.
Timeline: 6–12 months
Lead: Academic Affairs/Faculty Affairs, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Faculty Senate
Strengthening the Curriculum
Provide regularly offered anti-racist and inclusive teaching seminars focused on examining racial bias in the classroom and course materials.
Timeline: 3–6 months
Lead: Center for Transformative Teaching and Diversity and Inclusion
Task the ACE committee with revising ACE 9 to mandate a more rigorous and specific definition of diversity and to vet the current list of courses that count for that requirement, removing any that do not meet or exceed that more focused definition.
Timeline: 6–12 months
Lead: Faculty Senate/Academic Planning Committee, Academic Affairs/Undergraduate Education, and Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Review course evaluations for potential bias-driven discrepancies among female instructors, instructors of color, instructors who are socially marginalized in other ways, and all instructors who teach courses that mandate serious engagement with diversity.
Timeline: 6–12 months
Lead: Academic Affairs/Undergraduate Education, Faculty Senate
Support the Institute for Ethnic Studies through the continued examination and addressing of power differentials between programs and departments and the formation of a roadmap to create an Asian American Studies Program and bachelor degree programs in existing program areas: African American, Native American, and Hispanic American Studies.
Timeline: 12+ months
Lead: Arts and Sciences and Academic Affairs
Theme 3: Promoting Community, Sense of Belonging, and Mattering
What we heard: Communities of color are not fully supported and do not feel a sense of belonging. Further, there is a lack of understanding on what it means for the institution to be anti-racist.
We will promote equity and inclusion within our practices and support mechanisms, foster an inclusive institutional climate for belonging, racial equity, and mattering [N2025 Strategy: a) Engage in practices that value every person and every interaction in ways that promote equity, dignity, and respect for individuals from a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives; b) Enhance existing and create new programs and networks for academic, cultural, and social support and resilience and personal well-being for students, staff, faculty, and administrators.]
Campus Climate
Develop a clear and more robust approach to addressing and supporting campus climate issues through creating a systematic process for responding to individuals who are targets of exclusion, harassment, discrimination, and stereotypes based on identity.
Inclusive Climate Support Network
Timeline: 3–6 Months
Lead: Student Affairs, Institutional Equity and Compliance, and Diversity and Inclusion
Professional Development and Cross-Cultural Engagement
Through the formation of a research Consortium on Anti-Racism, the development of education tools and learning modules for faculty, staff, and students that provide opportunities for critical conversations and skill building related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and racial justice.
Timeline: 3–6 Months
Lead: Journey Co-Leaders, Research and Economic Development, Diversity and Inclusion
Increase information and education on how to support students who might face DACA and immigration challenges.
DACA Resources
Timeline: 3–6 months
Lead: Diversity and Inclusion
Local Support and Engagement
Elevate and leverage the NU Supplier Diversity program to promote minority-owned business with analysis on utilization of Black-owned businesses in the community and organizations that support and serve Black youth and the Black community.
NU Supplier Diversity
Timeline: 6–12 Months
Lead: Chancellor, Business and Finance, NU System
Strengthen collaboration with Lincoln police to prevent the poor treatment off campus of UNL community members from racially minoritized backgrounds.
Timeline: 3–6 months
Lead: Business and Finance, UNL Police Department
Theme 4: Building and Sustaining Anti-Racist Infrastructure and Accountability
What we heard: There are racial, cultural, and Indigenous perspectives missing in University structures, history, and physical and symbolic representations. There is also curiosity and more information needed on policing policies and partnerships with other local and state police.
We will examine and revise existing policies and practices, promote a culture of transparency and accountability, and revisit our institutional history, iconography, and representation. [N2025 Strategy: a) Create systematic procedures to evaluate and improve campus climate focused on inclusion, diverse experiences, and sense of belonging; and b) Identify and address institutional barriers that perpetuate equity gaps between and across underrepresented groups.]
Leadership
Develop an institutional commitment and central communication hub focused on anti-racism and racial equity that provides information, leadership communications, updates, anti-racism and racial equity definitions and resources, progress on efforts, and opportunities for University input and feedback.
Journey website
Timeline: 0–3 Months
Lead: University Communication, Diversity and Inclusion
Weave anti-racism and racial equity into N2025 and within department/college/unit strategic diversity plans or actions.
Timeline: 3–6 Months
Lead: Council on Inclusive Excellence and Diversity
Institutional Oversight
Reevaluate university-wide committees, councils, and commissions to ensure representation and/or perspectives are heard from key academic—including cultural academic programs—and administrative units, leadership organizations, and stakeholder groups.
Timeline: 3–6 Months
Lead: All Leaders
Charge the Chancellor’s Commission on the Status of People of Color, the Council on Inclusive Excellence and Diversity, and collective student group to work with the Journey Co-Leaders to continually identify sustainable efforts or actions that advance anti-racism at UNL and monitor progress of the University’s anti-racism and racial equity efforts.
Timeline: 6–12 months
Lead: Chancellor’s Office
Place and History
Formalize an institutional land acknowledgement.
Timeline: 3–6 Months
Lead: Chancellor’s Office, Native American and Indigenous Advisory Board, Chancellor’s Commission on the Status of People of Color
Establish a History and Place Task Force to continuously review UNL’s history, messaging and imagery, naming, and honorifics and identify opportunities to acknowledge the institution’s and Nebraska cultural histories, to demonstrate the University’s commitment to inclusive excellence, and to enhance representation of racially marginalized groups.
Timeline: 6–12 months
Lead: Chancellor’s Office, University Communication, Business and Finance, Student Affairs
Public Safety and Engagement with Police
Hold recurring open dialogues to discuss important topics, including updates from UNLPD, related to racial climate and inclusion.
Timeline: 3–6 Months
Lead: Chancellor’s Office and Business and Finance
Establish a review board composed of faculty, staff, students, and community members to examine complaints of police misconduct involving students on campus.
UNLPD Advisory Board
Timeline: N/A
Lead: Business and Finance/UNL Police Department
Conduct a review of institutional relationships and partnerships with local and state police.
Timeline: 6–12 months
Lead: Business and Finance/UNL Police Department
Ensure UNL Police Department enacts a 21st Century public safety model focused on connecting with community members and peacekeeping, requiring safety and accountability (e.g., wearing body cameras).
UNLPD Accountability Statement
Community Feedback Form
Timeline: Completed and Ongoing
Lead: Business and Finance/UNL Police Department
Theme 5: Acknowledging the Impact of COVID-19 on Communities who are Under-resourced or Racially Minoritized
What we heard: The institutional responses and key learnings from the university’s response to COVID need to include information on how the pandemic disproportionately impacted communities of color.
We remain aware of the disproportionate impact COVID-19 has had on under resourced and ethnically diverse communities and will seek local, regional, and national data. We will review university response policies to ensure the following were present: a) Equity for students, faculty, and staff; b) Decisions were clearly and transparently communicated in ways that informed and educated; and c) UNL emphasized behaviors that respect and support health and safety of all UNL community members and of the larger communities of which we are all a part.
Seek key local, county, and state data points for racially minoritized groups on COVID-19.
Timeline: 0–6 Months
Lead: COVID-19 Task Force
Ensure local and state data points for racially minoritized groups on COVID-19 is incorporated into the ongoing research efforts as part of UNL’s Grand Challenge for Health Equity.
Timeline: 1-2 years
Lead: Research and Economic Development
Ensure guiding principles responding to COVID-19 by UNL recognized the need for and offered protections for faculty, staff, and students from racially minoritized backgrounds in their various roles (including but not limited to advancement and promotion).
Timeline: 0–6 Months
Lead: Chancellor, Academic Affairs/Faculty Affairs, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Student Affairs, and Business and Finance/Human Resources
Should new variants of COVID-19 arise and create the need for additional response or policies from the university, any impacts of those variants on racially minoritized groups are factored into and explicitly reflected in UNL’s response.
Timeline: 0-6 months
Lead: Chancellor, Academic Affairs, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Student Affairs, and Business and Finance/Human Resources