April 11, 2017 Meeting of Diversity Committee

Minute Taker: Heather Murphy

1. Approve March meeting minutes
2. Committee Fair on April 13, 1-3 pm
3. Updates
   a. ClimateQUAL
   b. Central Illinois Library Workers
   c. Sesquicentennial event: March 29, The African American Student Experience at Illinois: The Early Years
4. Spring Events
   a. Diversity Committee Brown Bag Series—Advertising—Reschedule Qiang
   b. Potluck
   c. Other
5. Update on Online Form for Climate/Diversity/Inclusion ideas from Library Staff
6. Future Events
   a. Co-Sponsoring and providing funding for Mortenson lecture in the fall—asking for $1000
   b. Fall brown bags
   c. Fall programs/exhibits
   d.Cross Cultural Communication offered by International Student and Scholar Services—Should we offer this training for the Library?

Next meeting:  May 9, 2017
Laila Hussein Moustafa (for JJ/JJ took March minutes)

Parking Lot/Future Agenda Items:

• Greg Knott report back from Big 10 HR meeting
• Diversity statement

Cindy, Qiang, Ben, Donna for Greg, Angie, Harriett, Ellen, Heather

Absent: Laila, Zoe, JJ

Minute Taker: Harriett Green (with a few additions from Heather Murphy)

1. Approve March meeting minutes
   Minutes approved as written. Cindy will send to Heather for posting.
2. Committee Fair on April 13, 11am -1pm
   Cindy reminded the committee that the committee fair is on Thursday from 11am to 1pm
   1. Approximately 7 committees will be represented
   2. Beth and Cindy will be attending to answer general questions\
3. Updates
   1. ClimateQUAL – Implementation Team is working on a final report. Discussed results from the Cohesive Communication workshops – 27 people attended the workshops; people seemed to get a lot out of it.  A few people suggested having a book group on the Cohesive Communications book that Tiy used.  Organizers will read the book over the summer and come up with discussion questions for a fall book group. Staff Development is willing to buy copies of the book for a fall event. May read select chapters rather than the whole book, and could do over the lunch hour. The authors have written quite a bit and have a website on communications, team work, and work culture.
   2. Central Illinois Library Workers: Still meeting once a month, met at the end of March.
   3. Sesquicentennial event: March 29, The African American Student Experience at Illinois: The Early Years. Was quite successful. Ellen reported that about 80 people attended; the Chancellor gave opening remarks; one speaker had done a dissertation on black female students, and another speaker on the work of the local AME church, the community, and the unofficial “Dean of Men” Albert R. Lee. Diversity Committee funded the refreshments, and will co-sponsor a couple events in the fall. Quite a few people had questions, including community members from Bethel AME.  Thanks to Heather and campus for promoting the event.  For information see https://archives.library.illinois.edu/150/
4. Spring Events
   1. Diversity Committee Brown Bag Series
      Qiang’s event was the same day as the last Cohesive Communications workshop on March 29.  We will reschedule Qiang; try for May 17.  We also should try to include more information about these events. Cindy had a request from someone about this.
      JJ will host a discussion on April 26, 2017 on Disability Awareness.
      We would like to keep doing these discussions in the fall.
   2. Potluck
      Angie said the United Church of Christ might have space.  She will check on this.  Given the late date at this point, do we want move it to the summer?  We agreed that we did.  Let’s try for late June or early July.  Cindy will talk to Zoe about this.  We will try to get the YMCA again.
   3. Other
      Diversity Committee at iSchool finished with their events for the spring.
5. Update on Online Form for Climate/Diversity/Inclusion ideas from Library Staff
   Heather and JJ drafted a 2-question form. Cindy met with JoAnn – supportive of creating a form, but needs to be more than just complaints, and the form probably should come from beyond the Diversity Committee. ClimateQUAL implementation Team is thinking about recommending the creation of an Organizational Climate Steering Team with representative members from across the library which would meet a couple times a semester. This group might look into creating a form.Perhaps instead of form, need to make clear where Library personnel can go to – a chart of the options? Make people aware of the mechanisms already in place.

   The digital signage points people to http://go.illinois.edu/inclusivelibrary, but that is more of an outward facing (not internal) way to connect.

   Some Library staff use the general feedback form at https://illinois.edu/fb/sec/1454867 to submit comments and concerns.

   Have a Cohesive Communication workshop for supervisors?

6. Future Events
   1. Co-Sponsoring and providing funding for Mortenson lecture in the fall—asking for $1000 – table for today
   2. Fall brown bags – table for today
   3. Fall programs/exhibits – table for today
   4. Cross Cultural Communication offered by International Student and Scholar Services: Should we offer this training for the Library? One session in the morning and one in the afternoon to catch as many people as we can? Cindy will inquire with Zoe Revell.
      Do in the summer? Must consider smaller units and their staffing over the summer.
      Do one in Grainger?
      Work with the International and Area Studies Library

Next meeting: May 9, 2017
Laila Hussein Moustafa (for JJ/JJ took March minutes)

Parking Lot/Future Agenda Items:

• Greg Knott report back from Big 10 HR meeting
• Diversity statement