Black Advisory Council Membership Announced
In a recent email to the campus community, Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy and Vice Chancellor and Chief Diversity Officer Nefertiti Walker named the members of the newly-formed Black Advisory Council.
That email is as follows:
Dear Campus Community:
Today, we are writing to follow up on our previous message, of October 28, announcing the formation of a Black Advisory Council (BAC). We have now named the members of the council, and the full list can be viewed online.
The BAC is being launched in close coordination with the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Serving as co-chairs are Whitney Battle-Baptiste, professor and director for the W.E.B. Du Bois Center, and Wilmore Webley, associate professor and associate dean of the Graduate School’s Office of Inclusion and Engagement.
BAC objectives include, but are not limited to:
- Providing expertise, counsel and recommendations to support positive, equitable and inclusive experiences for Black students, staff and faculty
- Developing within the UMass community fuller awareness and understanding of Black and African American issues, within and of our campus community
- Identifying opportunities for increased education and awareness for the campus community
- Encouraging and supporting campus initiatives and strategic planning that seek to imbed specific focus for Black people and matters
- Monitoring campus performance and guiding goal setting for the ongoing recruitment, retention, and success of Black students, staff and faculty
The BAC will meet once this semester, and will begin its work in earnest in Spring 2022. Although the core council members have been established, there will be many more opportunities for the UMass community to serve and support this work through subcommittee membership. So, please do visit the website for more information next semester.
Sincerely,
Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy
Vice Chancellor and Chief Diversity Officer Nefertiti Walker