Forever Foreign: Asian America, Global Asia, and the Problem of Anti-Asian Racism

A violent incident of anti-Asian racism earlier this year has inspired the launch of a new series of lectures, discussions, film screenings, and reading groups at Colorado College: “Forever Foreign: Asian America, Global Asia, and the Problem of Anti-Asian Racism.” 


Following the mass killing of Asian-Americans in Atlanta on March 16, an act of violent anti-Asian racism that shook the nation, a group of CC faculty felt it would be helpful to host a series of events that highlight the histories, narratives, and voices from Asian societies and of Asian diaspora communities in the United States to increase knowledge and awareness of these communities. This year-long series centers the perspectives and voices of the Asian diaspora communities and deepens the ongoing conversations on antiracism.
 
On November 10, Thenmozhi Soundararajan, of Equality Labs, will speak in a Zoom-broadcast lecture on “Caste in the United States: Dispatches from the Civil Rights Movement for Caste Equity in the U.S.”
 
The following events are upcoming in the Fall Semester:
 
Wednesday, Nov. 10, 4-5:30 p.m.
Thenmozhi Soundararajan, Equality Labs
“Caste in the United States: Dispatches from the Civil Rights Movement for Caste Equity in the U.S.”
 
Thursday, Dec. 2, 3 p.m.  
Film screening: “Somewhere Between”
Followed by discussion facilitated by John Williams and Jason Weaver.
Cornerstone Screening Room
 
Tuesday, Dec. 7, 5 p.m.
Amrita Basu, the Domenic J. Paino 1955 Professor of Political Science and Sexuality, Women’s and Gender Studies at Amherst College
“Gendering Populism and Recognizing its Varied Affective Appeals,” Edith Kinney Gaylord Lecture in Asian Studies
 

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Join Board of Trustees Town Hall TODAY

Zoom town hall 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Zoom town hall 4:30-5:30 p.m.

You’re invited to join President L. Song Richardson and the Colorado College Board of Trustees for a town hall event today. 


On Monday, Nov. 8, 4:30-5:30 p.m., Board Chair Jeff Keller ’91, P ’22, Vice Chair Ryan Haygood ’97, and Secretary Heather Carroll ’89 will join President Richardson to share updates from their fall board meeting. Please register here to participate in this virtual event. 

The town hall will be recorded and shared with the campus community later this week.  

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Project 2024

Dear CC Community,

We are excited to share with you the next stage of Project 2024. We look forward to harnessing your creativity, ingenuity, and courage as we ask ourselves, “How can we do what we do better?”
The process: 
The Cabinet, FEC, Staff Council co-chairs, and the CCSGA president shared their ideas for the process. Faculty also spoke to the question at the Block 1 faculty meeting. They generally advised that:
  • People are busy; don’t take too much of their time.
  • Do what you can to encourage frank, forward-looking conversation.
  • Keep the meetings small.
  • Select participants randomly rather than by division or department/program.
  • Follow up on the initial meeting.

B
ased on this input, here is how the conversations will be organized.
The conversations:
1. Meetings of students, faculty, and staff to discuss the question: “How can we do what we do better?” These conversations focus on possibilities rather than problems.  
2. A Project 2024 committee, appointed by President Richardson from lists created in consultation with the CCSGA, Staff Council, and FEC, leads the conversations and identifies major themes. 

Timetable: 
Generating ideas: Blocks 4-7
Students meet in their residential hall groups with RAs facilitating and summarizing the discussions. A random selection of off-campus students receive invitations from President Richardson to join groups led by student members of the committee.
Staff divide into randomly selected groups of 25, as do the faculty.
These groups meet twice — the first time for 90 minutes and the second time for 60 minutes.
The first meeting initiates their discussion of the “what ifs.” Two staff members from the committee lead meetings of the staff; two faculty members lead the meetings of faculty. Attendees agree on a summary of their initial thoughts.
The follow-up meeting develops, refines, and summarizes the major themes identified in the first meeting. Two committee members from outside the category (a student and a staff member for faculty groups) facilitate. The coordinator (Susan Ashley) will attend this round of meetings. 
The CCSGA, FEC, Staff Council, Cabinet, and other established groups will also address the question.
We will work on ways of drawing trustees, alumni, and parents into the process.      

Synthesizing conversations
Blocks 7-8
Committee members exchange information on what they’re hearing beginning in Block 4 and report on the larger themes by Block 8.
It may happen that themes emerge early in the campus-wide conversations. In that case, the committee will report those to the community and redirect subsequent conversations to ways of transforming possibilities into actions.
Expect to receive an invitation to the first meeting over the next several weeks from Kelli Drury in the President’s Office. 
Thank you again for participating in this important conversation. We look forward to what will be revealed!
All our best,

 

L. Song Richardson

President

 

Susan Ashley

Professor and Chair, Economics and Business
Project 2024 Coordinator

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CC’s Antiracist Book Club Presents: Critical Race Theory

You’re invited Monday, Nov. 8

You’re invited Monday, Nov. 8

Come together to discuss the first selection in this year’s Antiracist Book Club. 


Reading and discussing Delgado and Stefanic’s “Critical Race Theory will help you to answer for yourself, “What is all the fuss about?”
 
Join Dr. Claire Oberon Garcia, acting provost and dean of the faculty, and Barry Fagin, senior associate dean of the faculty at the U.S. Air Force Academy, for a discussion of differing views and interpretations of Critical Race Theory on Monday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m. in Cornerstone Screening Room (Cornerstone 131) and via Zoom. Join virtually by registering here. Note: Fagin’s views are his own and not necessarily those of the U. S. Air Force Academy.
 
Garcia created a study guide for this text, as well as an extensive list of resources for further reading and viewing. You can access this guide on the Antiracist Book Club Microsoft Teams platform
 
The ABC continues in the next semester with both written and audio versions of Tarana Burke and Brene Brown’s bestseller, “You are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame, Resilience, and the Black Experience;” one of the essayists, Austin Channing Brown, will be our Block 5 First Mondays speaker. “Ebony & Ivy: Race, Slavery, and the Troubled History of America’s Universities by Craig Wilder is the final book of this academic year. These timely texts were selected to get us thinking about antiracism from multiple angles. Each book will be accompanied by study guides, talks, and other resources.   

Hope to see you Monday!

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COVID Cases on the Rise: Reduce Your Risk

We write to you this morning to ask for your continued cooperation with campus risk mitigation protocols and to share that we are at a critical junction in our management of this pandemic.  


We have seen an increase in infections among students this week in connection with large social gatherings. Our ability to finish the semester in-personand for students to spend fall break at homedepends to a large extent on your willingness to adhere to our science-based risk mitigation protocols.  
 
As of Thursday evening, 22 students have received positive test results in addition to 8 earlier this week. We currently have 30 new weekly cases, the highest number since the beginning of the pandemic. Currently 37 students are in quarantine or isolation. 
 
Risk is cumulative and it is within our power to limit the spread. Every action we take to reduce our risk of exposure matters. By continuing to adhere to risk mitigation protocols on and off-campus, such as indoor mask wearing, testing, social distancing, and handwashing, you are doing your part to secure a safer in-person learning experience.         

To slow the spread, we ask that you:
  • Temporarily limit your social interactions; 
  • Avoid engaging in unmasked indoor activities and wear a mask when interacting indoors with people who are not from your household;  
  • Do not come to class when experiencing any cold-like symptoms; 
  • Get tested for COVID-19 if you have any cold-like symptoms such as cough, fever, sore throat etc. Call the Student Health Center (719) 389-6384 to make an appointment (M-F 8 a.m.-noon, 1-7 p.m.; Sat/Sun 11 a.m.-4 p.m.). 

As a community we have done a tremendous job adhering to risk mitigation protocols and keeping case numbers low. However, our campus exists within the broader context of El Paso County where COVID-19 incidence (377/100,000/week), positivity rate (12%), and transmission levels are at an all-time high. Governor Polis has issued Public Health Order 21-02 Concerning Hospital Capacity and Access to Care in response to the shortage of hospital beds throughout the state of Colorado. At the time that the order was issued, 90% of Colorado’s ICU beds were occupied and 88% of medical/surgical beds were occupied. 

At this time, classes may continue to be taught in person, however, it is up to each professor to decide whether a class may need to be moved to remote delivery temporarily. 

Students with positive test results will need to isolate for 10 days. They should reach out to their professors to discuss with them the need for support, adaptation, or assistance with the course. 

Regarding the contact tracing process, please keep in mind that contact tracers reach out only to people identified as close contacts of community members with COVID-19. If a student receives a positive test result, the whole class will not be notified – only close contacts.  

Please send you
r questions regarding COVID-19 policies to covid19@coloradocollege.edu. We will keep you updated about new developments. 

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COVID-19 Booster Shots + Vaccines for children 5-11 years

This week, CDC has expanded the Emergency Use Authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to children ages 5-11


Beginning Friday, Nov. 5, CDPHE is partnering with Children’s Hospital Colorado to offer vaccines for children age 5 to 11 years. Adults and children age 12 and older may also receive COVID-19 vaccines at these clinics on a walk-in basis while supplies last. View the calendar to find clinic dates and sign up for an appointment for your child in advance.
 
Additionally, CDC made the following recommendations about COVID-19 vaccine booster shots. Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccine recipients who completed their initial series at least six months ago and are: 

should get a booster dose. People age 18-49 with underlying medical conditions and people age 18-64 who work or live in high-risk settings may get a booster shot.
 
Recipients of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine should get a booster dose if they are at least two months out from their shot.
 
You may choose which vaccine you receive as a booster shot. CDC recommendations allow for mixing and matching booster shots. Click here to find a vaccine provider near you.
 
We also strongly encourage all members of the CC community to get a flu shot. It is safe to receive a flu shot and your COVID-19 booster dose at the same appointment.
 
Please see the CDC website for more details. Consult with your healthcare provider if you are not sure if you should receive a booster dose. Remember to bring your vaccination card to your appointment.
 
The COVID-19 transmission level in El Paso County remains very HIGH. CDC and the El Paso County Department of Public Health recommend indoor masking, regardless of vaccination status, when transmission levels are substantial or high.   
 
The vast majority of exposures of CC community members occur when members of our campus community interact outside of the CC community. Common exposure activities include unmasked indoor activities such as visiting friends and family, parties and other gatherings, restaurants, as well as travel. 
 
Please remember to take steps to protect yourself and others:  

  • Wear a mask indoors when off campus; indoor masks are required on campus (unless in your personal residence or office).
  • We recommend KN95 masks or similar (e.g., KF94, N95,) surgical, or cloth masks with at least three layers.
  • Make sure your mask fits snugly against your face on all sides and does not leave gaps. A well-fitting mask acts as a filter and catches viral particles that otherwise you would inhale. 
  • Stay home and away from others if you don’t feel well. Free, over-the-counter tests are available from CDPHE using the Rapid At-Home testing program
 
If you have questions or feedback for the committee, please let us know at covid19@coloradocollege.edu. You can also view the committee’s membership and charge 
  

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Save the Date for Block 3 In the Loop

ITL is Thursday, Nov. 18

ITL is Thursday, Nov. 18

Sent on behalf of the President’s Office and Staff Council:


Please save the date for the Block 3 In the Loop all-staff meeting on Thursday, Nov. 18.

Note this year’s location for In the Loop: Meet in Celeste Theatre inside Cornerstone Arts Center; the program will begin promptly at 8:30 a.m. Grab-and-go breakfast will be available for pick-up in Cornerstone Main Space as you exit the meeting. 
 
Those wishing to join the meeting via Zoom from their individual workspace may do so by registering in advance using this link. Feel free to swing by the main space after 9:30 a.m. to pick up breakfast. 
 
Submit good news, kudos, and questions to be answered during the question-and-answer period. You must submit your items by Thursday, Nov. 11. 

In the Loop is a joint venture between Colorado College leadership and the Staff Council to facilitate communication and build community spirit among the staff at Colorado College. These meetings are your chance to directly connect with college leaders and other staff members on a regular basis.

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Join Board of Trustees for Town Hall Nov. 8

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The Colorado College Board of Trustees arrives this week for their fall board meeting, Nov. 4-6. 

You’re invited to attend a town hall where board leaders will share an update from their meeting. On Monday, Nov. 8, 4:30-5:30 p.m., Board Chair Jeff Keller ’91, P ’22, Vice Chair Ryan Haygood ’97, and Secretary Heather Carroll ’89 will join President L. Song Richardson for a town hall via Zoom. Please register here to participate. 

The town hall will be recorded and shared with the campus community next week.

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14 E. Cache La Poudre St.
Colorado Springs, CO | 80903 US

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Announcing Title IX Working Group

Dear Campus Community,

 
Each of us plays an important role in creating a safe environment for all students, staff, and faculty. Doing so requires us to understand and follow the college’s policies and procedures, which means that those policies and procedures should not only reflect shared values but also be understandable and easy to navigate. 
 
After hearing from members of the campus community about our interim Title IX Policy and Procedures and our Nondiscrimination and Antiharassment Policy,  I have asked a broadly representative group to address questions and suggestions from students, staff, and faculty before the policies and procedures become final. You can review and comment on both of these policies now through the end of Block 5.
 
The Title IX and Nondiscrimination Policy Working Group will develop recommendations for how both policies can operate effectively. While both policies ensure compliance with federal antidiscrimination and Title IX regulations, they also reflect CC’s commitment to equity, inclusion, and the creation of a learning and work climate where all members of the community are welcome and can thrive.   
 
The working group will develop their recommendations after engaging with the campus community, understanding state and federal regulations, researching best practices in higher education, and considering the college’s current processes and resources. The working group will be in contact to collect input and update the campus community on progress.
 
Members
Faculty
  • Scott Ingram, FEC Personnel Policies Subcommittee
  • Emily Chan, FEC Governance Subcommittee, chair
  • Rushaan Kumar and Natanya Pulley, Diversity and Equity Advisory Board 
  • Jane McDougall, CC chapter of the American Association of University Professors  
Staff
  • Lisa Ruth, Staff Council
  • Debra Mortenson, Diversity and Equity Advisory Board
  • Anna Thompson, Sexual Assault Response Coordinator 
Students
  • Deksyos Damtew ’22, CCSGA
  • Mary Duggan ’23 and Lily Epstein ’22, Student Organization for Sexual Safety 
  • Jordan Bates ’23 and Wiktoria Grzech ’23, Student Title IX Assistance and Resource Team
Ex-officio members
  • Acting Title IX Coordinator Barbara Wilson
  • Deputy Title IX Coordinator Joshua Isringhausen
  • Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Athletics Jessica Bennett
  • Director of Accessibility Resources and ADA/504 Coordinator Jan Edwards
 
I am grateful to all of these campus community members for working on this important matter.
 
Sincerely,

L. Song Richardson

President
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Don’t Forget to Take the NACCC Survey

Survey about racial climate on campus closes on Nov. 9

Survey about racial climate on campus closes on Nov. 9

This message was sent to all students today, reminding them to take the National Assessment of Collegiate Campus Climates survey, which is open until Nov. 9. If you can, please encourage students to take the survey. Their answers will help inform the Antiracism Implementation Plan, including new initiatives. Similar surveys will be conducted for staff in Spring 2022 and for faculty in Spring 2023.

Dear Students,

We want YOUR input about the racial climate on the CC campus. The National Assessment of Collegiate Campus Climates survey assesses the extent to which race matters on campus and how students feel about the current level of equity at CC. As of the morning of Nov. 2, 631 students (or 26.44%) have completed or started the survey, so we still need to hear from more of you!
Watch the video below to hear from Mary Nussbaumer ’22, CCSGA vice president for student life, Lesley Irvine, vice president and director of athletics, and Emily Chan, professor of psychology, associate director of race, ethnicity, and migration studies, and director of the Bridge Scholars program, about why it’s so important for you to participate in the survey.

Important information about the survey:
  • For a link to the survey, check your email for messages from helpdesk@nacccsurvey.org” style=”font-weight: normal;font-weight: normal;color: #7a6646;text-decoration: underline;color: #7a6646;text-decoration: underline”>helpdesk@nacccsurvey.org.
  • The survey closes Nov. 9.
  • The survey will take about 15 minutes to complete.
  • Results and recommendations from the University of Southern California’s Race and Equity Center will be received during the summer of 2022 and shared with the campus community.
  • After the conclusion of the survey, every student who completed the survey will have a chance to win one of three Apple iPads, including an Apple Pencil.
We understand that responding to statements on race and the racial climate on campus may cause any number of feelings, and may be uncomfortable for you. For support, the diversity, equity, and inclusion team; Butler Center; Counseling Center; Wellness Resource Center; and Spiritual Life are available.
Thank you for your commitment to antiracism at Colorado College.
Sincerely,

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership Team


Rosalie Rodriguez
Senior Associate Dean of Students for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Director of the Butler Center
Peony Fhagen, Ph.D.
Senior Associate Dean of Equity, Inclusion, and Faculty Development
Eric E. Lee, Ph.D.
Assistant Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Staff and Administrative Operations

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