Campus Working Group Update
Background: Over the past six months, our university has been at the epicenter of a national and international debate over issues of diversity, the rights of historically marginalized students, and academic freedom. Beyond the precipitating event, this debate has revealed long-standing differences and points of contention between constituents (students, staff, faculty, administration, trustees, and alumni). It is also occurring during a time of unprecedented financial pressure on institutions of higher education, as well as an impending change in leadership. Although there is widespread institutional agreement about the need to “move forward,” there is as yet no consensus for how we will achieve this aim collectively as an institution.
Proposed Path Forward: (staff), Michelle Benegas (faculty), Maddie Christensen (student), Emily Hilderbrand (student), Kaori Kenmotsu (faculty; chair),Lucas Paschal(student),Hussein Rajput(staff), >Danielle Zdon (staff), and Ken Fox (faculty; temporary advisor through the RFP review process).
The working group is charged with hiring an outside consultant team to conduct a campus-wide needs assessment of all stakeholder groups and to propose action-oriented pathways to equitable resolution of conflicts between and among those groups. (Proposed process recommendations will address not only recent institutional events, but also historical divisions.) The working group will provide support and guidance to the consultant team, and the final product will be a report to be shared transparently (and in its entirety) with all members of the Hamline community.
Qualifications and Request for Proposal (RFP) Process: The working group agrees that a qualified consultant team must possess embodied diverse backgrounds and diverse perspectives, in-depth knowledge of higher education and of organizational design and systems, extensive experience with conflict management and dispute resolution in organizations, and understanding of intersectional identities, racism, and other forms of diversity bias. In developing an RFP, the working group sought input from faculty at Mitchell Hamline School of Law’s Dispute Resolution Institute, and representatives from Community Mediation of MN and Community Mediation Services. The RFP has been posted using a two-pronged approach of public advertising and direct outreach to consulting groups. Proposals will be accepted until May 10, 2023.
Timeframe: The timeframe for project completion will be determined in collaboration with the consultant team, but with a firm deadline of December 15, 2023 at the latest.
Questions, Concerns, and Feedback: Please contact Kaori Kenmotsu (chair) at kkenmotsu@hamline.edu.
