12th International Nonviolence Summer Institute - The Full Experience

Participants and leaders of the 12th International Nonviolence Summer Institute

Thanks to a UC Diversity Council Diversity Investment Grant and Student Activities & Leadership Development, I was able to participate in the 12th International Nonviolence Summer Institute June 3-14, 2013, at the University of Rhode Island.

Throughout the Level I Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Reconciliation certification process, I blogged daily to share my experience.  I wholeheartedly recommend that anyone interested in social change, social justice, and/or nonviolence attend - this institute helps bring all those together and prepare you to help people through a similar synthesis.

Here are the blog posts in chronological order:

• Overview (includes full list of learning outcomes for the institute)
• Inner Peace
• A Night on King, the Person
• Two is One
• King’s Six Principles of Nonviolence
• A Force More Powerful
• Pilgrimage
• Moving into Action
• Mighty Times
• Nonviolence is…
• The Roots of Ahimsa
• Gandhi and King
• Level I Assessment
• Restoring Our Spirits
• Moving into Effective Training
• Beloved Community Supper
• Jumping In
• Waging Peace
• Refining the Practice
• “Fate Comes Knocking”
• Unofficial Success
• Celebrating our Beloved Community
• Let’s Celebrate

I look forward to working with the RAPP Steering Committee throughout the summer to prepare our implementation plan for Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Reconciliation training and supportive educational programming.

Notes from Nonviolence: Overview

I am deeply honored to be blogging from the 12th International Nonviolence Summer Institute.  This two-week training on Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Reconciliation is hosted by the Center for Nonviolence & Peace Studies at the University of Rhode Island.

The institute features a world-reknowned faculty of leading scholars of and activists in nonviolent movements.    The institute truly draws an international crowd - participants in this year's session represent 15 countries as well as 10 US states.

My participation in the training and implementation of nonviolence trainings at UC are thanks to a Diversity Incentive Grant awarded by the UC Diversity Council.

Flags on this map represent people who have been and are being trained at the Summer Institutes.

What will I learn over the next two, intensive weeks?  Look after the break for the Training Outcomes!

-Rebecca

RAPP VI Alum Dr. Bluezette Marshall Serving as UC Interim Chief Diversity Officer

From UC President Dr. Santa Ono:

January 30, 2013

TO:         Deans, Department Heads and Directors

FROM:  President Santa J. Ono

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Bleuzette Marshall as Interim Chief Diversity Officer, effective Feb. 6, 2013.  A University of Cincinnati alumna, Bleuzette has worked at UC and the UC Foundation for nearly 21 years, starting in Ethnic Programs and Services and at the African American Cultural and Resource Center, and most recently in development at the UC Foundation. Since 2004, her work at the Foundation has taken her from Director of Development to Senior Director of Development.  Since the inception of the position of Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) in 2007, she has assisted the CDO and the President's Diversity Council.

As a respected member of the UC administration with over two decades of experience in advancement, alumni affairs, diversity and inclusion, facilitation, organizational development, project management, student affairs and teaching, Bleuzette has gained an awareness of UC culture that will be essential in moving our university forward as we continue to implement the Diversity Plan and build upon the accomplishments of the university's first CDO, Mitchel Livingston, who retired at the end of 2012. Bleuzette has led several successful fundraising initiatives benefiting the Darwin T. Turner Scholars Program, developed an affinity-based giving program for African American alumni, and served as a key organizer of the Onyx & Ruby Gala - a formal recognition ceremony honoring distinguished alumni of color. She also developed a system of accountability to enhance diversity and inclusiveness practices throughout the university, designed and co-chaired the university-wide diversity conference for three years, and conducted and analyzed a university-wide diversity assessment.

Bleuzette holds three degrees from UC, including a BA in psychology (1992), a Master of Education (2001) and PhD in educational studies (2009).

Louis Bilionis, Dean of the College of Law and former chair of the Diversity Council, will chair a national search for a permanent CDO at the beginning of the 2013-14 academic year. This position will continue to report to the President and serve on the President's Cabinet, but is now separate from the Vice President for Student Affairs and Services.

Registration Open for April 18 Diversity Conference

From UC News:

Registration Open for April 18 Diversity Conference

A full program with four concurrent sessions displaying the breadth of diversity issues has been assembled for the 4th Annual UC Diversity conference on April 18. Registration is now open.

Date: 3/28/2012 12:00:00 AM
By: Greg Hand
Phone: (513) 556-1822

   Participants in the 4th Annual UC Diversity conference on April 18 with the theme "I am a Diversity Leader" will have a wide array of session choices, covering pedagogy, experiential knowledge and innovative practices to encourage faculty, students, staff and community members to build vibrant, diverse and inclusive environments.

A full program schedule, and a link to the registration process, is posted to the Diversity Conference website.

“The Conference Program contains an impressive competitively selected 37 presentations from academic, service and community leaders,” said conference co-chair Lisa H. Newman. “Submissions were up by over 50% this year and proposals from Ball State, Miami, and Xavier as well as many from a wide variety of UC departments were selected.”

Keynote speaker for the conference will be Helen Neville, University of Illinois.

Keynote speaker for the conference will be Helen Neville, University of Illinois (Champaign) Provost Fellow and Chair of the Counseling Psychology Program.  Professor of Educational Psychology and African American Studies, Dr. Neville is known for her ground breaking research on racism.

Continental breakfast, lunch and a closing reception are included with registration.   Participants who attend the entire conference will receive a certificate verifying their Diversity Leadership achievement.

To register, visit the Diversity Conference website at http://www.uc.edu/diversity/Conference.html

2012 Diversity Grant Recipients Announced

From: UC News

Six grants to improve UC's diversity have been awarded. Proposals from throughout the university were invited to suggest initiatives for funding.

Date: 3/7/2012 12:00:00 AM
By: Greg Hand
Phone: (513) 556-1822

   University of Cincinnati Chief Diversity Officer Mitchel D. Livingston, in conjunction with the President’s Diversity Council, has awarded six competitive grants totaling $45,000 to promote the recruitment and retention of a diverse student and employee population.

Mitchel D. Livingston

“Proposals submitted covered a wide range of ideas which made a challenging review process for the selection team,” said Livingston.

The funded initiatives were selected from 20 proposals submitted in this, the fourth year of the grant program, in response to an invitation from the President’s Diversity Council. Applicants were strongly encouraged to find matching funds to extend the impact of the grants.

The following six awards have been granted for the 2012 diversity incentive proposals.

College of Education, Criminal Justice & Human Services
Gen 1HouseAward Amount: $8000
Matching Funds: $9000The Partner for Achieving School Success program at the College of Education, Criminal Justice & Human Services will expand its Gen-1 Theme House to provide services for up to 36 new freshmen residents and up to 15 sophomores and approximately 30 juniors and seniors whho are continuing in the expanded Gen-1 program. Participants are first-generation students who are Pell-eligible. This unique program and its staff have been cited in local, regional, and national media for successful efforts to alleviate barriers for underrepresented students at a public, research-extensive university.

College of Law
Bridge ProgramAward Amount: $3400
Matching Funds: $3,205The College of law will create a pilot “bridge” program for entering law students from diverse backgrounds to master the foundational skills required for the successful study and practice of law. The program represents a collaboration between the McMicken College departments of English and Philosophy, and the College of Law. The six-day program is designed to increase student competencies in critical thinking and analysis as well as composition and drafting.  

Administration & Finance Division/Human Resources

Diversity Benefits SeriesAward Amount: $6600
Matching Funds: $6598The award will support a series of online training courses to provide management tools for faculty and administrators who are responsible for understanding diversity issues. The Diversity Benefits to All Employees series demonstrates how a diverse population can positively impact the university. The series covers topics ranging from respect for cultural traditions to managing a multigenerational workforce to LGBT issues in the workplace.

College of Business
Today’s Learners, Tomorrow’s Leaders (TL2)Award Amount: $9000
Matching Funds: $32,530The TL2 program is a summer program bringing a diverse selection of high school students to campus for foundation study in economics and the opportunity to earn standing credit. The coursework includes field experience to introduce these students to the UC environment and the Cincinnati economy.

McMicken College of Arts & Sciences
Putting Retention 1st in the Zest for Excellence (PR1ZE)Award Amount: $9000
Matching Funds: $12,495PR1ZE will expand its program to an additional 30 students and bolster academic engagement through undergraduate research. The PR1ZE mentoring program was designed in 2008 to help increase the retention and graduation rate of African-American students in the College of Arts and Sciences. With funding from the Diversity Council, the program expanded in 2010 to include all African-American Students campus-wide.

College of Allied Health Sciences
Diversity EnhancementAward Amount: $9000
Matching Funds: $9000The Diversity Enhancement program includes a mentoring component in which college alumni are matched with current students and a dual enrollment component to enroll Hughes High School students from the health pathway sequence in college classes.

Bi-Okoto Performance - Feb 21st!

Join us in celebration of both Black History Month and the ArtsWave campaign. Bi-Okoto is one of the many smaller arts organizations supported in part by ArtsWave. The performance is free and open to all of the University community. 

Tuesday, February 21

11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.

MainStreet Cinema, TUC

Sponsors: Cincinnati ArtsWave; Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs and Services and Chief Diversity Officer; UC Women’s Center; Ethnic Programs and Services (EPS); and Resident Education and Development (RED).

RAPP Office Updates - Check Us Out!

RAPP's on-campus home for the past half-dozen years has been in 669 Steger Student Life Center. 

The office was originally Diversity Education's.  When RAPP became its own independent functional area in Student Activities & Leadership Development (SALD) in 2008 with the financial support of the Diversity Council, we began sharing the office.  Beginning in 2010, Diversity Education was no longer a coordinated area of SALD with a dedicated Program Coordinator - instead the concept of it was shared under several programs coordinated throughout SALD.

With that change, the office became solely RAPP's.  It also began to be open much more throughout the week since our RAPP Public Ally and interns worked primarily out of the space.  It is now kept open nearly all day Monday through Thursday and Friday afternoons by our great team of Public Ally and interns.

We took a lot of things down for last spring's 25 Year Reunion and have been slowly reorganizing the office since then.  I'm happy to say that we've got some great things finally finished that I encourage everyone to come check out!

New RAPP Sign

Our previous Public Ally Kinsey started a project involving several RAPPers to create some art for our office.  Our current Public Ally Marjorie finished the main painting over the break and we hung it for all to see! Check it out below (my camera-phone doesn't do it justice).

Re-Hanging of RAPP Photos

One of my favorite parts of the RAPP Office has always been the display of photos of all the groups.   In 2008, the Diversity Education Program Coordinator and I rehung all the photos around the top of the room because the wall they were on ran out of space for the new photos.  I loved that we were encircled by our history!

When we hung them in 2008, we knew we'd run out of space for photos in 2011.  I already had hopes for the reunion to be that year, so it was an accepted issue.  We took all the photos down for the reunion and they have been stored in the office since waiting for us to find a new way to hang them all.

Over the break, Marjorie laid out a design and she and I put some hanging tools to use!  The photos now encompass the entire east wall of the office and we've made room for them to be hung in this way through RAPP XXXI (which is hopefully when the 30 Year Reunion will be held!).

Though you can see all the photos on our history site, it's amazing to come and see photos of all 26 groups and three reunions in one space.

RAPP XXVII Photo Rosters

I don't know whether this was done in the past, but since RAPP XXIV I've enjoyed putting up photo rosters of the RAPP groups in our office.  My hopes are it helps people learn names, it highlights who is going through the process, and it previews who will be added to the photo wall above.


Marjorie prepped the posters and we got them back over the break.  They're on display in the RAPP Office now so that RAPPers current, former, and future can stop by and see who is doing the great work that is participating in the RAPP process.  Check out our 66 current members and eight leaders below!

Still Ahead

Nothing is ever really finished - there are still different projects ahead in the office.  Keep an eye out the rest of the academic year for:

• An award display that highlights the many ways RAPP has been recognized since 1986.
• A RAPPORT photo section.
• A framed RAPP I sweatshirt, thanks to a generous donation of his sweatshirt by RAPP I member Reed Adler.
• More homemade artwork highlighting RAPP's mission & mottos and possibly more!

This office hopes to continue striving to be small but mighty!  Thanks to the amazing folks over the years that have made it what it is!

-Rebecca

Diversity Task Force Prepares Action Plan

From UC News:

Diversity Task Force Prepares Action Plan

Implementation of a five-year diversity plan for the University of Cincinnati has begun.

Date: 9/20/2011 12:00:00 AM
By: Greg Hand
Phone: (513) 556-1822

   The University of Cincinnati has a new five-year Diversity Plan. Work has already begun to implement the plan’s recommendations.

Louis D. Bilionis

Mitchel D. Livingston

“A task force of the President’s Diversity Council completed the five-year Diversity Plan and presented the final document to University of Cincinnati President Gregory H. Williams, according to Council Chair Louis Bilionis.  The plan was reviewed by the university’s various governance organizations over the past year.
Members of the Diversity Plan Subcommittee and all others who have worked diligently to create this plan are commended for their work,” said Chief Diversity Officer Mitchel D. Livingston. “It is a milestone achievement. We have already begun implementation efforts”
The plan identifies five broad goals to improve the culture of diversity and inclusion at the University of Cincinnati:

• attract, retain and graduate academically prepared students who reflect a wide range of diversity,
• attract, retain, and promote an increased number of historically underrepresented and other diverse faculty in tenure and clinical track positions, including faculty at advanced ranks,
• recruit, retain, and promote historically underrepresented staff at professional, mid-level, and senior leadership positions,
• create and support learning and work environment that reflects the University’s mission which includes a commitment to excellence and diversity,
• increase supplier diversity and strengthen its community partnerships with particular focus on the inclusion of historically underrepresented and other diverse constituents for the benefit of both the community and the University,
• develop and implement a comprehensive, integrated, university-wide system of accountability and assessment that will evaluate and quantify institutional performance against these diversity goals at all levels.

The subcommittee who drafted the Diversity Plan included Terry Kershaw, chair of Africana Studies in the McMicken College of Arts & Sciences; Debra Merchant, associate vice president for Student Affairs & Services; and Barb Rinto, director of the UC Women’s Center.
Although the Diversity Plan provides a comprehensive blueprint for achieving greater diversity throughout the university, it recommends five measurable priorities or immediate action steps for the current fiscal year. These first-year action steps are:

• Improve the diversity of the applicant pool of qualified incoming students,
• Improve the hiring of under-represented faculty and staff,
• Increase diversity among suppliers providing goods and services to the university,
• Take substantial steps toward measuring the university work environment and our commitment to excellence and diversity,
• Take substantial steps to develop and implement a comprehensive, integrated, university-wide system of accountability and assessment on achieving diversity goals.

In order to begin measuring progress immediately, managers throughout the university will be directed to collect information about diversity initiatives in their units. Vice presidents will compile an inventory of these initiatives. President Williams has added baseline data for tracking diversity efforts to the annual Report Card he presents to the Board of Trustees. Implementation efforts will be tracked by the President’s Diversity Council through a variety of metrics.
Work toward the development of this plan began five years ago when the President’s Diversity Task Force, co-chaired by former president Nancy Zimpher and UC alumna Marian Spencer, was established in 2006.  College of Law Dean Louis Bilionis chaired the Steering Committee and led that group to assess UC’s progress toward diversity.
“The task force’s work resulted in a strategy and action plan for promoting diversity that integrates ongoing efforts and existing institutional structure to encourage a campus environment that embraces diversity and inclusion as a core value,” Bilionis said.
One of the recommendations from the task force plan was the establishment of the President’s Diversity Council in 2007.  Cynthia Berryman-Fink served as the first chair of this body until her retirement.  In 2009, Bilionis was named chair.
“The Council, under these leaders, has seen many of the recommendations from the original report implemented,” Livingston said. “Last year, a subcommittee of the President’s Diversity Council was commissioned to develop a five year University Diversity Plan. Their work has been completed, and we now have a plan that will guide our efforts for the next five years.“

RAPP Reunion Photos: Highlighting Speakers

In order to give as much time as possible for mingling and reminiscing, the RAPP 25 Year Reunion planning committee determined to keep the formal program brief.  We fit several speakers and a group activity into a thirty-minute program.

The program kicked off with an official welcome from UC Vice President of Student Affairs & Services and Chief Diversity Officer Dr. Mitchel Livingston - a long-time RAPP supporter and co-chair of the UC Diversity Council that made RAPP's recent elevation possible.

This was followed by a video greeting from Dr. Niloufer Merchant, currently a professor at St. Cloud State University and founding graduate student of the Racial Awareness Pilot Project and RAPPORT.  She sent greetings to the event as well as reflected on how her involvement with RAPP & RAPPORT has affected her personally and professionally.

Next up was Kimberly (McGinnis) Bonner, RAPP VIII member and program coordinator of RAPP for eight years.  She shared reflections on RAPP & RAPPORT's impact and on the power of the reunion.

Dr. Robin Selzer, Program Director in the UC Alumni Association, spoke about the Association and the opportunities it provides.  Robin was a key member of the planning committee and, through her, the Alumni Association made much of the reunion possible!

Dr. Bleuzetter Marshall, RAPP VI member and Development Director in the UC Foundation, spoke briefly about RAPP and the Linda Bates Parker Scholarship Fund.

Rebecca Lehman, RAPP XXII member and current RAPP Program Coordinator, emceed the program as well as gave final reflections on the reunion and led participants in a brief activity connected to taking a group photo.  All participants were asked to take a group photo, after which members of RAPPs I through X were asked to set out and face the group (a photo of this group was also taken).  These member introduced themselves.

During this portion, Robbin Parker and Breland Parker spoke about Linda Bates Parker and her legacy on campus through RAPP and her many other amazing accomplishments.

Many thanks to all who spoke and participated in the program!  It was great to take a brief, structured time to formally reflect on the event amidst all the informal interactions that the night was primarily about.

Dr. Mitchel Livingston kicked off the program with his greeting!

UC Blue Ash student Alyson Montgomery provided ASL translation for the program.

Kimberly Bonner gave reflections on RAPP.

Dr. Bleuzette Marshall spoke on behalf of Linda Bates Parker's latest legacy, her scholarship fund.

Dr. Robin Selzer connected the group with the UC Alumni Association

Rebecca Lehman emceed and led the final group activity.