August 25, 2020
Dear Colleagues,
Honors students created a group this summer to address racism and injustice. PAACT. Here is their mission statement: The People of All Colors and Communities Together committee stands to achieve equality and equity for people from all walks of life. As students of the Honors College, we have a unifying relationship with the Honors staff to hold each other accountable in accomplishing goals that reflect our socially just and antiracist values. While we treasure our differences because they make us beautiful and allow us to bring various enlightening experiences to the table, we all make a pact of unity striving towards the goal of making the world a better place. In order to do so, we will start right here at home: the University of Delaware.
PAACT has finished putting together suggested resources for the FYS and Colloquia. They’ve articulated specific concerns and specific requests and have compiled very helpful resources that they, as students, feel will resonate well with other Honors students. See the proposal in Shared Resources for Honors Teaching folder.
This is the first significant accomplishment of the group that began meeting in July, which also includes providing input into our admissions questions for next year, informing strategic planning, building relationships with other groups including MOSAIC within Honors, initiating a call for the Faculty Senate to review how departments fulfill the ethics component of Gen Ed, and volunteering to help recruit a diverse Honors student body, not to mention the work they have done to become a well-functioning committee.
Although initially focused on the first year courses, I would appreciate it if faculty would take a look and consider how you might incorporate some of the issues or resources they have identified–specific resources are offered beginning on page 4. I would particularly like to amplify this request:
We recommend that professors consider how their topics, readings and assignments already address these issues, make this explicit and add more content and discussion where appropriate.
While this proposal comes to you from the students, as Honors leadership we are asking you to consider how you can address and incorporate proposal components. We commit to fulfilling the aspects directed at Honors as a College.
Finally, thank you for all you do for our students and UD community!
thank you,
Santhi
Chrysanthi Leon, JD, PhD
Deputy Director, Honors
Associate Professor, Sociology and Criminal Justice
| Faculty Resources |
| Honors Faculty Advisory Board |
| The University of Delaware Honors Program Faculty Board, a body consisting of between 19 and 27 faculty members, makes policy for and provides service to the instructional, advising, and related educational activities of the Honors Program. Additional details regarding the board can be found in the honors program faculty governance bylaws. |
| Proposal to become an Honors College – February 2020 |
| Annual Honors Faculty Awards |
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