Blanche Hughes, vice president for Student Affairs and lead administrator for Colorado State University’s Race, Bias and Equity Initiative, has identified a core team to join her in implementing the initiative.

“To improve the culture here at Colorado State, we must be thoughtful and intentional about the steps we take,” Hughes said. “As we move forward, it is essential that we evaluate each idea from a wide range of viewpoints. This group represents decades of experience at CSU and in higher education more broadly, and each person brings unique skills and experiences that will help guide our process.”

The core team members are now listed on the RBEI webpage with brief bios and headshots.  They are:

• Ryan Barone, assistant vice president for student success;
• Albert Bimper, assistant vice president for student affairs;
• Ann Claycomb, President’s Office chief of staff;
• Pam Jackson, interim vice president for external relations;
• Laura Jensen, vice provost for research and institutional planning;
• Rick Miranda, provost and executive vice president;
• Mary Ontiveros, vice president for diversity;
• Diana Prieto, associate vice president for human capital
• Jessica Salazar, associate legal counsel, Office of General Counsel
• Kathy Sisneros, assistant vice president for student affairs;
• D-L Stewart, professor, School of Education, and co-coordinator of Student Affairs in Higher Education;
• Leslie Taylor, vice president for enrollment and access.

No deadline

The team is developing guidelines for reviewing the more than 100 proposals and ideas that the RBEI has received from CSU students, faculty and staff. Hughes said she is excited by both the number and caliber of the proposals already submitted, but noted that members of the campus community can continue to submit proposals for review here.

“There’s no deadline for great ideas that can bring about lasting change and the courageous transformation of CSU,”  said Hughes.

All proposals will be reviewed by working groups, each led by a core team member, before being sent on to the core team with recommendations.  Hughes and the core team will keep the campus community informed about the proposal review process via regular updates on the website, in SOURCE and via other platforms.

The core team and a larger engagement group representing many campus constituencies will also meet regularly to discuss priorities for the RBEI as well as plan implementation and communication strategies.

The Race, Bias and Equity Initiative was created by CSU President Joyce McConnell and announced at the President’s 2019 Fall Address. The initiative aims to implement actionable plans to address issues of race and racism, bias and equity at CSU, and to empower all members of the campus community to learn, work, live and recreate in a safe and welcoming environment.