Our Commitment
Published June 8, 2020
Recent events of hate and violence against the Black community continue to show how imbedded racism is in our society and how we need to speak up and act against injustices occurring in the Fort Collins community, other areas of the country, and world. In the last month alone, the lives of Tony McDade, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Sean Monterosa, Ahmaud Arbery, David McAtee, and Sean Reed have been unjustly stolen through police brutality and racialized state violence.
Black Lives Matter. Black Trans Lives Matter.
To our Black and African American community members: We hear you, we see you, and we are committed to working toward anti-racism and against anti-Blackness in our everyday lives, our programs, our office, and our spheres of influence. Leadership is about showing up, and we need to do better. Dismantling centuries of racial oppression will take more than sharing a few quotes by past leaders or posting a hashtag on social media. Over the years, many of you have provided feedback that our office and programs have failed to serve you in the ways that they should through our complicity in the enactment of white supremacy and whiteness. We know that we have a responsibility to provide space and equitable resources for you.
As part of the larger CSU system, we affirm these statements by President Joyce McConnell and the Office for the Vice President for Diversity. Additionally, Student Leadership, Involvement and Community Engagement (SLiCE) must continuously demonstrate our commitment to the enactment of these shared values. A few additions to our current office processes as well as office outcomes to more strongly align with this commitment include:
- Work to dismantle white supremacy ideals in ourselves, in the SLiCE staff, and in the community through regular reflection, personal knowledge and skill-building, joint staff initiatives and meetings and more.
- Acknowledge that a budget is a moral document. Review spending and financial processes to ensure alignment between our office values and actions.
- Seek out and be accountable to and open to feedback from our students, our community members, and our service partners through multiple communicative avenues: community needs assessments, a bi-annual review open meeting and programmatic assessment and feedback gathering.
- Center programming that provides opportunities for influencing policy changes at all levels (e.g. advocacy, activism, promoting voter registration, attending and speaking at local government) as well as short term engagement efforts that highlight and disrupt injustice (e.g. signing petitions, donating money, exercising the right to protest, contacting elected officials).
- Ensure programmatic content that focuses on anti-racist philosophy, pedagogy and action.
We will continue to evaluate and build upon our commitments above. We understand these are only words on a page until the action is displayed, and we work to build trust.
In solidarity,
SLiCE staff
Resources we have found helpful (this is a work in progress and will continue to be updated):
- Black People who are struggling with this very painful week
- The Link Between Experiences of Racism and Stress and Anxiety for Black Americans: A Mindfulness and Acceptance-Based Coping Approach
- Radical Self Care: 25 Tips for Black People
- Black Visions Collective
- Melanin and Mental Health
- Therapy for Black Girls
- Resources Archive – Black Lives Matter
- School Resources – National Education Association
- A Detailed List of Anti-Racism Resources – Medium
- Resources for Parents – USA TODAY
- Fighting For An Anti-Racist Future Together – Forbes
- Talking About Race – National Museum of African American History and Culture
- White Anti-Racism: Living the Legacy – Teaching Tolerance
- Checklist for White Allies – Power Shift Network
- 75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice – Medium
- White Anti-Racist Educators Reading Group
- Talking About Race
- What is anti-racism? And what do experts say you can do?
- Anti-Racist Resources
Student Leadership, Involvement and Community Engagement (SLiCE)
Follow SLiCE on Social Media
The Student Leadership, Involvement and Community Engagement (SLiCE) office at Colorado State University provides an important link between students and their surrounding communities.
SLiCE brings together student organizations, student leaders and student volunteers under one umbrella; making our campus a better community and a more involved place. Being involved in SLiCE programs allows students to enrich their academic and social experience at CSU.
With 11 highly committed professional staff members and 16 student staff members with a variety of expertise, SLiCE is not only a source for involvement of all kinds, but also a valuable resource of knowledge. Reach out to our office to discover how rewarding a slice of involvement can be!
We here at SLiCE value your feedback and recommendations please let us know what you have to say: https://forms.gle/prB57YchzTv9r2Er7
SLiCE's Mission/Vision/Values
In solidarity, we are unyielding in our commitment to:
Identify & critically reflect upon oppressive systems that perpetuate harm in order to construct & foster belonging within purposeful communities.
We envision an equitable & just society.
Our work is guided by & in alignment with:
CSU’s Principles of Community
Inclusion
Integrity
Respect
Service Social Justice
Division of Student Affairs Values
Supporting all student holistically
Forging paths to meaning-making & fostering curiosity
Reflection on & refining what we do
Striving to create more just communities All of our work is connected
Lory Student Center Mission
As a student-centered organization at the heart of campus, we provide programs & services that create an inclusive community & inspire active, engaged learning.
Meet Your SLiCE Staff
Ally Baum
Accounting Tech IIJessi Sholts
Administrative Assistant for Student GovernmentJen Johnson
Acting Dir. of StudentLeadership, Involvement, & Community EngagementAli Raza
Asst. Dir. ofInvolvementEmily Ambrose
Asst. Dir. ofTraining & Development Nickname: Em Fun Fact: Drove across state liens in pursuit of a specific, favorite coffee creamer. Obsessive or persistent?
Nick Eppley
Acting Asst. Dir.of Content