Dear Strategic Resources and Support team,
I am writing this month to request that you all engage in learning about the shared equity leadership model as we continue striving to make our campus a place where all of our students, faculty and staff can thrive and feel welcome.
Why shared equity leadership matters
In the four years I have been at CU Boulder, we have faced a number of seemingly insurmountable challenges—a pandemic, violence in our community, political discord, wildfires—and I have been humbled by how the SRS units and the campus have not only met each challenge but become stronger. And as I reflect upon all that has transpired, I keep coming back to our values and your dedication toward our mission.
Shared equity leadership, as noted by those who developed the term, is a model by which “equity becomes everyone’s responsibility on campus.” The SRS leadership team has committed to putting this model into practice and, in many cases, may be sharing it with you already. Although the model is framed in, and will find expression in, our diversity, equity and inclusion work, its value and impact are even broader. The values and practices the model endorses apply to decision-making and leadership across all of our top campus priorities, including student success, sustainability, well-being and transformation and financial resilience.
We can make transformational change in any of these areas only if we share the responsibility to make the campus more equitable, employing values like creativity and innovation, courage, transparency and being comfortable with being uncomfortable. We must welcome difficult conversations and make decisions around our priorities through a systemic lens that consciously focuses on reducing inequities and takes into account the entire university rather than individual units.
Exploring shared equity leadership
- A primer: Our campus diversity, equity and inclusion leaders have posted a list of frequently asked questions that are a great starting point for learning about shared equity leadership.
- Going deeper: This report from the American Council on Education (ACE) and the University of Southern California’s Pullias Center for Higher Education lays out the foundation for what shared equity leadership is.
- Building your skills: Our campus provides a number of opportunities for building our skills around diversity, equity and inclusion, and ACE offers additional resources on their website that go into detail on shared equity leadership topics.
Other SRS news and notes
- Chancellor finalist visits: The CU system office has updated its timeline for chancellor finalist visits and now expects those to occur in early April. I hope all of you will keep an eye out for the new dates and make time to attend the candidate forums for staff and provide your feedback.
- Well-being corner: Looking ahead, April is Financial Fitness Month, and our Health and Wellness Services and Human Resources teams will be hosting a number of events geared toward helping you achieve your goals.
With gratitude for all you do,
Pat