Below is a letter outlining support for the Equity 2030 Fellows’ recommendations to advance the Equity 2030 goals in the Minnesota State system office. Additionally, the letter names the need for more voices and stakeholders to be acknowledged and brought to the table in these efforts to ensure the goals of Equity 2030 can truly be met. To learn more about how and why this effort came underway, please read our joint testimony to the Board of Trustees for April 2021.

For more information about this letter or press inquiries, please contact the leadership of the listed organizations.

We, a coalition of shared governance stakeholders in the Minnesota State system, support and endorse the Equity 2030 Fellows’ Report as a critical tool to materially advance equity, diversity, and inclusivity in Minnesota State, both as a system and as an office. The goal of Equity 2030—that Minnesota State will eliminate the educational equity gaps at every college and university by 2030—and the transformation of our higher education system is only possible as a collective, collaborative effort that includes all stakeholders. We want to engage in this work, be partners in this work, and are committed to this work.

The fellows’ expert labor produced meaningful recommendations and we join together in using the recommendations as a roadmap for some of our expectations of Minnesota State. The recommendations include:

Recommendation 1: Build trust and institutional commitment in order to cut throughout existing structures/offices in the system.
Recommendation 2: Communicate directly to micro and meso layers.
Recommendation 3: Move away from deficit thinking and organize campus conversations to make this shift.
Recommendation 4: Recognize and prioritize equity work at the individual and network level.
Recommendation 5: Disaggregate equity data in multiple ways and places.
Recommendation 6: Adopt mixed methods designs to understand and transform how students experience courses in which wide achievement gaps exist.
Recommendation 7: Leverage transfer pathways networks to initiate discipline specific communities of practice to advance academic equity through various forms of critical pedagogy, particularly those attentive to race.
Recommendation 8: Coordinate mentorship programs for students of interest (BIPOC).
Recommendation 9: Establish affirmative relationships with local communities of interest (black, latinx, indigenous, people of color, immigrants) through ongoing listening and action.
Recommendation 10: Facilitate equity and academic equity work by restructuring teaching and course loads where appropriate:
Recommendation 11: Recruit and retain faculty, staff and administrators from Communities of Color and Native American Communities.
Recommendation 12: Coordinating, driving, and sustaining academic equity work: Center for excellence to advance academic equity.

To read the full report, click here.

As stakeholders, we expect to share and receive updates on implementation and progress on a consistent basis. We understand the role we all play in doing this work. We extend a collective partnership to the system office to ensure the recommendations are implemented and expanded to include all of us as key partners and stakeholders in this work. The work does not begin nor end with these recommendations and we are eager to include additional voices of students, staff, faculty, administrators, other system leaders, other campus leaders, and community partners.

To sign this letter as an individual, organization, coalition, or group, please fill out the form below. Signatures will be shared publicly.

Signatories:

Students United; LeadMN; Inter-Faculty Organization; Minnesota State College Faculty Local 4901; Indigenous Men & Men of Color Caucus; Minnesota State University Association of Administrative and Service Faculty; Dr. Josefina Landrieu -Metropolitan State University; Ryan Walz; Myisha Holley; Hannah Harper, Current Student at Winona State University; Esther Oluborode, Student Body President at SMSU; Jackie Bauer, Assistant Director at SCSU; Kathy Jicinsky, staff member at Winona State University; Emily Johnson; Melissa Scholten; Dr. Erin Kline; Margo W. Druschel, University Advising, MSU Mankato; Megan Howard; Karin Jax, Academic Advisor and Senior Community Faculty; Dominik Drabent; Kayla Roehrich; Shane Drahota, Associate AD/Compliance & Student Services at Minnesota State University, Mankato; Liz Steinborn-Gourley, Women's Center at Minnesota State Mankato; Craig Larson; Amy Jo Swing, English Instructor at Lake Superior College; Katherine Elmquist, Faculty -Anoka Technical College; Kim Zernechel, MSCF; Dawn Easley; Brenda Lyseng, Title III Director, DCTC, IHCC; Aria Kronebusch, Staff at DCTC; Marie Carter Brooks, Counselor, Lake Superior College; Nicole Bietz; Andrew Aspaas; Kjrsten Holt, Instructor at Minneapolis College; Sara Van Asten, Faculty at NHCC; Dr. Amy Zsohar; Steve Dalager; Lisa Smith, Chemistry at NHCC; Tracey Kloeckl-Jiménez, World Language Instructor at Central Lakes College; Robert Frame, Professor at Normandale Community College; Lexi Byler, MSU Moorhead '17; Elizabeth (Liz) McLemore, faculty at Minneapolis College; Sandra Shimba; Tanya Smutka, Biology Faculty at IHCC; Mindy Travers, Faculty at St. Paul College; Allison Allen; Dr. Lisa DuRose, English Faculty Inver Hills Community College; Dr. Ayesha Shariff, History Faculty at Saint Paul College; Monica Erling, Sociology Instructor at Hennepin Technical College; Nilufar Turaeva; Isabel Anderson; Dr. Jennifer Joffee, Inver Hills Community College Faculty; LeAnne Schmidt; Counselor at Inver Hills Community College; Jane Devlin Barrick; Dr. Ellen Lansky; Jennifer Parker; Kit Klepinger, Director, ISSS at WSU; Dr. Heidi Wetherall; Monica Ibarra; Laura Funke; Charlotte Wahle, Admission Counselor - Southwest Minnesota State University; Pierre Young; Michael Birchard; Josh Martin; Kara Svercl; Joniesha Hayes; Sydney Randel; Sussana Machinga; Alex J. Lucier, EdD Student at MNSU; Layne Anderson, Director Student Union & Activities @ MSU Moorhead; Zac Spohn, Student Body Vice President at MSU Moorhead; Jessica Moua; Donna Phillips; Tarrence Robertson, System Office Employee