SCS DEI Update 8
Feb. 5, 2021
Classes began this week and with the rush of new schedules and fresh beginnings, we have progress to report and opportunities for connections to announce. These are important steps in our ongoing work to make SCS a more diverse and welcoming community. Our best ideas are only as good as the people who are willing to enact them.
Upcoming Events
LGBTQ+ Student Mixer - Monday, Feb. 8
The Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion is hosting an LGBTQ+ Student Mixer on Monday, Feb. 8 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. EST. Join us (virtually!) for a casual meet-and-greet open to graduate and undergraduate students. RSVP for the event. A Zoom link will be sent to registrants the morning of the event.- A Conversation With Dr. Ibram X. Kendi - Wednesday, Feb. 10, 5–6 p.m. EST
The Center for Student Diversity & Inclusion and the University Lecture Series invite you to the 2021 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Keynote Lecture featuring Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, bestselling author, historian and antiracism researcher. Dr. Kendi will discuss antiracism education at the university level, initiatives to advance antiracism, engagement and responses to public discourse around antiracism framework, and the role of policy-based initiatives in creating societal change. To help shape this conversation, you are encouraged to submit questions for Dr. Kendi.
Register by Tuesday, Feb. 9. - Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion: Tartan Allies
Tartan Allies sessions are being offered to CMU faculty, staff and students to foster a network of people committed to working toward an affirming environment for all. The focus is on being an ally to those in the LGBTQ+ community. Tartan Allies comprises three progressive sessions, with participants free to choose the number they wish to complete. As the name suggests, being an ally is not a passive behavior. Good and effective allies listen, learn and act. Join us for Tartan Allies sessions if you are interested in becoming a part of this inclusive and supportive community. Only one session remains open! Register for Session 1 on March 26 from 2 to 4 p.m.
- AccessComputing Accessibility Event at SIGCSE - Friday, March 11, 2021, 1-5 p.m. EST
Join faculty, people with disabilities and broadening participation experts for a discussion of explicit strategies that faculty and instructors can take in the short-term and in the long-term to increase the accessibility of their computer science courses.
AccessComputing is an NSF Broadening Participation in Computing Alliance that works to increase the participation of people with disabilities in computing education and careers. Stay tuned for more information about other disability and accessibility-related sessions at SIGCSE. Register at The SIGCSE Symposium Website.
Virtual Support Groups
Black Women's Support Group - Fridays, 3:15-4:30 p.m. EST
A supportive space for students who identify as Black women. This group provides a space to discuss the complexities of navigating spaces within and outside of CMU. Students can discuss and explore feelings and experiences related to campus climate, stress and coping, racial/ethnic identity, racism/internalized racism, oppression and privilege, microaggressions, intersectionality, self-esteem, relationships, family, and other topics of interest. Contact Kym Jordan Simmons for more information.Women’s Support Group - Wednesdays, 6:30-7:30 p.m. EST
This group for women offers a supportive and interactive environment to explore personal experiences related to relationships, academics and stress. The group provides a safe and confidential space to receive multiple perspectives, feedback and support from other women. The group will work toward further developing self-esteem, self-awareness and relationship skills. Contact Allie Jedinak for more information.
BPC Plan Approval and Rollout of Business Administrator Info Sessions
- SCS’s departmental Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) Plan has been approved by the BPCnet steering committee. This plan, which is a dynamic document that outlines current and newly initiated goals and activities, can be updated over time as our BPC activities change, and serves to coordinate BPC activities in SCS.
If you are working on an NSF proposal that requires a BPC plan and would like to receive guidance or see examples of past plans, contact Jodi Forlizzi. Jodi will lead two sessions later this month for SCS research administrators who assist faculty with NSF funding proposals, to provide guidance and resources for proposals that require BPC plans.
Summer Research Opportunities in SCS
- We have created a new landing page for all of SCS’s Summer Research Opportunities for undergraduate students.
Mentoring Programs
- The NSF FLIP Alliance, of which we (SCS/CMU) are a member organization, is in the process of implementing a FLIP Mentoring Program.
The purpose of the mentoring program is to provide our fellows with additional support that complements the academic advising and mentoring programs at each institution. Mentoring will be in groups consisting of one faculty mentor and fellows from various FLIP institutions. The faculty mentor will focus on topics such as strategies for finding a research advisor, professional development and career paths.
Last summer, several fellows participated in mentoring focus groups and provided insights that helped to develop the new program. As a precursor to launching the mentoring program, we would now like to extend an opportunity to recommend mentors. Note that mentors should be in academia or have significant academic experience.
Use the online FLIP Mentor Recommendation Form by Feb. 12, 2021, to recommend anyone you feel would be a great candidate. The FLIP Mentoring Program Committee will contact candidates to confirm their interest and availability. Prior confirmation by the recommender is not required.
Once mentors have been determined, FLIP fellows will receive information to sign up for the FLIP Mentoring Program. If you have any questions, contact Jenn Landefeld.
About the NSF FLIP Alliance: The alliance aims to address the broadening participation challenge of increasing the diversity of the future leadership in the professoriate in computing at research universities, as a way to achieve diversity across the field. It is composed of the 11 institutions that are the top producers of CS faculty at research universities. The alliance supports doctoral students from the following communities: African Americans, Latinx/Hispanic, Native American and People with Disabilities.
From the SCS Ph.D. Student Advisory Committee Anti-racism Working Group
- To fix any problem, you need to face it directly. SCS is behind some of its peers with the proportion of students from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. For example, 0.6% of SCS master’s students are underrepresented minorities, while 12% of MIT's EECS master’s students are.
- The Ph.D. Advisory Committee is calling for updated admissions criteria materials that evaluate potential rather than prior opportunity, which often favors over-represented groups. Here's one call to action submitted from an SCS master's student:
"The only way for institutions like CMU to rectify the underrepresentations [sic] of minorities in the [...] job market is by actively promoting equal representations of all races in student admission."
Submit your story about DEI-related challenges at SCS here. - The SCS Ph.D. Student Advisory Committee maintains an SCS DEI progress tracker to map progress relative to the Towards Anti-Racist Change letter, where we outlined our vision for steps toward a more inclusive SCS. To date, four items have been completed, five are on track, 40 have been acknowledged or initiated, and one has been refused.