May 2022 Newsletter

Dear Friends & Colleagues,

It’s been a busy spring and we’re writing to let you know what the External Affairs DEI Steering Committee has been up to since we were last in touch, from nailing down our area of focus to rolling out working agreements for meeting and office culture. Plus, we have a few bits of sad news to report.

Before we dive in, just a quick note on progress and momentum. Lasting change rarely happens quickly and is often built one incremental, sometimes imperceptible, step at a time. Not to mention the unexpected roadblocks you sometimes have to work around. But the key is to keep moving forward. This committee has been meeting every week since late last fall, taking the necessary time to get to know each other and build trust. These days, our get-togethers often spill over the 90-minute blocks, a sign that we’re indeed comfortable discussing a variety of topics with each other and eager to tackle the tasks ahead.

Speaking of which… here are a few things we’ve been working on:

Honing our focus
After much discussion and consultation, we nailed down the committee’s area of focus: Hiring, Retention, and Culture. We’ll explore and establish ways to attract wider groups of job applicants and foster a supportive and inclusive office culture, which we hope will keep people happily on the job and part of the team. We’ve begun forming sub-committees to tackle related aspects of this task and plan to consult with hiring managers as well as our HR representative Anita Stasiowski to help us better understand the hiring process.

Working agreements rollout
The purpose is to establish a common etiquette for workplace culture, especially meetings, which will disrupt traditional power dynamics and inequities, giving everyone a voice at the table. Agreements will be rolled out department-wide starting in early June, and members of the DEI committee will meet with individual teams in the coming weeks to discuss how these guidelines can be best adopted by particular units. The agreements are attached if you’d like to review them.

What’s next?

We plan to build a website for the EA DEI Steering Committee and its work, where we will share our latest news, initiatives, and resources, as well as receive your feedback. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out to any one of us with concerns or comments (contact info at the bottom of the email).
We’re also exploring more educational opportunities and events for the External Affairs community and looking into guest speakers who will help shape our learning and further our growth. Stay tuned!

News

We were saddened to learn that Kristen Handricken has left Boston University, the result of a reorganization at BU’s Diversity & Inclusion office that eliminated her position as Director of Learning and Training.
Kristen has worked closely with External Affairs, facilitating our staff diversity, equity, and inclusion trainings as well as our inclusive managers trainings. She has played an invaluable role in our DEI Steering Committee since its inception in September 2020, offering guidance and leadership for our group’s ongoing efforts to make External Affairs a more equitable community and workplace.
“Kristen’s impact on External Affairs has been immeasurable,” says EA DEI co-lead Sharon Freeman. “I have not seen such honesty, unique skill, and expertise in the workplace before. She reminded us that diversity, equity, and inclusion work is not always comfortable, but always necessary. She brought a personal touch, and a genuine compassion for her work. She was not only a colleague, but a friend, and her absence will truly be felt. But I’m confident that we will continue to engage and grow in this important task.”
We’re also sad to lose committee member Sara Rimer, who is leaving BU and moving to Philadelphia. Over the past seven months, Sara proved to be a supportive colleague and friend, always ready with words of encouragement, acknowledgment, and humor. Good luck on your new adventures, Sara!
On a truly somber note, like the rest of the country, we were horrified at the racially motivated killings that took place on May 14 at a Buffalo, N.Y., grocery store frequented primarily by Black residents. Our hearts are broken as we stand with this devastated community. The dean of the College of Fine Arts and Buffalo native Harvey Young offers his perspective on the tragedy in this recent BU Today piece.

Resources

We want to keep you in the loop about DEI efforts and learning opportunities across BU and beyond, and encourage you to check out some of the events and resources below:

On Wednesday, May 25, BU Diversity & Inclusion is hosting a virtual panel discussion with BU faculty and staff called Reviving the Fierce Urgency of Now: Commemorating George Floyd and Reflecting on Racial Justice in America. Panelists will explore how we have grown and changed in the two years following the murder of George Floyd and subsequent international protests and calls for racial justice and accountability.
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, but every day’s a great opportunity to enrich your cultural knowledge. Try out these book, podcast & movie recommendations from BU Today.
BU Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) offers an online living language guide that helps in our shared understanding of many DEI terms, words, phrases, acronyms, definitions, etc. Check it out often because the list is updated as language changes.
Consider subscribing to D&I’s online newsletter to stay current on news and events happening on our campus and elsewhere.

Who we are

Below is the full list of committee members, arranged by department. We encourage you to reach out to any of us to share your ideas, concerns, and aspirations for External Affairs.

Account Management
Laura Devine
Senior account supervisor
ldevine@bu.edu

Erin Lee
Account executive
erinylee@bu.edu

Administration
Sharon Freeman, DEI Steering Committee co-lead
Senior director of finance
freeman@bu.edu

Editorial
Gemma Acheampong
Web content producer
gemmaa@bu.edu

Alene Bouranova
Writer/editor
abour@bu.edu

Andrew Thurston
Editor of The Brink
thurston@bu.edu

Editorial Services
Angela Clarke-Silvia
Copy editor
apclarke@bu.edu

Meredith Mann
Copy editor
mgmann@bu.edu

Peter Nebesar
Copy editor
pnebesar@bu.edu

Federal Relations
Emily Burlij
Associate director
eaburlij@bu.edu

Interactive Design
Andrea Cacase
Senior lead designer
acacase@bu.edu

Angela McKenzie
Lead designer/UX researcher
amckenz@bu.edu

Caleb Daniloff
Senior marketing writer
cdanilof@bu.edu

Photography
Andrew “Andy” Costello
Manager
amc01@bu.edu

Public Relations | Social Media
Carol Duan, DEI Steering Committee co-lead
International social media specialist
duanr@bu.edu