Action Plan
At this time, the Vergnano Institute for Inclusion (former the Engineering Diversity Outreach Center) is actively working on the following:
- Offering a space for our community to come together:
- Following George Floyd’s memorial on Tuesday, more details to come
- Initiating a meeting time to develop action items such as:
- A potential Social Media Campaign, for example: Days of re-grounding and re-building in honor of the black people killed by police in 2020
- Organize a day and time to attend protests
- Signing petitions and writing a letter to government officials
- Provide resources to students such as:
- Helping students and the community register to vote
- Facilitating educational discussions such as:
- Watch Party and Discussion for films such as When They See Us, 13th, etc.
- Book discussions (preferably using books purchased from blackowned bookstores like UConn and BRIDGE Alum Khamani Harrison’s keybookstore.com) such as Just Mercy, White Fragility, etc.
- Anti-Racist Discussion Forums using literature such as Letter from a Birmingham Jail, and Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack
- Restructuring curriculum for ENGR 3025 (Engineering for Impact), in conjunction with student professional organizations.
- Develop ways to unify and equally support each of our student organizations
- Educate our leaders and organization members on anti-racist practices and culturally-conscious communication
- Creating Dean’s Advisory Boards, including:
- Black and Brown Students’ Equity and Inclusion
- Gender and Gender Identity Equity and Inclusion
- Health, Mental Health, and Wellness
We see you, we hear you, we feel you, and we care for you.
Demanding for peace through change,
The Vergnano Institute for Inclusion Staff and Community (engr-inclusion@uconn.edu)
Esther Chang (esther.k.chang@uconn.edu)
Kevin McLaughlin (kevin.j.mclaughlin@uconn.edu)
Stephany Santos (stephany.santos@uconn.edu)