Student-Led Efforts Towards Anti-Racist Changes at SIPA Continue
By Steven Lazickas
As covered by The Morningside Post previously, a group of SIPA students, with support from hundreds more, have called for changes to SIPA’s policies and curriculum to address systemic racism. The students met with Dean Merit Janow, Professor Michael Nutter, and Dean Samantha Shapses on June 11. After this meeting, the students and SIPA administrators provided statements to The Morningside Post with further information on present and future conversations about institutional racism.
The students’ demands include a comprehensive diversity audit by a third party, the hiring of a Director of Inclusion and Equity, adding courses with a focus on racial justice to SIPA’s curriculum, and recruiting and retaining more Black students and faculty.
On June 29, Janow sent a document to the student organizers in preparation for their second meeting which detailed actions initiated by the school to address the demands made by students.
These actions constitute what Janow calls a “‘whole of SIPA’ approach to ensure that we can move forward on all issues and obtain input from multiple stakeholders.” This “whole of SIPA” approach includes:
A “faculty consultative committee on academic matters,” co-chaired by Janow and Vice Dean Scott Barrett. Initial members of this committee include various professors including Nutter, Ester Fuchs, Yasmine Ergas, Sarah Holloway, and Steve Cohen. The committee will advance initiatives according to their expertise.
An administrative committee co-chaired by Janow and Senior Associate Dean Colleen Toomey. This committee will be made up of staff from the Office of Student Affairs, the Office of Career Services, Admissions and Financial Aid, Communications, and others. This committee will provide “key input into a self-assessment” completed by SIPA.
The above-mentioned self-assessment of diversity and inclusion at SIPA is “an approach that is often undertaken when reviewing schools, programs, institutes, and faculty” and will “enlist the active participation and input of faculty, staff and students.” According to Janow’s correspondence, the self-assessment will “examine and review actions taken, currently underway, as well as desired along numerous academic and nonacademic dimensions.” This effort will include recruitment of diverse faculty, students and staff; increased financial aid and other support for students of color; consideration of SIPA’s curriculum and how it engages issues like race and public policy, systemic bias, and other like topics; and an examination of SIPA’s relationship with Harlem.
Janow also notes that the school is looking for third party diversity and inclusion experts affiliated with Columbia University to provide an impartial review of the self-assessment. Per Janow’s note: “The goal is to undertake a serious self-assessment with input from numerous parts of the School that will serve as the basis for a report that will be made public before the end of the academic year.”
Other measures Janow mentions include asking faculty to recommend instructors from under-represented minorities, reviews of curriculum by concentration and specialization directors, possible capstones focused on race and inclusion, and anti-racism training for students.
On June 30, students met with Janow and other administrators to discuss these notes.
On July 2, the student organizers responded to this information publicly with concerns and questions. The student organizers’ questions called out the initial responses from SIPA for a lack of specificity. Concerns included the lack of diversity within the preliminary consultative faculty committee and the fact that organizers received no response of how anti-racist coursework would be made mandatory within the curriculum.
The student organizers also highlighted the course “Modern Urban Terrorism,” taught by Mitchell Silber. Their response described the course as “violently Islamophobic, racist, unconstitutional, and imperialist.” The students went on to list Silber’s professional history, pointing out his relationship with the NYPD and notorious former commissioner, Raymond Kelly. The students’ response expresses Silber’s history of racism, Islamophobia, and discrimination, and how his policy work is fraught with illegal and incorrect assumptions and recommendations. The response stated that Silber has been a professor at SIPA since 2008 and that he currently serves on Janow’s Advisory Board.
In light of this information, the students demand that Silber be fired for his racist, Islamophobic, and violent beliefs.
The student organizers stated in an email that they expect to meet again with Janow and other administrators during the week of July 27.
Editor’s Note:
We feel it is important to state that The Morningside Post is only reporting on these allegations concerning Professor Silber. Reporting on allegations concerning faculty does not mean TMP supports them.
This article is part of ongoing coverage on efforts to dismantle institutional racism at SIPA. As these endeavors continue, The Morningside Post will continue sharing updates with our readers.