In light of the Black Lives Matter movement Phi Tau has been looking internally at our own practices and policies to examine our own shortcomings in the way of racial bias.
The first ever Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (or DEI) Taskforce held its inaugural meeting last Tuesday.
So far the committee is comprised of six members:
Brandon Lewis, Middle Tennessee State ‘15, Associate Director of Chapter Services and a staff representative
Steve Issakhanian, Cal Poly Pomona ’19, an undergraduate representative and member of Delta Tau’s Maxwell-winning presenters
Dexter Horne, Centre ’13, an alumnus representative and former Shideler Award winner
Ricky Bailey, Florida State ’03, a representative from the National Council
Tim Popma, Central Michigan ’05, a representative from the education committee and Dean of Building Men of Character Retreats
Scott Brown, Tennessee ’88, representing the governance board
There are two main areas of focus: policy & communication and education & programming. Policy & communication seeks to examine our current policies and procedures and identify areas for change. The National Council has asked that the two standing governance committees review our governing documents and policies and determine if they are antithetical to supporting anti-racist education.
Education & programming will identify where there are holes in our educational programs, what we need to start or stop doing, or where we can improve. Our educational materials are also being reviewed.
The immediate goals of the committee are to develop a proposal of recommendations for the National Council to review this fall and to open lines of communication between members, staff, and volunteers. Long term goals include creation of a long term standing committee with a chairperson and a standing body to consult on topics related to DEI.
Immediately, the committee is asking members to complete this survey for recommendations to the committee. It is a place to share suggestions and ideas for ways Phi Tau can improve.
The committee is formed around the democratic nature of our organization and will provide feedback and make changes as necessary. CEO Tim Hudson, Truman State ’97, opened the meeting by ensuring staff’s commitment to support the committee’s efforts and saying, “I know the work you will be doing will be challenging and rewarding. This is a tough topic but it’s one that needs to be addressed. It’s important to the future of Phi Kappa Tau and where we want to go as an organization.”
We look forward to hearing the recommendations from the committee and addressing ways Phi Tau can improve. Stay tuned for more updates from the DEI task force.
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