UNC System Racial Equity Task Force
Three system-wide activities took place during fall semester of 2020.
The University of North Carolina System launched a system-wide task force to “examine the legacy of race and racism in North Carolina’s public higher education system” and its impact on students, faculty, staff and communities.
The task force began meeting in July 2020 and conducted several information-gathering activities to report findings to the Board of Governors.
Focus areas included student recruitment, enrollment and outcomes; employee recruitment, retention and promotion; and supporting safe, diverse and inclusive campuses and communities.
A series of activities enabled the task force to gather suggestions and feedback, meet with constituent groups and prepare a report of recommendations and action steps in order of priority to present to the UNC System president on Dec. 16, 2020.
- See the Final Report (Dec. 16, 2020)
Virtual Town Halls
The UNC System Racial Equity Task Force invited students, faculty and staff to participate in Virtual Town Halls from Oct. 19–29.
The Task Force sought to learn about experiences, ideas and/or questions about race and equity at NC State and in the UNC System. The feedback informed recommendations for the Board of Governors and UNC System Office.
Goals of the Task Force
The task force initially defined its goals as follows:
- Equity in the student academic experience. We’ll examine how to close equity gaps in every stage of the student experience, from recruitment through graduation.
- Equity-minded faculty, staff, and administrators. We’ll take a deep dive into human resources practices in the recruitment, hiring and retention of employees system-wide.
- Safe and inclusive campuses and communities. Building a better world that’s equitable for all starts on our campuses. We’ll work with students, faculty and staff to foster and maintain safe and supportive campuses that promote diversity, inclusion and a sense of belonging.
(Taken from the UNC System Racial Equity Task Force website.)