Social Justice & Inclusion Resources
A non-negotiable value of the CSU fraternity and sorority community is inclusivity and social justice. Examining the history of fraternities and sororities to uncover exclusion and racial trauma and to consider current oppression must remain core to our efforts. This value calls fraternity and sorority members to engage in individual and systemic work to address oppression and examine social justice efforts in the fraternity and sorority context and beyond.
Connections to CLIMB
Fraternities and sororities must engage in the process and goal of change in the fraternal movement and the CSU fraternity and sorority community through integration of diverse perspectives, the elimination of oppression, and the personal investigation of identities and systems of injustice.
Resources
Resources for Learning
- Vice President for Diversity Continuing Education Resources
- CSU library’s Anti-Racism Reading List
- Anti-Racism Resources
- Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values – The List: Listen, Learn, & Take Action Against Racism
- Black Rams Matter: A Note of Solidarity
- CSU Condemns Floyd Killing, Stands with Community Against Hate and Violence
- Pride Center Resources
- RacialEquityTools.org
- Student Disability Center – Disability Awareness
- Women & Gender Advocacy Center -Educational Resources
Resources for Action
- Steps for Fraternity/Sorority Life to Address Racism
- 5 Do’s and Don’ts for White Leaders and Colleagues Discussing Racism at Work Today
- What Should I Do? A Living List of Actions
Campus Programs & Opportunities
- Campus Step Up
- CSU Symposium – Inclusive Excellence
- Pride Training & Development
- Safe Zone Training
- Students Empowering and Engaging in Dialogue (SEED):
SEED (Students Empowering & Engaging in Dialogue) provides free, peer-led workshops for the campus community. These workshops are opportunities for groups of CSU students to engage across differences and to increase their awareness, understanding, and skills on topics of diversity, identity, bias, and social justice. They are interactive (activity and dialogue based) and led by trained undergraduate student facilitators. SEED offers a variety of workshop topics and is open to creating a unique session based on your group’s interests and needs. If you would like to request a workshop or want to learn more, please contact seedcsu@colostate.edu.
- Women & Gender Advocacy Center – Events & Programs
Inclusive Leadership for Fraternity and Sorority Members Course
- WS 397
- Fall – Full Semester
- 3 Credits
This course is designed to provide students an opportunity to explore and discuss the complexity of human difference in today’s society through class readings, class discussion and activities, and reflection. This class is also designed as a leadership development course and will provide opportunities to examine leadership in the context of inclusion, diversity and social justice. Emphasis is placed on understanding personal identity, as well as understanding how to lead with a sense of responsibility toward and with different others. Strategies for allyship and interdependently leading within a global community will also be examined.
Fraternities and Sororities Against Sexual Assault Course
- WS 495
- Spring – First Eight Weeks
- 1 credit
This class exists to deepen and enliven the conversation related to interpersonal violence in our society, and most specifically, in fraternity and sorority life. One in four women, one in six men and one in two transgender people, will be the victim of an attempted or completed sexual assault in their lifetime, and research also indicates that rape supportive culture and sexual assault take on unique shapes in the fraternity and sorority context. This includes the reality that sorority women are more likely to experience sexual assault than unaffiliated women. Fraternity and Sorority Members Against Sexual Assault aims to:
- Dispel myths surrounding rape, sexual assault, and relationship violence
- Consider how a rape supportive culture is established and unique ways this culture is perpetuated in the fraternity and sorority community
- Discuss gender socialization, gender specific programs, and healthy relationships, all relating to being a member of a fraternity or sorority
- Develop a firm understanding of the resources available for survivors of rape, sexual assault, and other forms of interpersonal violence
- Foster collaboration among members of the fraternity and sorority community concerned with the health and well-being of CSU students and deconstructing rape supportive culture
Questions for Individual and Chapter Reflection
As members of fraternities and sororities and chapters collectively engage in reflection and dialogue about social justice and inclusion, these questions may assist in a critical examination of chapter history, current context, and future opportunities.
- How has exclusion and oppression been perpetuated in CSU’s fraternity/sorority community? (i.e. offensive and appropriative philanthropy/fundraising events, individual behavior, large-scale programs, policies, etc.)
- What is my organization’s history with exclusion and oppression? Specific questions include:
- Did my organization discriminate in our history against People of Color (e.g. “white clauses” or de facto membership expectations)?
- Has joining my organization been an opportunity for limited income students historically and currently?
- Who has historically been in leadership of my organization (e.g. what are the identities of those serving on the board or council for my organization)?
- How has my organization treated LGBQIA members or potential members?
- When did my organization adopt a trans* inclusion policy or does my organization have a trans* inclusion policy?
- If my organization has a history rooted in Christianity, how were those that do not identify as Christian treated or welcomed by my organization?
- Does my organization talk at all about disabilities and how to support members and potential members with disabilities? Has my organization considered our structures and practices to ensure they are inclusive for students with disabilities?
- How has exclusion and oppression been perpetuated in our organization? Examples might include:
- Legacy policies that give an advantage to potential members whose parents or family members had the opportunity to attend college
- Homogenous chapter demographics
- Historical exclusionary policies based on race like actual white clauses or other practices that prohibited People of Color from joining
- culturally appropriative/culturally insensitive party themes like “welcome to the jungle,” “Hawaiian” themed events, “gangster” or “thug” parties, etc.
- Racist signage and t-shirts
- Racist, sexist, misogynistic, homophobic or transphobic songs or chants
- Racist, sexist, misogynistic, homophobic. or transphobic events and/or programs
- Appropriating hand signs, calls, or stepping/strolling that is practiced by culturally-based fraternities and sororities
- Why is it important for our organization to work towards the elimination of oppression?
- What are ways our organization upholds racism either in interpersonal, individual ways or in big-picture institutional ways (individual behavior, language, etc. vs. policies, recruitment practices, etc.)?
- What are ways our organization upholds homophobia either in interpersonal, individual ways or in big-picture institutional ways (individual behavior, language, etc. vs. policies, recruitment practices, etc.)?
- What are ways our organization upholds transphobia either in interpersonal, individual ways or in big-picture institutional ways (individual behavior, language, etc. vs. policies, recruitment practices, etc.)?
- What are some barriers to addressing the perpetuation of oppression in our community and our chapter?
- What are ways we could work collectively as a chapter to address racism on campus and in the fraternity/sorority community?
- What are tangible ways that our organization can combat the perpetuation of oppression?
- What is your personal role in eliminating racism, anti-Blackness, transphobia, homophobia, ableism, sexism, and classism?
- What is a commitment that you will make to address and eliminate racism, anti-Blackness, transphobia, homophobia, ableism, sexism, and classism (i.e. changing behaviors, engaging in diversity and social justice education etc.)?