On Feb. 27, Rodney Smith, vice president for access and engagement and chair of the Racial Reconciliation Commission (RRC), led the RRC’s monthly meeting. This meeting was open to all members of the Jewell community. The objective of this meeting was to brief RRC members and other interested parties on the RRC’s progress in terms of its implementation of certain initiatives introduced on Nov. 10. Specifically, Smith discussed feedback provided by the faculty on these initiatives. The RRC has plans to meet with other groups to receive feedback, including Student Senate and the alumni of color advisory group. To date, the RRC has presented their initiatives to the administrative council, the alumni board of governors, and faculty council. 

Briefly, these initiatives are: 1) addressing historical inaccuracy; 2) commemoration; 3) repair and restoration and 4) creating a better future. The RRC’s implementation of these initiatives is guided by the following principles: 1) collaboration; 2) transparency; 3) continuous learning and 4) intentional representation.

RRC members in attendance included: Mark Mathes, an alumnus of William Jewell College; Cecilia Robinson, professor emerita of English and historian of Clay County African American Legacy, Inc.; Andrew Pratt, dean emeritus of the chapel; Robert Powers, electronic resources and archives librarian; David Sallee, former president of Jewell; Clark Morris, vice president for advancement and head of the Harriman-Jewell series; Keith Pence, member of the Board of Trustees; Carmaletta Williams, executive director of Mid-America Black Archives; Donna Gardner, professor emerita of education and Owen Kerrigan, freshman political science major. Kerrigan was announced as the newest member of the RRC at this meeting.

Members of the Jewell community present – apart from the Hilltop Monitor – were Rebecca Hamlett, director of library services and Traci Parker-Gray, director of diversity of equity, access and engagement. 

Two major recommendations made by faculty were discussed at the meeting. An additional consideration concerned renaming rooms is raised in conjunction with faculty’s first recommendation.

On faculty’s first recommendation
The first concerned the proposal to rename the RRC the “Katherine ‘Aunt Kitty’ Thompson Alexander Project.” Katherine Thompson Alexander was a Black woman who was employed as a cook by the William Jewell College Boarding Club for 25 years during the nineteenth century. Some faculty members proposed that the nickname ‘Aunt Kitty’ be removed from the consideration in the new name for the RRC, as terms of endearment and nicknames were often used by white people in power to infantilize or otherwise demean people of color under their employ.  This is because these terms of endearment or nicknames often reinforce negative racial stereotypes, such as the figure of the black mammy. 

The recommendation was discussed by RRC members. Robinson noted that Alexander seemed to embrace her role as ‘aunt’ at the College. Further, she argued that an instance where Alexander loaned 50 cents to a Jewell student indicated that she was economically independent and therefore less subject to infantilizing treatment. However, Pence noted that – whatever the connotations of the name ‘Aunt Kitty’ – the new name would be seen by members of the broader Kansas City and Liberty community. Most likely, these individuals will not know Alexander’s story. Without this important historical context, the name ‘Aunt Kitty’ by itself could reinforce negative racial stereotypes.

After this discussion, Smith concluded that ‘Aunt Kitty’ should be removed. Robinson asked whether the RRC members present would be voting on this decision. Smith asked the RRC members present whether a vote should be conducted, to which Powers responded by asking all commissioners in favor of changing the proposal to rename the RRC to raise their hands. Then the commission members clarified that they were voting to remove ‘aunt’ from ‘Aunt Kitty,’ though Smith stated that he would entertain a motion to remove ‘Aunt Kitty’ entirely from the renaming proposal. No such motion was started and the commission members voted unanimously to remove ‘aunt’ from the Katherine ‘Aunt Kitty’ Alexander Project. 

Smith then clarified that these initiatives were just recommendations, meaning that the vote did not officially change the RRC’s name until the Board of Trustees approved the recommendation. However, this spurred some discussion as to the exact role of the Board of Trustees in the RRC’s recommendations. Pence argued that the Board of Trustees had not named the RRC to begin with; whoever had originally come up with the name should decide whether or not to approve the recommendation to rename the RRC. Smith stated that the RRC’s name was decided by himself and Elizabeth Macleod Walls, president of the College. However, Smith reasserted that he was going to present all these recommendations to the Board of Trustees. 

An additional consideration: Who renames what?
Smith also noted that the original slide wherein recommendations under the heading of ‘Commemoration’ were listed had misspelled Audrey Burchette’s name. The RRC had recommended that the Alexander Doniphan room in Brown Hall be renamed in her honor in this slide.

There was some confusion, however, as to whether this recommendation had already been brought to the Board of Trustees. Afterall, in official communications such as the View From the Hill, the room is referred to as the Audrey Burchette room. However, Smith stated this had been done only unofficially; that is to say, the room had been referred to as the Audrey Burchette room only in verbal, not written communications. According to Smith, this recommendation had to be presented to the Board before it was made official.

However, Pence stated that it was his belief that the Board does not get involved in the process of renaming rooms, as this was an operational affair outside of the Board’s scope. The Board’s task is to set direction. Instead, he suggested that whatever part of the College applies names to rooms would be the group to receive the recommendation. 

Mathes disagreed with Pence. He asserted that it was “critically important, even if the Board of Trustees does not see naming rooms as part of what they do, [that] the Board of Trustees has to stand up and say we recognize all of this and put it on a vote.” Mathes underscored the importance of ownership: the outcome of the vote and who voted for and against what should be made public. 

In an attempt to sort out these confusions, Morris recommended that Macleod Walls and the Board of Trustees should ‘ferry out’ who should have what responsibilities in connection with the RRC’s initiatives and recommendations. In his mind, he believed that all these recommendations should be presented to Macleod Walls, who would then decide which of these recommendations should be voted on by the Board. 

Further, Pratt reminded the other commission members that the purpose of this meeting was for Smith to brief those present on faculty feedback to the RRC. He stated that he “had not come prepared to vote on every recommendation,” although he thought this was a good idea. Pratt added that votes should be scheduled to give commission members time to prepare. 

Gardner agreed with Pratt in terms of the importance of voting and also hearing feedback from various groups. However, she urged that it was crucial that the RRC vote “in the most timely fashion possible.” Further, the RRC should clarify the process by which these votes occur. This includes clarifying who approves what recommendations and how. 

On the Faculty’s Second Recommendation
Gardner’s comments put the commission in a position to discuss the faculty’s second major recommendation to the RRC: the importance of a transparent, formal decision-making procedure. 

Kerrigan suggested the following structure for the implementation of the RRC’s recommendations and initiatives. First, feedback should be gathered from as many relevant groups as possible. Then the commissioners would vote on issues as they arose from the feedback. A list of recommendations would be compiled from these votes, which would then be presented to Macleod Walls. Macleod Walls would then decide which recommendations required Board approval and which did not. Smith approved this structure. 

This spurred a discussion as to what groups should be asked to provide feedback and how. Kerrigan noted that Student Senate has plans to have a town hall on the RRC’s initiatives – this would give the general student body an opportunity to provide feedback to the RRC. Kerrigan was unsure of the timeline of this town hall at the time of the meeting, though he promised to talk to the relevant parties to ascertain this information. 

Robinson then listed the recommendations which required feedback and subsequent approval from Macleod Walls: 1) the RRC’s statement of purpose must be approved; 2) the proposal to rename the RRC; 3) the proposal to rename the Doniphan room; 4) the proposal to rename Jewell Hall and 5) the proposal to develop a Freedom Walk on the Quad. Robinson, alongside Parker-Gray, underscored the importance of giving Black Student Alliance (BSA) the opportunity to give feedback on these recommendations. 

Smith noted that, because the Board of Trustees meets just three times a year, it would be difficult to have a completed list of recommendations by the time the Board meets again. Thus, it would likely be the case that this process of getting feedback, voting, and then getting Board approval would have to wait to be completed until the Board’s October meeting. 

Hamlett then returned the conversation to faculty’s feedback concerning the RRC’s procedures. Hamlett stated that faculty wanted to understand how feedback would be gathered and synthesized and, finally, how this feedback would be presented to the administration. Hamlett asked whether it might be possible for the RRC’s presentation, first shown on Nov. 10, to be publicized so that the faculty could have the opportunity to provide ample, carefully considered feedback. 

Powers added that faculty cited that faculty groups have particular by-laws that govern their operations. The faculty wanted to know whether the RRC has any such by-laws, how votes are conducted, whether there are minutes for the RRC’s meetings and how these are published, and other such procedural matters. In response, Mathes asked whether faculty “understand that this isn’t a faculty meeting or commission, and what comes out of it is more important than the governance of a committee.” 

Pratt concurred with Mathes, stating that “faculty committees are standing committees that continue their work year after year, with different people rotating on and off the committees. And so it’s for continuity’s sake… [thus] it’s more important in those cases to have established procedures, so that the committee can continue to function… There’s never been a Racial Reconciliation Commission before and it may be that the Racial Reconciliation Commission persists once this first round of work is done, then I think it will be important to do those things. But in a sense, I think that it’s not applicable: those types of comments are not applicable to this kind of commission, although… it’s important to have the votes and the records and be transparent.”

Smith ended by stating that he is willing to post the RRC’s materials online, as well as the RRC’s meeting minutes, and calendar dates for meetings with stakeholder groups. The Hilltop Monitor will continue reporting on the RRC’s progress with respect to its initiatives and recommendations. 

On Nov. 3, William Jewell College’s Student Senate hosted their first Town Hall meeting of the academic year. At the meeting, the Student Senate Cabinet and six Senate Commissioners presented proposed initiatives that they plan to work on throughout the upcoming semesters. After the presentation, those  in attendance were encouraged to ask questions and discuss additional issues not addressed by the Senate Commissioners.

In 2021, Student Senate narrowed down their list of student representatives to include just a handful of Commissioners to represent six aspects of life at Jewell: Academic Affairs; Diversity and Inclusion; Student-Athletics; Residence Life; Greek Life; and Student Involvement. Accordingly, each Commissioner is responsible for addressing issues raised by students regarding those specific areas, while the Student Senate Cabinet oversees the organization’s operations.

Among the 2022-23 Senate Commissioners is a temporary student representative specifically dedicated to resolving any mold issues experienced by students.

A common theme of the presentations and the Town Hall — as well as the interviews below — is the importance of student involvement to Student Senate’s mission. Student Senate hopes to improve Jewell through changes that are meaningful and important to students. The Senate explains, however, this can only accomplished if they know what the student body feels needs to be improved. Student Senate asks the student body to attend the future Town Hall meetings and to reach out at any time to suggest changes or discuss challenges. Student Senate can be reached via email at senate@william.jewell.edu. Each Senate Commissioner can also be contacted through their individual emails (listed below). 

The Nov. 6 Town Hall meeting was an introduction to this year’s Student Senate Cabinet, the Commissioners and their goals. Below is an interview with three Senate Commissioners and a summary of the initiatives put forth for this year.

President of Student Senate and Senate Commissioner for Academic Affairs Ben Wardlow, sophomore Oxbridge institutions and policy, and philosophy major.

How long have you been a part of Student Senate?

This is my second year of serving on Student Senate. Last year I was the Senator for Academic Affairs.

Is there anything you would like the students to know about you?

Despite holding the position of Student Senate President for only three months, serving the students of William Jewell College has been one of my greatest honors and privileges. 

On the Hill, in addition to the roles I hold in Student Senate, I am a Cardinal Host and a Cardinal Blazer. I am majoring in both Oxbridge institutions & policy and philosophy. Off the Hill, I am a fellow in the 2022-23 National Humanities Leadership Council and am an intern at the law firm of Johnson, Vorhees and Martucci.

What is the most valuable information you want students to know about the Nov. 3 Town Hall?

The Town Hall was intended to convey to all students the issues and initiatives that each Senator is resolved to work on this year. A majority of those issues and initiatives are [detailed below].

When can we expect another town hall?

Student Senate is planning to host another Town Hall in February 2023. The exact date of that Town Hall is [yet to be determined].

Is there anything else you would like to add?

This year, Student Senate has already dealt with, and will continue to deal with, issues that significantly impact the quality of the student experience. The individuals who compose this year’s Student Senate are both competent to serve – and passionate about serving – the student body. However, the extent to which Student Senate is effective in promoting the quality of the student experience is dependent on how engaged the student body chooses to be in Student Senate’s initiatives. Consequently, I challenge all Jewell students to become more engaged with the efforts of Student Senate.

Senate Commissioner for Diversity and Inclusion Erin Wenzel, first-year psychology major.

How long have you been a part of Student Senate?

This is my first year.

Is there anything you would like the students to know about you?

Part of having that job title means that I’m working with the Diversity and Inclusion department here at [Jewell]. The majority of what I’m doing this year is working with students and student groups to better understand the issues [that] students are facing.

What is the most valuable information you want students to know about the Nov. 3 Town Hall?

The most important point I want people to take away from the town hall is this: If you see a problem here at Jewell that you feel the Student Senate should address, then please reach out and tell us. 

My job – and the job of everyone else on the Senate – is to serve the students of Jewell. Unfortunately, we are a relatively small group of people when compared to the student body, which means there are many problems students face that we are unaware of. To combat this we turn to you, the students, and ask you to use your voice and bring these issues to our attention. We can only find solutions to problems we are aware of, so if there is a problem going unanswered by the Senate, then make us aware. Come to Town Hall meetings, email [Student] Senate or even message the Commissioners directly. Use your voice so that we can use ours. Together we can create a campus environment that is safer, stronger and more inclusive for all students, both current and future. 

The Student Senate email is: senate@william.jewell.edu.

What can students expect from you this year?

There are two big problems I will be working to solve this year. First, I will be addressing the deadnaming issue in the student records and emails. I’ll be working to find a more permanent solution –  rather than students being forced to manually change their name in the records each year, only for the problem to repeat in the following year.

Second, I will be working to improve the accessibility of Jewell’s campus. This could include building a ramp or other wheelchair-accessible devices outside of the Mathes dorm building as there are [currently] no wheelchair accessible entrances to the building. This project will potentially extend further into the coming years as the planning and approval process, as well as construction, could take longer than the time remaining in this school year.

Senate Commissioner for Students’ Charter of Rights and Responsibilities Matthew Parker, first-year Oxbridge institutions and policy major.

How long have you been a part of Student Senate?

I am a freshman, so this is my first year on Student Senate. I’ve been intending to be part of Student Senate since I decided to attend Jewell, having learned about Student Senate from the current President Ben Wardlow while on a campus visit in April of this year.

Is there anything you would like the students to know about you?

As a member of Student Senate, my dedication is to a pair of principles. The first is that Senators are here to express and actualize the will of the students whom they represent, and the second is that Senators must put the good of the student body and of the College before personal expediency. I hope — and indeed believe — that I speak for all of Student Senate in affirming that I will be operating by these principles for my entire time on Student Senate, this academic year and hopefully beyond.

What is the most valuable information you want students to know about the Nov. 3 Town Hall?

The Student Senate Town Halls are your best opportunity to express your perspective as a student to us as members of Student Senate, and [attending] is the best way for us as members of that Senate to do our job of representing you and your interests accurately and fairly.

What can students expect from you this year?

What students can expect from us as Student Senate is that we as a collective will work to collaborate with both students and college administration to improve the student experience at Jewell and to improve the currently strained state of student-administration relations. What students can expect from me personally is a visible and active presence in the student body, a ready ear willing to listen to your views and wishes and a dedicated representative who will serve the interests of his community.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

If I would add one thing, it would be a simple plea to the Jewell community: Be involved with Student Senate; participate in the Town Halls; discuss challenges you are facing with members of the Senate. You have the power to improve your student experience, and we as Student Senate are here to serve as the tools for you to express your wishes, but your wishes are only heard and acted on if we can hear your voice.

Senate Commissioner for Student-Athletics Aubrey Avalos, junior political science and international relations major.

How long have you been a part of Student Senate? 

I have been a part of the Senate since September of this year. 

Is there anything you would like the students to know about you?

I am a super-involved student and am here to help all students. I obviously primarily focus on athletes, but I am here to help Jewell be a better place for all students. If there is anything you think would be helpful, please let me know. I love talking about new ideas.

What is the most valuable information you want students to know about the Nov. 3 Town Hall?

 At the townhall I announced my major initiatives I am working on. These include:

1. Increasing mental health resources for student-athletes. I am currently working with school administration to seek out specialized mental health resources for student-athletes. 

2. Creating a better balance between academics and athletics. To aid student-athletes – and any other organizations – with academics when traveling, we are working on getting [Wi-Fi] hotspots for students that are traveling for Jewell-related activities.

3. Our last goal is more intended for the whole student body. We are attempting to create an overall better athletics experience. What this means is making the game environment more energetic and active. We are working with the [Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC)] to plan some fun activities during basketball season. We are also working with other Commissioners to pursue long-term goals like creating a better game culture at Jewell.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I would like to add, on the last goal, if you have ANY input please let me know. I want to hear from as many students as possible to learn about what the student body wants to see at athletics events.

General issues and initiatives of Student Senate

Senate Cabinet

• President Ben Wardlow (wardlowb.21@william.jewell.edu)
• Vice President Tatyana Turner (turnert.21@william.jewell.edu)
• Records and Finance Officer Ian Wooldridge (wooldridgei.21@william.jewell.edu)

General Initiatives

• Senate Commissioner for Students’ Charter of Rights and Responsibilities Matthew Parker (parkerm.22@william.jewell.edu)

1. Generate incentives that encourage more students to stay on campus during the weekends.
2. Ensure that the Charter of Students’ Rights and Responsibilities is respected.
3. Secure more convenient dining hall hours on weekends, specifically during conventional breakfast hours.
4. Improve the quality of lighting on campus.

Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives

• Senate Commissioner Diversity and Inclusion Erin Wenzel (wenzele.22@william.jewell.edu)

1. Make campus more wheelchair accessible.
2. Rectify the issue of deadnaming with regards to student emails and financial aid services.
3. Roll out the Intercultural Development Inventory.

Student-Athletics Initiatives

• Senate Commissioners for Student-Athletes Aubrey Avalos (avalosa.20@william.jewell.edu); and 
• McKinzie Thompson (thompsonm.21@william.jewell.edu)

1. Provide mental health resources that are specifically designed for student-athletes.
2. Improve both student turnout and active engagement at sporting events.
3. Provide hotspots for student-athletes to use for homework while traveling to and from sporting events.

Residence Life Initiatives

• Senate Commissioners for Residence Life Nirbhay Vohra (vohran.22@william.jewell.edu); and 
• Trent Dixon (dixont.22@william.jewell.edu)

1. Ensure that the quality of Wi-Fi is improved, potentially by way of a campus-wide network that would enable students to use electronics outdoors.
2. Improve the bathroom conditions (such as securing or repairing paper towel dispensers).
3. Ensure that every dorm on campus does not pose health risks, specifically health risks generated by mold.

Mold-Related Initiatives

• Ad-Hoc Senate Commissioner for Mold Kamerin Hull (hullk.21@william.jewell.edu)

1. Ensure that all Jewell spaces used by students are safe and pleasant by eradicating any mold that poses health risks or is surface level. 

Student Involvement Initiatives

• Senate Commissioners for Student Involvement Owen Kerrigan (kerrigano.22@william.jewell.edu); and 
• Ethan Naber (nabere.22@william.jewell.edu)

1. Create a calendar that contains every Jewell event and can be accessed at the homepage of every student’s Brightspace.
2. Improve the promotion of all Jewell achievements (such as students or faculty presenting at conferences, receiving awards, etc.).
3. Modify the Jewell Activities and Organizations website to include new clubs, remove obsolete clubs and renovate existing clubs to include their social media and contact information. 

Greek Life Initiatives

• Senate Commissioners for Greek Life Dammy Idowu (idowua.21@william.jewell.edu); and 
• Alexander Walls (wallsa.21@william.jewell.edu)

1. Ensure that there are equal mental health and safety resources for each Greek Organization.
2. Provide printers to each wing of the Sorority Complex.
3. Create a fraternity wide philanthropy event.

Summary of Initiatives provided by Wardlow.

Over the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic devastated the country, and yet with the worst presumably behind us, marginalized populations continue to take the brunt of the resulting financial, social and health-related disparities in the United States. Amid the pandemic, an all-too-familiar pattern of violence revealed itself – one that we can no longer let fester by means of our own silence.

Following the murder of George Floyd in summer 2020, the 2020-21 the Monitor editorial staff released a statement in support of Black lives, pledging to devote our organization’s time and resources to covering issues surrounding diversity, inclusion and injustice within our community. Reflecting on our progress, now with two semesters completed, we realize that we still have a lot of room to grow for fall 2021. 

Most urgently, we are extending this commitment to include Asian American and Pacific Islander students and members of our local and national community. With the pandemic promoting violent, targeted attacks against AAPI demographics, we recognize the importance of committing our time and resources towards their perspectives. 

In fall 2021, we plan to further recognize the experiences of both BIPOC and AAPI communities through extensive news reporting, efforts in diversifying staff and offering specific roles to BIPOC and AAPI students. We also hope to devote some staff-writer positions to report on issues specific to diversity, inclusion and injustice on a local and national scale.

We condemn any form of violence toward BIPOC and AAPI communities. The changes made to our structure and news-reporting prerogatives, explained in further detail below, will not change the world; however, we hope to give BIPOC and AAPI people within our community more confidence and security in their identities so that they may be empowered to tell their stories and further inspire others vicariously. 

In this review, we will identify the areas of our 2020-21 Commitment in which we met our goals, did not meet our goals and specific ways we aim to eventually meet such goals. 2020-21 Editor-in-Chief Christina Kirk reviewed our progress for fall 2020 earlier this year.

Thank you,

Krista Halstead | Co-Editor-in-Chief, Chief Copy Editor

Liz Payton | Co-Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor

Trent Brink | Sports Editor 

Zach Dube | Perspectives Editor

Alaina Flory | Arts & Culture Editor

Teresa Mainzer| Lifestyle Editor

Links for resources and donations:

• https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co
• https://indigenousrights.carrd.co/ 
• https://stopasianhate.carrd.co/
  

Undertake journalistic investigations into instances of racism and discrimination within the Jewell community, publishing a minimum of two to three full investigative pieces per semester.

The Hilltop Monitor met our first goal in exposing instances of racism and discrimination within the Jewell community through investigative pieces. As new information about the college’s historical relationship to slavery and the new “Slavery, Memory, and Justice” course was released, The Hilltop Monitor published four investigative updates. The publication also took a look into the college’s Diversity and Inclusion curriculum and how it may evolve alongside Jewell’s Radical Inclusivity work.

This fall, we plan to continue with updates on the “Slavery, Memory, and Justice” course as well as the research into Jewell’s past. We will also be emphasizing a focus on accountability and promoting change with our investigations; although our articles remain unbiased and factually centered, we recognize our role in cultivating change through access to information and alternative perspectives.

Status: Met

Articles:

• Slavery, Memory, and Justice course seeks to investigate Jewell’s past, Feb. 12
• A discussion of diversity and inclusion in Jewell’s curriculum, Feb. 19
• New research uncovers ties between Jewell and slavery, April 16
• Jewell’s Slavery, Memory, and Justice Project uncovers, illuminates Alexander Doniphan’s pro-slavery stances and ties, April 23
• Slavery, Memory, and Justice Project uncovers details about Dr. William Jewell’s slaveholding past, April 30

Provide more accessible avenues by which all members of our community can bring to our attention leads, tips and story ideas relating to diversity and inclusivity in order to expand our coverage, including but not limited to a Google form accessible on all of our social media.

The Hilltop Monitor continues to provide more ways for Jewell’s community to bring up topics relating to diversity, inclusion and more through Google forms and social media. This allows us to expand coverage over relative and impactful stories. As mentioned in later goal updates, we will be attempting to reach out to the community further via more specific Google Forms and opportunities for authoring content for our website.

Status: Met

Forms:

• Contact us at monitor@william.jewell.edu
• Social media: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Presence
• The Hilltop Monitor Suggestion Box

Place an increased focus on reporting on racial disparities as they present themselves within Liberty, the Kansas City metro and the U.S., by publishing at minimum five of these news pieces per semester and designating a beat specifically concerning these issues, so that staff members are always ready to cover these issues the moment they present themselves

The Hilltop Monitor met this goal by publishing five articles that reported on newsworthy topics impacting BIPOC. From local talk about police reform to vaccine availability to vaccine deserts, these articles provided insights on some of the difficulties BIPOC are currently facing. 

For fall 2021, we plan to increase the number of beat reporters working with us and dedicate at least two of those positions to BIPOC and AAPI issues specifically. Additionally, we are increasing this goal from five news pieces to seven, with the hope of publishing even more as we grow our staff.

Status: Met

Articles:

• Vaccine deserts in Missouri, Feb. 26
• Progressive crisis response team reveals promising results, March 5
• An update on the confederate monument in Fairview and New Hope cemeteries, April 9
• Making strides for police reform in Missouri, April 9
• Rising hate crimes against the Asian American Pacific Islander community, April 12

Incorporate themes of advocacy, inclusion and dignity into articles on all pages, not just Features and News, including but not limited to publishing more artist and sports features on BIPOC and more reviews of art/work/content created by BIPOC

Although we recognize several articles outside of Features and News that touch on advocacy, inclusion and dignity, we believe that we have not yet reached our goal. We aim to highlight the talents and voices of more BIPOC and AAPI students by reinstating our “Humans of Jewell” series. 

With an emphasis on reporting issues specific to BIPOC and AAPI students, we also hope to foster an environment where students can feel more comfortable reviewing media that holds importance and relevance to BIPOC and AAPI communities.

Status: More work to be done

Articles:

• A Time for Hope: Vice President Kamala Harris’ Historic Inauguration, Feb. 5
• The role model effect illustrates the significance of Kamala Harris as Vice President, Feb. 12
• Serena Williams legacy is shadowed by her NFL counterpart, March 17
• A day in Kansas City, March 19
• Hideki Matsuyama makes history at Masters, April 23

Recruit more BIPOC staff members by reaching out to organizations like BSA, Mi Gente, INSA – not only asking them to join our staff but also asking them if there are ways we can make our reporting more inclusive

As of spring 2021, The Hilltop Monitor staff remains predominantly white; however, as fall promises us more opportunity to meet in larger gatherings and host events, we hope to recruit more BIPOC and AAPI students. Due to restrictions and general stress from COVID-19, many organizations at Jewell had problems with sustained interest from students throughout the 2020-21 year. We hope that as organizations like BSA, Mi Gente, INSA and others gain more influence and interest on campus, we can partner with them in more structured ways and work towards inclusive recruitment.

Status: Unmet

Use our platform to highlight and amplify BIPOC voices, including, but not limited to, regularly commissioning opinion pieces and letters to the editor from BIPOC, seeking out interviews from more BIPOC and featuring more BIPOC-led initiatives in our news reporting

In our news and feature coverage, we highlighted many initiatives that Jewell took this semester regarding Radical Inclusivity and diversifying campus. Though we reported on these topics, we did not seek out BIPOC voices to provide their perspectives on the changes. We plan to start featuring the voices of those directly or indirectly impacted by such initiatives moving forward.

Over the spring semester, very few opinions or submitted pieces were published, let alone from BIPOC. To remove some of the barriers in submitting content, we plan to offer a more easily available platform for BIPOC and AAPI artists, content creators and critics, so that they may submit their reviews, artwork, media creations, etc. via a Google Form. Though this opportunity will not be exclusive to BIPOC and AAPI students, we will focus on publicizing this Form among Jewell organizations that serve marginalized populations in hope to feature their voices among other artists and content-creators who would not have the opportunity otherwise. The Hilltop staff looks forward to sharing the opinions and perspectives of BIPOC and AAPI students by regularly commissioning content.

Status: Unmet

Articles:

• Student groups, library services create Radical Inclusivity focused Critical Foundations Collection as part of Curry Library, Feb. 12
• An Update on Diversity and Inclusion Efforts with Dr. Rodney Smith, Feb. 15
• How Jewell’s admissions department is taking steps to improve campus diversity, Feb. 19
• Shape Your Future program assists select incoming students transition into college, Feb. 19
• Jewell Establishes Racial Reconciliation Commission, April 12

Establish direct lines of communication with the leadership of campus multicultural organizations in order to increase coverage on them, especially those representing BIPOC, including publishing dedicated features explaining the missions of each of these organizations as well as publishing content throughout the year reporting these organizations’ initiatives 

As mentioned, general campus culture took a hit this past year due to COVID-19 restrictions. Once multicultural organizations are allowed to hold more gatherings and events, we hope to cover them extensively. This will also open up more communication between the Monitor and such organizations so we can continue to encourage organization members to submit content or feature specific individuals within the organization.

Status: Unmet

Carefully question and probe the validity of data and statistics from law enforcement agencies for misrepresentative or racially biased information

The Hilltop Monitor met this goal for spring 2021. With four investigative stories on Jewell’s historical ties to slavery, publishing unbiased, factually accurate information was imperative. Though we have four checkpoints in place to catch potentially biased or incorrect information, the Monitor staff took extra caution with these investigative pieces, ensuring that every detail was suitable to be published under our standards. In fall 2021, we plan to further include staff writers in informative workshops on biased versus unbiased writing and the importance of credible sources.

Status: Met

Explicitly ask cabinets and senators running for Student Senate both at the annual Senate debates and within interviews how they intend to oppose racism and promote diversity and inclusivity on campus, particularly with regards to recruitment and retention, enrollment, housing and representation on campus

Hosting the Student Senate debate last fall, we asked each candidate a few questions regarding topics like campus safety, Title IX and diversity on campus. We intend to emphasize the same topics, with more detail, at the next debate and within individual interviews.

Status: More work to be done

Articles:

• Cabinets running for Student Senate participate in annual debate, Sept. 29, 2020
• Jewell’s new Student Senate Cabinet plans for the year, appoints senators, Oct. 20, 2020
• A Demographic Analysis of Student Senate, Dec. 4, 2020

The Hilltop Monitor encourages feedback from our audience. If you have any questions, constructive criticisms, or suggestions for how we can better reach our goals, please contact us at monitor@william.jewell.edu, or send it anonymously to The Hilltop Monitor Suggestion Box.

Each year, William Jewell College releases a diversity report – in compliance with the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) – which can be accessed on the Jewell Student Consumer Information webpage.

Missy Henry – director of accessibility services and anti-harassment/ awareness coordinator – was in charge of the report for 2019 and explained the role of Title IV of HEA.

“[Higher learning institutions must] make available to current and prospective students information about student body diversity, including the percentage of enrolled, full-time students in the following categories: male, female, self-identified members of a major racial or ethnic group, and Federal Pell Grant recipients,” said Henry.

William Jewell College has stated that having a diverse and inclusive campus is one of its main objectives. It lists “Inclusive Communities” as one of the institution’s six most important values. The Diversity & Inclusion Plan for Jewell 2017-2018 gives “increas[ing] and sustain[ing] faculty, student, and staff diversity’’ as the plan’s highest level of priority, classifying it as an urgent goal.

There is a plethora of research that shows the benefits of having a diverse learning environment. Learning from the different experiences and perspectives within the student body cultivates a worldview that is more critical, rich and nuanced. One such study found that higher levels of cross-racial classroom interactions led to higher levels of “openness to diversity, cognitive development, and self-confidence” in students. 

Furthermore, many scholars have asserted that, without concerted efforts to counteract overarching societal influences, the current structure of higher education reinforces societal inequalities along class and racial lines.

The selectivity of the institution that students attend affects the chances they have of graduating along with their future economic opportunities. A report by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce found that “more than 30 percent of African-Americans and Hispanics with a high school GPA higher than 3.5 go to community colleges compared to 22 percent of whites with the same GPA.” This shows a persistent disparity that affects the livelihoods of people of racial minorities.

Although statistics are not nearly enough to ensure a just realignment of societal power dynamics, diversity statistics are a valuable starting point for this process. These numbers invite members of the Jewell community to ask important questions regarding the institution’s efforts to combat injustice.

The diversity report data shows that females make up the majority of White students on campus, but a minority of students of color.

The diversity report lacks any data on the diversity of Jewell’s faculty and staff. The benefits of having a diverse faculty are similar to the benefits of having a diverse student body. Additionally, advantages – such as an increased number of minority role models in positions of authority – help change societal power dynamics and create benefits that stem from the greater ability of faculty members to shape dialogue in the classroom.

Another potential addition that could be made to available diversity data is gathering and releasing information pertaining to the gender identity of members of the Jewell community and not just their sex assigned at birth. 

The diversity report for 2020 is scheduled to be released in the coming months.