In response to the call for a campuswide “training” that orients students to diversity and inclusion on our campus, I have worked with faculty and students to create the Citizenship@Mizzou program. Since the spring of 2016, this training has been presented to all incoming undergraduate students at Mizzou. At each session, I am joined by a handful of faculty and the students of the band Talking Drum. Together, we present vignettes and musical performances that highlight our values of Respect, Responsibility, Discovery and Excellence. Invariably, this leads us to a reflective conversation about Mizzou identity and culture.
In serving as a Faculty Fellow for the MU Division of Inclusion, Diversity & Equity, I was asked to create a companion program specifically for faculty and staff. Starting this fall, CitizenshipToo will be presented to faculty and staff with the intent to share student perspectives of what citizenship means for the entire Mizzou community. Talking Drum will perform selected classics in an effort to engage faculty and staff in a discussion about their understandings of Mizzou’s core values, while allowing for the collection of ideas on ways to enhance the notion of citizenship on our campus. Faculty and staff will be better prepared to interact with students in the classroom and around campus.
We have two more sessions of CitizenshipToo scheduled this fall:
- Monday, Oct. 16, 3:30 to 5 p.m. (The Shack, MU Student Center)
- Monday, Nov. 20, 3:30 to 5 p.m. (The Shack, MU Student Center)
Seating is limited, so please register here:
https://missouri.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5itG1QE4J1mEMzr
More information: (Flier is attached)
https://diversity.missouri.edu/education/citizenship-too.php
Please email questions about registration and session offerings to citizenship@missouri.edu.
To request accommodations for CitizenshipToo sessions, including captioning or interpretive services, please contact the MU Disability Center.
Thank you for supporting initiatives that aim to make our campus more inclusive. I look forward to interacting with you in one of three CitizenshipToo sessions this fall.
Dr. Stephanie Shonekan
Chair, MU Department of Black Studies
Faculty Fellow, MU Division of Inclusion, Diversity & Equity