About the Committee

The Social Justice & Equity Committee’s (SJEC) role is to create programs, initiatives, and other opportunities that engage faculty, students, staff, administration, and community in on-going examination and reflection needed to make essential changes in the academic policies, practices, and behaviors that result in inequity, exclusion, and social injustices at Western Washington University (WWU). SJEC draws attention to university structures that uphold injustices and inequities experienced by various stakeholders. SJEC is funded and supported by the Provost office because it is a programming committee that serves WWU and the broader community. 

Specifically, the committee shall: 

• Assist the WWU Community by evaluating and advising on implications for campus diversity, equity, and social justice. 
• Engage students, staff, faculty & community 
  • Create and implement opportunities in which students, staff and faculty from across WWU’s campus engage in meaningful interactions that allow for the active reflection and examination of academic policies, practices, and behaviors that result in inequity, exclusion, and social injustices at WWU. 
  • Create and implement opportunities for WWU faculty, students, and staff to engage in the work of promoting equity, inclusion and social justice at WWU and the surrounding communities. 
• Support and resource the Diversity & Social Justice Awards 
• Support and resource the Faculty Learning Labs Sub-Committee (FLL) 
• Support and resource the Community-Wide Dialogs Sub-Committee (CWD) 
• Support and resource special or one time projects related to social justice and equity. 

Membership 

The membership of the Social Justice & Equity Committee shall be as follows: 

• 10 voting members of the faculty, including:
  • Faculty broadly representative of the university’s colleges and disciplines, 
• 5 voting members from the student body/alumni, including 
  • The Associated Students Vice President for Diversity (or designee), and 
  • At least one student or recent alumni, appointed annually by the Associated Students Board of Directors, and 
  • Three students nominated by standing board members 
• 5 voting staff members 

The faculty, students, and staff on the committee should represent a broad range of experience and expertise in the areas of diversity, equity, and social justice.