Statewide Impact
Responsiveness is a core value of the School of Government. The School plays a critical role in helping local governments respond to their most pressing challenges—including combating racism and bias in their communities.
In June 2020, the School sent a survey to our audiences, which asked: How best can we support efforts to address systemic racism in your work?
The survey recorded 882 responses from public officials, MPA students, alumni, and more. Of those responses, 68 percent provided actionable feedback for the School.
Overall, most respondents recognized a clear need to address systemic racism in government. School of Government support was most commonly requested in the form of (a) ongoing training and webinars, and (b) resources including information, data, and best practices.
Two key principles guide the School’s work in this area:
- Responsive action: The School listens to the needs of local governments and generates education, tools, and advising to meet those needs.
- Tailored approach: Communities have unique needs and challenges. Responses indicated that public officials were at various self-identified levels of learning regarding racism; some respondents were ready to begin learning, while others had already begun antiracism work within their organizations. Training and resources must be responsive to individual requests and cannot be one-size-fits-all.
The School’s leadership team has tasked each of its faculty divisions to outline their current and future efforts related to diversity and equity and to share what resources they require to complete this work. This includes recruiting a new faculty member to focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion with public officials and MPA students.
In order to support meaningful change on these issues, the School must adopt an internal focus on its own organization. This includes:
- Supporting the work of the Committee for an Inclusive Workplace, launched in spring 2020, which has identified three main focus areas: (1) conducting an internal climate assessment, (2) improving clarity around HR processes, and (3) providing DEI training and outreach for employees; and
- Providing ongoing engagement opportunities including dialogue circles, monthly brown bag discussions, and other connection groups by interest area.
This work is not a checklist. It is a long-term journey requiring open minds, communication, and clear-eyed focus. The School is committed to these efforts for the betterment of its staff, faculty, and clients.