Stanford University ISC Inclusivity Compact
Purpose:
The Stanford University ISC Inclusivity Compact is a collaborative document built from chapter Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion initiatives, ideas generated by chapter leaders, and feedback received from the Stanford community and Panhellenic members. It serves to ensure that the 6 National Panhellenic Conference Chapters and the Inter-Sorority Council take unified and direct action in beginning their anti-racist efforts throughout the 2020-2021 academic year. The purpose of these actions is to create long-lasting change and to push the dismantling of systematically racist and exclusionary policies, both at the chapter and national levels. This plan is a baseline working document. As chapter leadership and ISC continue to receive feedback and engage in discussions, it will be amended and developed further.
Accountability:
The Stanford University ISC Inclusivity Compact also serves to create accountability and consistency amongst chapter DEI initiatives. Accountability involves defining our mission, goals, and each stakeholder’s role in working toward them. It means holding community leaders and general members responsible for accomplishing these expectations.
Ideas & Values:
The Stanford University ISC Inclusivity Compact is guided by the chapter leaders and ISC’s wish to create safe spaces that are femme-centered and identity-affirming. It is our goal to hold organizations to standards of transparency and accountability. ISC recognizes that chapters will need to work together with their national organizations to both strive for progress and to adhere to existing specific national guidelines and policies. We, as ISC organizations, agree to work together to strive for progress and support one another as we make our community more inclusive. Professional FSL staff and ISC Exec will be available for support in this process.
Community Guidelines & Expectations:
Recruitment:
New Member Education:
Programming & Chapter Management:
Purpose:
The Stanford University ISC Inclusivity Compact is a collaborative document built from chapter Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion initiatives, ideas generated by chapter leaders, and feedback received from the Stanford community and Panhellenic members. It serves to ensure that the 6 National Panhellenic Conference Chapters and the Inter-Sorority Council take unified and direct action in beginning their anti-racist efforts throughout the 2020-2021 academic year. The purpose of these actions is to create long-lasting change and to push the dismantling of systematically racist and exclusionary policies, both at the chapter and national levels. This plan is a baseline working document. As chapter leadership and ISC continue to receive feedback and engage in discussions, it will be amended and developed further.
Accountability:
The Stanford University ISC Inclusivity Compact also serves to create accountability and consistency amongst chapter DEI initiatives. Accountability involves defining our mission, goals, and each stakeholder’s role in working toward them. It means holding community leaders and general members responsible for accomplishing these expectations.
Ideas & Values:
The Stanford University ISC Inclusivity Compact is guided by the chapter leaders and ISC’s wish to create safe spaces that are femme-centered and identity-affirming. It is our goal to hold organizations to standards of transparency and accountability. ISC recognizes that chapters will need to work together with their national organizations to both strive for progress and to adhere to existing specific national guidelines and policies. We, as ISC organizations, agree to work together to strive for progress and support one another as we make our community more inclusive. Professional FSL staff and ISC Exec will be available for support in this process.
Community Guidelines & Expectations:
Recruitment:
- Review and work with national organizations to change or limit restrictions on membership eligibility - in particular, those based on gender.
- Review and work with national organizations to clarify the legacy preference process. Many national organizations in ISC have already begun the review and removal process for legacies. If not, then chapters are encouraged to actively collaborate with their headquarters and ISC to discuss the preferential treatment of legacies during recruitment.
- Revise language during recruitment.
- Normalize the use of pronouns during introductions to the extent that both actives and PNMs feel comfortable disclosing. Encourage the use of pronouns to Zoom name.
- We agree to ensure that there are no discriminatory clothing, makeup, and hair requirements during recruitment for Active Members. We also affirm that Potential New Members are allowed and encouraged to dress in any way that makes them feel comfortable and confident at recruitment.
- Remove requirements reinforcing a certain gender presentation. As an example, allow forms of formal wear that follow color guidelines for easy identification of active members in the room but can range from pantsuit to romper to jumper.
- Remove requirements for certain hair and makeup styles for active members, like “natural hair” or “styled hair” or “polished makeup.”
- All ISC chapter members will complete anti-bias training provided by IBIC prior to recruitment.
- Each member should walk through the presentation individually. Chapters will then discuss the material as part of recruitment workshops.
- Chapters are also encouraged to hold their own anti-racist trainings/workshops prior to recruitment for any, and all, members recruiting.
- All potential new members will attend a PNM Orientation and will participate in a discussion on bias and anti-racism efforts in our ISC community.
- This orientation will also explain how the ISC recruitment process works in order to increase transparency.
- A reporting form will be distributed where PNMs can share incidences of bias, microaggressions, or racism. The form will be checked and reviewed each day of recruitment, and addressed with chapter leadership by FSL professional staff.
- Rho Gammas will also serve as a source of information and support for PNMs throughout the recruitment process.
- Chapters will submit financial data to the FSL office prior to recruitment, and the information will be shared with PNMs in their Rho Gamma groups before Day 1.
New Member Education:
- Incorporate anti-racist education into new member education.
- In addition to chapter new member programming, new members will attend two ISC-wide new member education meetings the first two weeks of their new member period.
- Chapters are encouraged to incorporate gender, pronouns, and inclusive language training in their new member education.
- ISC Exec will distribute resources to guide a meeting on inclusive language and gender identity.
- Chapters are encouraged to research their organization’s history, both on-campus and nationally. Chapters are encouraged to share this history during new member education and host discussions on both positive and problematic aspects of their history.
- Why did your organization begin? What kinds of exclusionary policies or practices did it or does it uphold?
Programming & Chapter Management:
- Host at least 1 chapter-wide discussion and 1 ISC Wide discussion of chapter values and changes that can be made.
- Each chapter’s treasurer committee will work with their national org and prepare a financial statement that will be shared with the chapter to increase financial transparency.
- Work together to develop anti-racist programming.
- All chapters will create a DEI committee/team if they don’t already have one.
- Each chapter will research what anti-racist resources and toolkits already exist. We will make a plan to be the change we want to see by joining teams, voicing our thoughts, and contributing to our national community.