Dear USC Rossier Students,

We’re writing to request your participation in USC Rossier’s ongoing discussion on the redefinition of “urban education” and the related process of drafting a new mission statement for USC Rossier.

Below is the proposed mission statement prepared by the Urban Education Planning Committee:

The mission of the USC Rossier School of Education is to prepare leaders to achieve educational equity through policy, practice and research. We work to improve learning opportunities and outcomes in urban settings and to address disparities that affect historically marginalized groups. We teach our students to value and respect the cultural contexts of the communities in which they work and to interrogate the systems of power that shape policies and practices. Through innovative thinking and research, we strive to solve the most intractable educational problems.

The committee is now asking students to share your thoughts on how you would operationalize the proposed statement. In other words, how should your programs best represent and serve this mission?

You can offer this feedback in two important ways:

First, you may submit your suggestions anonymously via this form. Please submit your response no later than Thursday, Sept. 21.

Second, the Rossier Student Organization will be hosting a town hall meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 20, from 3 to 4 pm in WPH B-49. There, you can share your thoughts with one another. This will be a student-centered and student-led event; members of the RSO board will be in attendance to help facilitate the discussion. At this meeting, comments from the online submissions will be shared as a representation of the students who can’t attend the meeting.

Student input has been critical to this process. Prior to drafting the proposed mission statement, the committee relied on feedback from students in a spring survey on “Redefining Urban Education.” Your responses helped inform the agenda of a retreat in May for a group of staff, student and faculty stakeholders.

More importantly, for several years students have been at the forefront in challenging faculty and administrators to think more critically about the meaning of “urban education” as it pertains to our mission: To improve learning in urban education locally, nationally and globally.

As we near the completion of this very important process, we encourage you to once again add your important voices.

Thank you for the considerable time, effort and thought you have devoted to this process. And thank you to members of the committee for their continued commitment.

Regards,

Karen Symms Gallagher

Dean, USC Rossier School of Education

Joanna Drivalas

President, Rossier Student Organization

Dear students,

Rossier Student Organization (RSO) is looking for one new senator for the 2017-2018 academic year.

Senators make up the Graduate Student Government (GSG) Senate and serve as the liaisons between student organizations and GSG.  Ideally, we’re looking for someone who can demonstrate that they will be able to balance the responsibilities of Senate/RSO with their courses and GA/fieldwork, are dedicated to improving the experiences and outcomes of Rossier students, and can creatively work in a team environment.

Senator responsibilities and expectations include the following:

1. Meet the expectations of Senators as defined by GSG (http://gsg.usc.edu/aboutgsg/senate/).  This includes making monthly one-hour meetings on Mondaynightsand serving on a GSG committee (e.g. Diversity, Campus Affairs, Finance).
2. Attend RSO executive board meetings (these occur once a month or less).
3. Participate in creating events and other programming that will support Rossier students academically, professionally, and socially.

To apply for this position, please complete the Google form: https://goo.gl/forms/k7oCCkM40un9wBmG3

The application window will be open until 5:00p on 9/15.  The RSO executive board will vote to determine the new senator.  Notifications will be sent to all applicants by 9/21.

If you have any questions, please contact RSO VP Tori Esquer (vesquer@cinema.usc.edu).

Dear USC Rossier Faculty, Staff and Students,

Welcome all of you to the 2017–18 academic year!

To our students: Whether you are beginning a new path or continuing your studies, I want to offer you the encouragement and resources that you need to complete your journey to becoming a transformative educator, counselor, researcher or adviser.

To our faculty: I extend my support and appreciation to you, too, for the depth and breadth of your ongoing contributions, not only as teachers and researchers, but also as active and critical voices in the public square.

And to our staff: You operate on a twelve-month calendar, and it is through your constant dedication that our school is able to deliver on our vision of ensuring that we create a world where every student, regardless of personal circumstance, is able to learn and succeed.

We are all in this together!

As we begin this new year, many of us are still processing the events that took place in Charlottesville and the pain caused not only by white supremacy over one weekend but by the racism, sexism and homophobia that persist in our society.

Let me remind all of you that USC Rossier continues to be a community that values diversity and inclusiveness, and we have zero tolerance for bigotry and intolerance.

We understand and embrace what it means to proclaim that “Black Lives Matter,” but as teachers and scholars we also see the challenges of overcoming the barriers presented by those who misunderstand or misconstrue these words. We should all be ready to address the anxiety and concerns of our students, as well as from one another, in the days, weeks and months ahead.

We at Rossier have been undergoing an exploration of our mission—“To improve learning in urban education locally, nationally, and globally”—accepting the realization that, in this case, our own words have not been strong enough or clear enough for the goals we are setting for ourselves. In the coming months, with input from students, faculty and staff, we will work to better incorporate the idea of equity into our mission, and to understand how we can better live up to our promises.

Shaun Harper, director of the new USC Race and Equity Center, just returned from a trip to Charlottesville and wrote about his experiences in an essay that appeared today in Inside Higher Education. I encourage all of you to read it.

While so many of the discussions about race and equity are occurring on college campuses—and we certainly have many challenges to address in higher education—Dr. Harper reminds us that educators need to understand the ways young children are socialized to racism and white supremacy. For those of you pursuing or continuing careers in K-12 settings, USC Rossier commits to helping you learn what your own values and biases are bringing to your classroom experiences.

This is a moment for leadership, and no one is better suited to it than us. We will use our knowledge and skills to confront injustice. We will counter harmful behaviors and policies. We will strive to overcome our own implicit biases. We will be a model for practicing what we preach. We have the best scholars and staff to do this work.

I look forward to meeting our newest students and continuing to engage all of you in these important discussions throughout the year.

Fight On!

Sincerely,

Karen Symms Gallagher, Ph.D.

Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean

USC Rossier School of Education

Waite Phillips Hall

Los Angeles, CA  90089-0031

Asst: hardison@usc.edu

213.740.5756 (office)

213.821.2158 (fax)

Thursday, September 14, 2017 | 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

USC Graduate Student
First Generation Professionals Fall Mixer

Come meet fellow First-Gen members of the Trojan Family!
In addition to the meet-and-greet, we will briefly talk about the theoretical pillars of the program, available resources, strategies for success and best ways to handle the unique challenges First-Gen graduate students face.

Amy King Dundon-Berchtold University Club
Patio

We look forward to seeing you!

Questions?  Email FGP@law.usc.edu