Message from Dean Gallagher on DACA and Title IX Information and Resources – Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership

Dear USC Rossier Faculty, Staff and Students,

Over the past several weeks, we have witnessed the impact that national events and potential policy changes can have on the students we serve as well as on our own well-being as faculty members and educational professionals.

The announcements to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) without congressional resolution and to begin changes to Title IX policy followed quickly after the events of Charlottesville; we all feel overwhelmed processing these events on a personal level while remaining effective and present in our professional lives.

First of all, I want to encourage any DACA students with questions or concerns to contact Darline Robles, Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion, or Kristan Venegas, Assistant Dean for Strategic Initiatives and Evaluation. There is funding available for DACA renewal, and they can describe the process to you.

I believe it is critical to add our voices of solidarity and opposition in times like these, and I commend those of you in the Rossier community who have spoken out, written letters, attended marches, organized meetings or simply engaged honestly with one another in and outside of the classroom. These efforts are particularly important to me because our actions during these times are just as valuable as our words.

I encourage all of you to bookmark and reread the recent messages from USC President Max Nikias and Provost Michael Quick on DACA, naturalization and Title IX:

· Memorandum from USC Provost Michael Quick to USC students, faculty, staff and USC community about DACA resources available on campus, Aug. 28

These messages contain links to many resources, including information about free USC-based legal services, clarity on the rule of law related to Title IX and access to mental health services. DACA and Title IX present complex challenges that are distinct from one another, and we need to be especially vigilant in addressing the specific needs of those affected

I want to highlight some of the important work of our school community in addressing the many issues we are grappling with on a daily basis.

On Friday, Sept. 8, I attended the inaugural event of the Center for Education, Identity and Social Justice, co-directed by Shafiqa Ahmadi and Darnell Cole. Their summit on de-institutionalizing Islamophobia on college campuses featured panels presented against the backdrop of the Muslim travel bans set in motion earlier this year. Panelists included legal scholars and other experts—all of them immigrant Muslim women—speaking about their work in challenging policy through rigorous scholarship and appeals to the rule of law. This event was booked to capacity and welcomed attendees that represented 20 institutions from throughout the country. I was impressed and encouraged by the number of higher education professionals in the audience who I knew would be taking this knowledge back to their colleges and universities.

Last week, our Pullias Center for Higher Education hosted their final event to summarize a year-long set of meetings called “Dialogues on Campus as Sanctuary.” The result of these gatherings is a series of policy briefs offering guidance for college and universities and federal and state policy-makers.

What also became clear at that meeting is that USC Rossier, like other schools and departments on campus, needs to become more systematic about sharing information related to equity and inclusion. Starting in October, we will send an update on Rossier events and resources related to equity and diversity on a monthly basis.

I am conscious of the additional emotional and mental labor of this work, but I am encouraged by the cohesion and spirit of collaboration in our school community during these challenging times. I will continue to share resources in response to events and issues that impact our school community as well.

We are going to have moments that give us hope and other moments that will challenge our hope, but we have to remember we are always trying to move forward.

I am grateful to all of you who are engaging in this critical equity work.

Please continue to share information and support with one another.

And as always, 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)