Table of Contents
Page Section Title
3 Message from Antoinette Y. Farmer, PhD, Professor and Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
4 IIDEA Committee Members and Chair
5 IIDEA Committee Progress Report
6 School of Social Work DEI Strategic Plan and Progress Report
7 Goals for Academic Year 2022-2023
A Message from Antoinette Y. Farmer, Ph.D.
As I enter my third year as Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, I am proud to say that Rutgers School of Social Work is making considerable progress on its goals and action steps related to inclusion, intersectionality, diversity, equity, and advancement (IIDEA) as outlined in its strategic plan, Toward a More Just Future
Many of them have already been achieved. I invite you to review the 2022-2023 IIDEA Progress Report, which is found on page five of this report. This annual report will focus on the accomplishments of the goals and actions steps related to IIDEA and the accomplishments associated with the School’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Strategic Plan.
In Fall 2022, the School began using Dr. Barbara Love’s liberatory consciousness framework, which addresses antiracism and oppression, to guide curriculum development, students’ work in their field placements, and the work of staff within the school. I invite you to view several videos that were made to demonstrate how the framework is being implemented in the curriculum and field settings.
I am pleased to announce that Dr. Sheretta Butler-Barnes, an associate professor at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, has been named the inaugural Sojourner Truth Racial and Social Justice Visiting Professor for academic year 2023-24. In the School’s DEI Strategic Plan, it was stated that the hiring of visiting professors is a mechanism to help the school achieve Priority 3: “Promote Inclusive Scholarship and Teaching.” Dr. Butler-Barnes will collaborate with faculty on research related to racial and social justice.
This upcoming academic year, the IIDEA Committee and I would like you to think about how you can further the principles of IIDEA. It does not matter if you do something small or big; what matters is that you do it. Your actions could make a big impact.
As always, I look forward to partnering with you to further the principles of IIDEA.
Sincerely,
Antoinette Y. Farmer, PhD Professor and Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion School of Social Work Rutgers University
IIDEA Committee
Based on the School’s strategic plan, the IIDEA Committee was established in Fall 2020. The IIDEA Committee is comprised of tenured, tenure track, and non-tenure track faculty, students representing the BASW, MSW, DSW, and PhD programs, and staff.
IIDEA Committee Progress Report
The Rutgers School of Social Work Strategic Plan identified several areas for the IIDEA Committee to focus on, which are outlined in the IIDEA Committee Progress Report where you can see the status of each goal.
School of Social Work DEI Strategic Plan
The goals and action steps in the plan have been developed to achieve the University’s five priorities in its Diversity Strategic Plan:
Recruit, retain, and develop a diverse community
Promote inclusive scholarship and teaching
Define sustainable and substantive community engagement
Build the capacity of leaders to create inclusive climates
Develop an infrastructure to drive change
Learn more about the School’s DEI Strategic Plan, and the University Diversity Strategic Plan | Diversity Equity and Inclusion (rutgers.edu). The School’s DEI Progress Report is where you can see the status of each goal and action step.
Goals for Academic Year 2022-2023
• Coordinating with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs to add IIDEA-specific questions to existing student and alumni surveys;
• In partnership with the multiple Rutgers School of Social Work entities, leading the development and implementation oversight of a comprehensive evolving, multi-year plan that advances IIDEA within the School and its community partners; and
• Implement the goals and action steps outlined in the School’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan.
