• What does antiracism mean?

We are using the definition of the term “antiracist” from multiple sources, in particular, Ibram X. Kendi’s book, How To Be An Anti-Racist (especially pp. 17-23). Being anti-racist requires a) recognizing the harm caused by racism; b) identifying existing patterns of behavior, practice, or norms that contribute to racist inequities; c) acknowledging the ways in which academic units have ignored or failed to recognize their racist practices, and; d) promoting and advocating for new patterns of behavior, practice, and norms that challenge racism. There may be additional understandings of what "antiracism" means, but Kendi's framework presents a useful guideline, particularly since it highlights that racism is prejudice tied to broader systems of domination, and that anti-racism requires substantially more than "race blind" approaches to behavior.

• What does it mean to practice antiracist education?

Antiracist educators are committed to not just telling a story of the struggle against racism. Too often, white people working towards antiracism focus our teaching and curricular choices on a story of deficit and/or struggle against oppression. This quote from Ijeomo Oluo is particularly useful: "If your antiracism work prioritizes the 'growth' and 'enlightenment' of white America over the safety, dignity, and humanity of people of color—it's not antiracism work. It's white supremacy." From https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/mar/28/confronting-racism-is-not-about-the-needs-and-feelings-of-white-people.

An antiracist educator commits to actively working against all systems, structures, policies, and practices that perpetuate racism in all forms. This includes critically examining and being willing to change one's pedagogical approach, curricular choices, assessment techniques, office hour protocols, syllabi, speaker invitations, and interactions with colleagues. Further, on a program, department, and institutional level, antiracism practices include reflecting on and changing as needed: major requirements, departmental cultural norms, promotion and tenure requirements, institutional investments, and all racist and exclusionary practices that are too often seen as the "norm" in higher education.

• Can I use funds for summer stipend?

Summer stipend funding may be appropriate for proposals in which departments or programs plan to dedicate substantial effort over the summer to the proposed work. Or, to pay a student research assistant. Please reach out to the committee if you have specific questions regarding summer funding. Email: cdei@middlebury.edu

• Can I use funds for a speaker?

Yes, an honorarium for a speaker is an allowable expense. However, we encourage applicants to consider in house expertise that aligns with your project and goals prior to considering external speakers. Additionally, as these are small grants we discourage applications that have large speaker fees as there are additional campus funding sources available to subvent speaker costs (i.e. departmental and program budgets, CCSRE, etc.)

• Can I use funds for a speaker from within my department or program, or from the college at large?

Funds can certainly be used to hire people within the Middlebury Community for, among other things, a talk or workshop. This may be appropriate, particularly if there are people within your academic unit who have expertise in these areas. However, this should be done with caution, as there is a risk that doing so will contribute to the multiple ways in which BIPOC faculty, who tend to have less tenure security, are “expected” to do the heavy work of anti-racism.

• Is it possible to get Committee amnesty or course release for these projects?

Any requests for committee amnesty or course release would be reviewed by the Dean of Faculty.

• What's the deadline for the application?

Rolling deadline. First review February 15.

• Is there anybody that can help me brainstorm or develop my idea?

CDEI will hold a workshop and brainstorming meeting February 1 from 3:30-4:30pm EDT. Come to share and/or develop your ideas! Zoom link: https://middlebury.zoom.us/j/92558771206?pwd=dkcvM1A0c0JPOVVRS0pYdmZQNHZ6Zz09

The interviews conducted by CDEI in 2020 are also a good reference point for grant ideas.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iMLMpn5tXqJdfUAsYzwrs2h1_DgmvS_2ZboWZ4phpRw/edit?usp=sharing

• Which “academic units” may apply?

“Academic units” refers to any department or program. This includes departments in a single discipline, such as Biology (BIOL), and cross-disciplinary programs, such as International and Global Studies (IGST). We will consider projects combining more than one academic unit with the same requisite of 50% approval from each unit.

• Why do I need 50% or more approval in my academic unit?

As these projects are intended to be systemic, rather than individual, they will require buy-in from most people within your unit to be workable. There may be various reasons why a majority of people in your unit do not want to buy in to the project, but regardless of what those reasons are, anti-racist work will be ineffective (and potentially counterproductive) if it is mandated on people who are resistant to it.

• How do I get 50% or more of my academic unit on board?

The most straightforward way, and the one we highly recommend, is to measure approval on an “opt-out” basis. Before submitting the final proposal to the review board, send a draft to your academic unit and ask if there are any objections. If more than 50% of the unit responds with an “objection,” the project will be deemed unworkable. Please note: in the interest of confidentiality, you do not need to send the Grants Committee a list of approvers and objectors. As long as you verify that you have at least 50% approval, your project will be eligible for consideration.

• What if I don't get 50% approval?

In general, 50% or more buy-in is necessary to create systemic change. However, if the applicant believes the grant can still create long-lasting change, they can appeal to the grant board with a clear rationale about why the project should proceed and be funded. Such projects will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.