SPEAC

Students Promoting Equality Awareness & Compassion

Table of Contents

History
Mission
What is a Bias Incident
How To Report an Incident
How to Get Involved
Programs

Applications are now available for the 2011-2012 SPEAC Team.  Click here for more information and to download the application.  The application deadline has been extended to April 8th at 5:00 pm.  Please note, only recommendations will be accepted after the deadline.

History

The Bias Initiative was created both to implement ongoing education programs and to respond to incidents of intolerance. We remind all members of our community that it is our collective responsibility to make Tufts a place where all people and points of view are truly respected. The Bias Initiative is made up of two components: Administrative Support Team, and a peer education program, SPEAC.

The purpose of the program is to:

• Respond to bias incidents on campus

• Encourage an understanding of bias and its effects

• Create community responsibility and involvement

• Build and environment of mutual respect through education and dialogue

Administrative Support Team:
The Bias Response Team coordinates the University’s response to incidents of intolerance. The team is composed of staff from the Dean of Students Affairs office, a staff member of the Office of the President, and a staff member of Diversity, Education, and Development.

The Evolution of the Peer Education Group and the Introduction of SPEAC:
Until this year we were the Bias Education and Awareness Team or BEATBias, which was an undergraduate peer education program that coordinated student responses to acts of intolerance. BEATBias sought to improve student life by providing a forum to discuss issues around bias through awareness events and peer-led discussions.
 

This year the team changed its name because we felt that Students Promoting Equality, Awareness, and Compassion better describes our mission and our initiatives. Through our endeavors we aim at promoting a safe, welcoming, respectful environment for everyone at Tufts. SPEAC is taking a proactive approach to create a campus that is not only tolerant, accepting, and well informed. Although this is a challenging task for such a small group to do, we are making strides towards our goal day by day.
 

Mission

We believe that through dialogue and communication the members of the Tufts community will be able to examine our stereotypes and belief systems affecting our community.

• By having conversations with our peers about an array of important societal issues, we hope to enhance awareness and improve the campus climate.
• By hosting unique and interactive events and programs where students can learn, be exposed to a diversity of ideas, and talk about many different topics, we hope students experience a refreshed sense of their beliefs.
• By encouraging an understanding of different issues and the impact that intolerance and discrimination have on our community, we strive to create a sense of responsibility and build an environment of mutual respect.

What is a Bias Incident

Examples Of Bias And Hate Incidents:
Defacing signs by using slurs or negative images associated with group identity, graffiti, verbal epithets, or violent acts that target a person or community based on race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression.

Differences Between Hate Crimes And Bias Incidents:

• Bias Incident - any act directed against a person or property that includes the use of slurs or epithets expressing bias on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression.
   
• Hate Crime - a hate crime is a criminal offense expressing those same biases.

How To Report An Incident

If you experience a bias incident or harassment or know someone who has:

• Contact TUPD at x6-6911 (617-627-6911)
• Contact the Residential Assistant on duty.
• Contact the Bias Response Team at x7-3158 (617-627-3158)
• Report Online via WebCenter

How to Get Involved

Members of SPEAC are always excited to hear when students want to get involved! We love the work that we do and are open to spreading our message creative ways. So what can YOU do to get involved?
 

1. Attend our events! We try to hold at least two events a semester open to the whole campus. So keep an eye out for what we are doing next! As events are being planned you will see them on our website, Facebook, and in emails sent out to our elist. To become a part of our elist please email your request to Tufts.SPEAC@gmail.com.
2. Invite us to help you host a discussion! The Tufts campus is a very active community so whether you may be a part of a discussion group, an action group, or a sports team, consider bringing us in to help facilitate discussions about important issues. In addition, we collaborate with Residential Life staff to host activities in the Tufts residence halls. We can also work with faculty members to creative programs that are appropriate for your classroom experience. So ask your RA or your teacher about having us contribute to your community.
3. Be an ally! Stand up to intolerance. Most importantly, make it known to others that you respect and welcome all people. Everyone has the power to make a difference. If you see something, say something. We are all here to learn, so take some time to talk to your peers. You will not only be educating your peers, but also enhancing your own awareness.
4. Educate yourself! We all need to enhance our understanding of issues that perpetuate discrimination in our society. Get involved in campus organizations that help you better understand the wide array of experiences that students bring to Tufts, reasons why incidents occur, and how to take steps to build a more cohesive and welcoming community.
    

Programs

Past Events:
Last semester we brought you:

Twilight Dracula and Anti-Semitism
We discussed the anti-Semitic roots of the modern day vampires and their pop media reincarnation in today’s sensationalized film Twilight. Those who attended seemed shocked that so many of recognizable traits that distinguish vampires can be traced back to the Eastern European Jew. We discussed what it meant to be an “outsider” in today’s culture and in the society in which Vampires first emerged and how our sensationalized image may relate to the tendency to fetishize all things “exotic.”
 

Hook Up Culture Discussion
SPEAC collaborated with a fraternity and sorority to put on a discussion framing the hook up culture at Tufts. We explored many ideas: How prevalent are hook ups, really? Is there a pressure to hook up? How do gender roles, race, and sexuality play a part in this culture?

Open Minds SPEAC Out!
As a follow up to Tim Wise’s event, SPEAC held a discussion on identities and their place at Tufts. Students were asked to stand in a line and step forward or back based on different identities or experiences they had. Through this activity we explored how it felt to explicitly acknowledge these privileges and disadvantages. We also discussed how we experience the world around us and how our perceptions are shaped by the way others perceive us. We especially focused on the importance of looking into our own biases, privileges, and assumptions and ways to encourage the other individuals to engage in a similar exploration.

Eat Your Words
We will be talking about the power of words and how language evolves. We will discuss the etymology of some charged words and discuss their relevance in our everyday lives. We will question what is “politically correct” and when do we feel it important to adhere to this notion. We will challenge ourselves to question how we can balance being respectful while still maintaining freedom of speech and personal identity.

SPEAC your Mind: Microaggressions at Tufts
We will explore the idea of microaggression and examine how these seemingly innocuous incidents have detrimental effects on our society. We will look at examples of micoaggression on the Tufts campus and in society as a whole. Though this topic is discussed as a way of understanding racism today, we will also explore how other communities experience covert prejudice.

 

More coming soon!
 

SPEAC Fall 2010 Members

Resources