Program Goals
The main goals of the program are to help advisors:
- Expand awareness, knowledge, and skills to better center and affirm students who identify as BIPOC, especially using interpersonal and systems work
- Cultivate self-reflection within a racial justice framework
- Build racially just community with other advisors
Learning Outcomes
RJTP participants will increase their capacities to:
- Expand advising skills that center and affirm BIPOC students, as well as students from other historically underserved groups
- Broaden and deepen their commitment to continuing self-reflective education and skill development focused on racial and social justice
- Contribute towards racially and socially just, high-performing teams and work climates where all are respected, valued, feel a sense of belonging, and are able to contribute to their full potential
- Use racial and social justice frameworks to analyze and review institutional services, programs, and policies
Program Model and Content
Program Model
A group of 15-20 academic advisors from a broad representation of colleges and campus units learn, self-reflect, and develop their skills together in community.
Time Commitment
Participants will take part in eight, two-hour training sessions over the course of the academic year. Sessions are typically held monthly from September through April. The total time commitment between homework and training sessions is approximately 30 hours in total.
Personal Engagement
Self-reflection, engagement, and contributions to difficult conversation are expected of program participants. This is not a space for learning strictly through observation and listening. This program requires courageous participation with head, heart, and hand.
Session Content
Session content and activities will include contextual learning, discussion and storytelling, reflection and commitments, and accountability groups. Learning and skill development between sessions will include homework, activity resources, accountability group conversations, and action planning.
Examples of topics:
- Social identity exploration
- Socialization, implicit bias, and prejudice
- Internalized racism
- Microaggressions/interpersonal aggressions
- Interrupting racist attitudes and behaviors
- Navigating difficult conversations
- Power, privilege, and oppression
- Institutional/organizational/cultural racism
- Accountability and creating a culture of equity and justice in advising and departments