Team Advising’s Statement of Solidarity and Commitment

The School of Journalism and Communication’s undergraduate Student Services Center (“Team Advising”) is striving to ensure our space, services and programming (physical and digital) are free from bias, microaggressions and oppression. 

We work on Kalapuya Ilihi land, the indigenous homeland of the Kalapuya people. We honor, and are grateful for, their past, present and future contributions to our community. We extend our respect to the Indigenous Nations of Oregon and to all Indigenous peoples displaced by settler colonialism, white supremacy and other forms of toxic systemic racism.  

We stand in agreement: Black lives matter. We recognize that racism is deeply ingrained in the fabric of the United States and permeates all ecosystems, including higher education. We accept the responsibility for educating ourselves on identifying and dismantling systematic barriers in our personal and professional lives. 

We condemn any and all acts of violence and harassment directed at people because of their race, gender, sexual orientation and/or any form of individual expression and identity. We name it when we see it and bear responsibility to counter misinformation and ignorance around these acts. We are student-directed reporters, and student-centered advocates. We listen, we advocate, we learn and we educate.  

Individually, we have personal journeys of awareness, advocacy and action. We are from unique backgrounds and experiences. We know our views are filtered through these lenses. As such, we are committed to a continual assessment of our learned biases.  

Collectively, we ensure each team member completes a comprehensive and on-going portfolio which includes, but is not limited to: 

  • Queer Ally Coalition 
  • Implicit Bias Workshops 
  • Dreamer Ally Training
  • Accessibility Ally Workshop 
  • Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) 
  • Webinars/presentations provided by our professional organizations (e.g. NACE’s Engagement of Native American Students presentation, NACADA’s Xenophobia, Anti-Asian Racism & Intolerance panel) 
  • Lectures provided by the African American Workshop & Lecture Series 

Team “book club” readings so far:

  • This is My America, Kim Johnson
  • Under the Feet of Jesus, Helena Maria Viramontes
  • Gender Queer, Maia Kobabe

We recognize this statement is one step in our commitment to be better allies. Our students, faculty and colleagues bring the richness of experiences and contributions to the fabric of the SOJC community. We are committed to doing our part to ensure the SOJC is a place where all are seen, welcomed and heard. 

Team Advising members:

Sally Garner, Senior Director for Student Success
Rachel Allen, Associate Director of Student Services
Emily Henkelman, Assistant Director of Student Services
Fernanda Cañas Herrera, Career and Academic Advisor
Jessica Lovell, Career and Academic Advisor
Annie Reiva, Career and Academic Advisor
Abby Miller, Advising Office Manager