PDSA – Addressing the Invisible: Microaggressions at CSSW

A dialogue among all members of the CSSW community on the impact of, and actions we can take collectively, to address microaggressions in field, the classroom, advising and the workplace.

Lunch will be provided!

We will have small and large group discussions on the feelings triggered when we perpetrate, witness and experience microaggressions. Then, we will take off our “titles” of students, faculty, administrators and advisors, and collaboratively brainstorm how to address microaggressions at our school. It is our hope to equalize power hierarchies inherent at CSSW and institutions, and to come to this conversation as human-to-human, rather than professor-to-student, etc.

We will be sharing anonymous examples of actual microaggressions experienced at CSSW from all levels – field, class, advising and the workplace. To ensure this is as productive and realistic as possible, we ask that you share your examples with us.

Please submit your anonymous microaggresson examples here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/T9X22DD.

Though clearly anonymous, know that some examples will be selected to share at the two events for discussion. We also hope to share the data collected from the microaggressions submissions with CSSW administration to improve PDSA programming and the way our school approaches these forms of oppression.

Furthermore, we encourage you to personally invite peers, advisors, professors and faculty whom you think could contribute and benefit from this important discussion. If you have further questions, please feel open to email us at swpdsa@columbia.edu.

Time: 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. | Location: CSSW, room C05