UW-Madison hiring admin to 'advance social justice' on campus
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is hiring a Specialist to plan social justice leadership retreats, host "discussion groups for marginalized populations," and generally "advance social justice" on campus.
The new “Social Justice Education Specialist” will be asked to “create and lead social justice workshops offered via the social justice team” and develop “events in the social justice speaker and workshop series” in the interest of “providing leadership in social justice education.”
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The Specialist will also be responsible for working directly with students, and must “host regular support and discussion groups for marginalized populations” and “meet with students to discuss issues of injustice.”
While meeting with students to discuss “issues of injustice” appears to already fall under the purview of the school’s Bias Response Team, UW-Madison told Campus Reform that the Social Justice Education Specialist will merely "discuss those issues in a general capacity" with students, only referring them to the bias response coordinator upon request.
The Specialist will also help promote a safe campus climate for minority students, including students of color, LGBTQ students, women, and other historically marginalized groups, according to the job listing.
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The position is being offered through the UW-Madison Division of Student Life, which states on its website that it provides resources for students who are interested in getting involved with student government or student organizations, facing a conduct violation, or “seeking identity-based spaces and resources.”
The department provides a somewhat different description in the job posting, however, placing a much stronger emphasis on the social justice aspects of its mission.
“The mission of the Division of Student Life is to cultivate, advance, and interconnect the academic, professional, personal, and social development of students and to champion a respectful, globally aware, and diverse university community,” it states. “We actively advance social justice through our work and purposefully strive to offer an affirming environment for all.”
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Successful applicants are expected to have at least a Bachelor's degree in either higher education or social justice education, as well as a “minimum of two years of direct work within diverse people of color and/or college student communities, and a demonstrated knowledge of and commitment to Social Justice.”
The Specialist will also be tasked with challenging “the structures, processes, policies and culture” of UW-Madison to “to bring about meaningful change to promote social justice and equity” across campus, according to the job posting.
The minimum salary for the Specialist starts at $46,000, but could go higher depending on an applicant’s qualifications.
UPDATE: Meredith McGlone, director of news & media relations at UW-Madison, told Campus Reform that the Specialist position has existed since at least 2007, and receives funding from both the state and federal governments through a fund earmarked for assisting "multicultural and economically disadvantaged students."
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