Charter

Ethnic Studies - Common Knowledge Group

Strong Ethnic Studies teachers are responsive to their students and what they bring to them to the classroom whether that be their histories, experiences, or the cultures of their families and communities. It is the responsibility of the teacher to learn how to develop a pedagogy that speaks to the students’ lived realities. Ultimately, Ethnic Studies needs to be developed and implemented in localized ways to provide all students, especially students of color who have been historically (and many continue to be) marginalized, with a meaningful, relevant, rigorous, and responsive curriculum and pedagogy where multiple perspectives are respected, affirmed, and honored.

(Tintiangco-Cubales et al. What is Ethnic Studies Pedagogy? In Rethinking Ethnic Studies, Cuauhtin, R. Tolteka et al., eds. Milwaukee, WI: Rethinking Schools, 2019, p25.)

Ethnic Studies Common Knowledge Group Charter

Summary and Scope of Work

The Ethnic Studies – Common Knowledge Group (ES-CKG) is the current formation of the network of archivists, librarians, curators, and other professionals with subject expertise or collection responsibilities in ethnic studies or related disciplines. Its antecedent, the Ethnic Studies Librarians Network (ESLN) was formed in the mid-1990s and was dedicated to supporting the research and teaching mission of the aforementioned interdisciplinary fields that were born out of the 1960s movements for racial justice, third world liberation, and student activism. ES-CKG is mindful of the discipline’s antecedents grounded in resistance culture, internationalism and critical pedagogy. Members of the ES-CKG engage in individual and group projects that support and advance the collective work of building strong ethnic studies departments while developing links with colleagues affiliated in other disciplines.

ES-CKG collectively discusses library policies, library services and library campus and statewide decisions that may have an impact on the operations, mission and well-being of the ethnic studies campus community. Finally, ES-CKG collaborates and works along with the academic community in building communities and networks to enable the growth of ethnic studies departments and programs.

Because of the collective knowledge and experience of ES-CKG members, the committee seeks to serve as a consultative body related to library services, best practices, and policies of consequence to ethnic studies departments and related fields. ES-CKG provides input and communicates with the UC Libraries Advisory Structure (e.g. Joint Steering Committee) about library policy decisions that may have an impact on ethnic studies departments and related disciplines.

ES-CKG is a forum for library workers to communicate about issues related to collections, research, instruction, and advocacy related to the field of Ethnic Studies and related programs. ES-CKG members work together in identifying topics of interest for discussion, including the acquisition and maintenance of physical and electronic collections, resource sharing, budgets, licensing, archives, data management and other issues such as data sovereignty for Native American and Indigenous Communities, including the drafting of public statements and position papers.

Key Expectations

This CKG will:

Gather and share information about the environment, opportunities, new technologies, best practices, and local campus developments within the fields of Ethnic Studies, centers and related disciplines.
Provide input and information to other UC Libraries groups.
Conceive and advance ideas and improvements relevant to the UC Libraries’ Systemwide Plan and Priorities.
Advise on systemwide licensing or purchasing of new resources, for cross-campus use and sharing.
Develop workflows and collaborate on building shareable collections across campuses and within local library units such as special collections and archives.
Engage with library and campus committees and units such as Diversity Equity and Inclusion – Common Knowledge Group, multicultural centers, and other committees and task forces in UC Libraries on issues that affect Ethnic Studies departments and related fields.

Membership and Terms of Appointment

The chair of the Ethnic Studies CKG shall serve 2 years, with their term beginning with the beginning of the new fiscal year. Chairs will be selected by a majority vote of the current members of the group. Chairs may succeed themselves.

Members as of May 2024 include:

Berkeley

Castillo-Speed, Lily
Hwang Jensen, Sine
Lee, Corliss
McKenzie, Michele
Salazar, Theresa (retiring at end of June, 2024)
Stoner, Melissa

Davis

Michalski, David
Sarmiento, Jason
Wallace, Nancy
Villa, Katherine

Irvine

Hernandez, Elizabeth V.
Huynh, Julia
Im, Suzanne

Los Angeles

Alburo, Jade
Goral, Miki
Holland, Joy
Flores, Xaviera
Williams, Stacy R.

Merced

Olivares, Olivia

Riverside

Quintana, Erika

San Diego

Moore, Alanna Aiko

San Francisco

Franco, Nora
Samano, Lupe

Santa Barbara

Blue, Yolanda
colmenar, gary
Diaz, Angel
Ramos, Marisol

Santa Cruz

Marines, Annette

Communication and Meetings

This CKG’s communication responsibilities are to:

Maintain a listserv for use by the CKG; CKGs with open membership will maintain lists open to all interested UC Libraries staff.
Post and maintain a historical record of meeting minutes and reports, accessible to all interested UC Libraries staff.

This CKG will communicate regularly through these forums:

Listserv: ckg-ethnic-studies-group@ucsc.edu To join contact any of the co-convenors: Yolanda Blue jamal1@ucsb.edu and Joy Holland, jholland@aisc.ucla.edu

Wiki site: forthcoming

Members