As society continues to face fatigue and collective trauma due to the global pandemic, inclement weather patterns and climate change, and a national civil rights uprising and political transition, people everywhere are still expected to participate in and fulfill their everyday responsibilities. In this case, the TCU community is still expected and required to operate as business as usual as possible. While many accommodations and modifications have been made to adapt, address, and account for our global and national circumstances, there remains a predictable ongoing fight for justice in ways both new and old.
While not many positive or details updates have been shared with the public about the Jane Doe lawsuits, which now include a handful of Black women, other mishaps have arisen within the TCU community. For example, TCU's Board of Trustees came under fire for a member's (Roger Williams) vocal and political encouragement and participation in the terrorist attack on our Capitol and 2020 Presidential election. Many called for his immediate removal; however, the process required to do so is less immediate than petitioners may be aware and the university is able to perform. Due to a lack of shared governance, these petitions can inform the Board, but not have immediate or guaranteed impact on the group's separate bureaucratic processes that would allow the Board to make its own decisions based on its own rights and procedures. This is a lockdown situation similar to our own Student Government Association that has a little more general accessibility for checks and balance purposes. Likewise, students have also raised concerns about novel inequities that have arisen due to virtual learning. As students navigate instruction from remote locations, time zones, network connections, shelter, and language have greater intrusive impacts on the learning experiences of already fatigued students. Fortunately, this issue was able to be processed and is on its way to resolution through collaboration with the SGA DEI Chair and Committee, Provost, and Faculty Senate. Nonetheless, the presence of the issue alone shows just how important it is to have an equity consciousness group and individuals in the decision-making processes alongside student voices to ensure that these issues can be avoided as much as possible before they even have the chance to impact students and require their own labor for advocacy and correction. You're probably wondering where has CUJE been in the midst of these events and many others. Well, the short answer is we have been there. Being that CUJE is a faceless organization, this means that members who all share equal ownership of CUJE have been present across campus, petitions, town halls, and meetings working behind the scenes on behalf of CUJE's ultimate mission. The long answer is that the global and national circumstances coupled with graduations has structurally impacted CUJE and required that we take an organizational sabbatical to regroup and reimagine our place in today's fight for justice on our campus. However, the fight has not ended and we have not picked up the white flag. We are still here and ready more than ever to resume our work in the more traditional, recognizable, and active ways despite the delays caused by the pandemic that have benefitted the adversary.
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