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Proposal for Establishing a Commission for Social Justice

The Commission for Social Justice’s mission is to provide a collaborative home for student affairs professionals working in the areas of diversity and social justice. ACPA has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to multiculturalism and social justice by actively supporting a diversity of ideas and identities within its membership and member institutions. This Commission reinforces and focuses that commitment by providing a place for student affairs professionals committed to a broad range of social justice issues to network; share knowledge, tools, and resources; collaborate across institutions and identities; and provide support. This Commission supports those working towards social justice and diversity issues across a wide spectrum of student affairs positions. The Commission also provides scholarship and practice resources for student affairs professionals working in multicultural and other diversity centers and offices on campuses. The Commission for Social Justice compliments the functional and identity support work being done in other Commissions and Standing Committees, while providing a unique opportunity for creating partnerships across institutions and identities.

The overall objectives of the Commission are as follows:

• To provide networking, resources, and support for current and future student affairs professionals committed to social justice across a broad range of functional area responsibilities.
• To encourage the formation of new ideas and practices in social justice in higher education by supporting and encouraging related scholarship and practice.
• To promote the importance of social justice advocacy, education, and support services within higher education, the association, and member institutions.
• To provide educational opportunities for personal and professional development for current and emerging professionals in both in the areas of multicultural competency and social justice advocacy.
• To organize and disseminate information and resources pertaining to social justice to benefit ACPA membership and all students in higher education.
• To create alliances between academics and student affairs; social identity groups; and other professional associations.

While the specific tasks of the Commission would need to be determined by that group once it is in place, the following are examples to help explain how the Commission would both complement and serve a distinct function from the current Standing Committees and Commissions:

• Facilitate discussion about broad social justice issues such as pedagogy, content resources, models, etc. through sponsored programs, roundtables, etc.
• Encourage an awareness of power and privilege with regard to those with agent identities within and across a variety of social identity groups.
• Provide an opportunity for individuals committed to broad social justice issues to be active in the ACPA structure irrespective of their social group identity.
• Address issues not represented by the current Standing Committee structure such as religion/spirituality, size, socio-economic status and class, national identity, and other concerns.
• Foster connections and collaborations between the standing committees and commissions currently addressing these issues through social identity groups or specific functional areas.
• Discuss the issues related to multiple and intersecting identities of students and professionals with regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, class, religion/spirituality, etc.
• Offer opportunities for professionals in student services such as multicultural affairs, women’s affairs, or LGBT support services to share resources with regard to professional issues of their office(s) beyond the specific social identity groups and concerns they serve.