Welcome to the inaugural edition of The Black Scholars Institute Newsletter! We are thrilled to embark on this journey with you, as we introduce and highlight the efforts and aspirations of the Black Scholars Institute (BSI) at the University of Windsor. Our goal with this newsletter is to keep you informed and engaged with the BSI's ongoing initiatives, upcoming events, and the profound impact we are striving to make in academia and the broader community.
….because Black peoples’ ways of being and knowledge systems are integral to this community
The Black Scholars Institute (BSI) is a research institute and an academic home for UWindsor’s Black Scholars; the Institute’s focus is Black excellence and liberation through scholarship, research, and community engagement. The multi-disciplinary Institute aims to enhance teaching, learning, research, and social justice across the University, nationally, and globally. Dr. Camisha Sibblis, the Director, and an assistant professor in FAHSS, is hopeful that the institute will enrich the experiences of Black faculty at the UWindsor; with a particular focus on supporting the 13 new hires from the Black Scholars Hiring Initiative.
The BSI also intends to play a crucial role with connecting Black scholars, and the University collectively, to the local community. It is BSI’s mission to form meaningful partnerships with local groups and to be a leader in community engagement and connectivity.
The BSI is centrally located in the lower level of the CAW. The BSI Lounge will serve as a safer space for Black Faculty, Staff, and Students and will serve as a venue for university and local events that align with the goals and values of the institute.
Programming
The BSI hosts weekly programming and other regularly scheduled events, including: “Think Tank Thursday” where Black faculty and students meet to discuss research, current events and relevant topics; “Just Write” focused writing sessions; “Coffee and Convo” forums in collaboration with Leddy Library to discuss Black literature; student saloons, where Black graduate students are invited to present their works in progress in an inclusive and welcoming environment, and get feedback from other students and faculty; and the “Black Research Spotlight” during which Black scholars’ research and projects are highlighted.
Mentoring
The 13 new Black scholars have the benefit of group mentorship sessions led by the senior Black scholars to enrich their experience and support their success at the University of Windsor. In recognition of the challenges posed by systemic anti- Black racism, BSI also offers its members a membership with NCFDD, formerly the National Centre for Faculty Development and Diversity, which gives scholars on-demand access to professional development resources as an additional tool to help them thrive and experience success in their academic careers. BSI would like to thank the Centre of Teaching and Learning and the Office of the Provost for their support with the mentorship initiatives.
Seed Grants
As a research institute, the BSI aims to support Black Studies and Black excellence in various ways. One crucial way is through the awarding of grants to assist with the commencement, advancement, and expansion of Black scholars’ research projects, since these are often overlooked in funding competitions. As a funding entity, the BSI does not only benefit the scholars, but the University and larger community, through the facilitation of increased productivity, creativity, innovation, and knowledge dissemination. The first of these grants will be awarded in the Fall 2024 and subsequent competitions are incumbent upon funding by way of grants and philanthropy to the BSI.
BSI Writing Retreat
The Black Scholars Institute looks forward to hosting it’s first writing retreat this summer. This retreat provides an interdisciplinary generative and productive space to engage Black scholars, create collaborative opportunities, as well as foster community and in-group resilience against institutional anti-Black racism. In addition to writing/research workshops and activities which engage the expertise of both ORIS and the REB, new and senior Black scholars at the University of Windsor will participate in team building and wellness exercises. Black scholars will also engage in focused strategic planning for the BSI prior to its official launch.
We would like to thank the Office of the Provost, the Office of Research and Innovation and the Office of the Vice President-People, Equity, and Inclusion for their support and contributions to this event.
Instructional Skills Workshop
In 2021, the University of Windsor’s Anti- Black Racism Task Force produced a report with recommendations to address anti-Black racism on campus. Key recommendations included opportunities for Afrocentric practices, Black-Centric inclusivity, and safe space expectations. A critical entry point toward achieving these recommendations is through specialized, extended programming, designed to affect and encourage learning-centred, equitable teaching and learning environments. To that end, the BSI will offer the Instructional Skills Workshop to its members to support excellence in pedagogy. The Black Scholars Institute thanks the Centre of Teaching and Learning for their willingness to work collaboratively on achieving some of these shared goals.
BSI Launch Event
The Black Scholars Institute is excited to make its official launch on September 26th, 2024, in the CAW Centre at the University of Windsor. This will be an all-day event that will introduce the institute and its members to the University, and to the larger community of Windsor and beyond. More details will be available closer to the launch date. We hope to see you there!
Windsor International Black Film Festival
The BSI is honoured to announce its partnership with the Windsor International Black Film Festival (WIBFF), to bring our lenses, stories, and artistry in from the margins and feature them as mainstream; we believe this is not only vital to Windsor, but also on national and global scales.
WIBFF’s press conference took place in the BSI Lounge on July 4th, 2024, and the festival will be August 16-18th. For more information, please go to: wibff.com.