-- HEART OF THE MATTER --
- Microaggressions at The Claremont Colleges have been disregarded for TOO LONG.
- Incidents of Microaggressions have sparked OUTRAGE in our community. Not all these incidents have been addressed in a systematic or proper way.
- The DEFACEMENT of the Office of Black Student Affairs’ mural has triggered DIALOGUE.
- The WORDS and ACTIONS of campus student governments have sparked DEBATE.
- The Community is NOT apathetic, but responsive.
- The Community needs a tool to BUILD a FRAMEWORK to swiftly and efficiently REGARD and RECORD REACTIONS to microaggressive incidents.
- We believe that our Project is one such tool.
- Microaggressions towards historically marginalized and minority groups are discussed year after year during each Claremont College’s orientation programming, but it is unclear whether PROGRESS has been made.
- There is no concise DOCUMENTATION that can be referenced with regards to spotting TRENDS in the presence of these microaggressions.
- A CONTINUALLY DEVELOPING Map GIVES EQUAL VOICE to each Community member’s concerns.
- Members of the Claremont Colleges should be able to see their campus climate visually as they feed its growth through The MAP.
-- PLANS FOR CHANGE --
- We are creating an INTERACTIVE Geographic Information System (GIS) Map using Esri’s Story Maps software to REPRESENT and better UNDERSTAND the Claremont Colleges’ SOCIAL CLIMATE.
- Our MAP will show exactly where and when MICROAGGRESSIONS and ACTIVISM-RELATED ACTIONS have occurred IN TIME AND SPACE across the Claremont Colleges.
- It is up to the Community to CONTRIBUTE the microaggressions / incidences of activism they HEAR / SEE / EXPERIENCE to the Project. This will be facilitated by means of an an online form.
-- MAPPING AS A MEANS OF EXPRESSION--
- Our project is INNOVATIVE. It is a VISIBILITY CAMPAIGN in the fullest sense and goes beyond the scope of other college-based media campaigns.
- Existing media campaigns that have inspired our Project showcase microaggressions through blog posts, social media aggregation, photographs and sometimes videos.
- Our project incorporates these COMPONENTS and then adds a NEW element: graphically depicting the occurrence of microaggressions in space and time.
- This is the FIRST ATTEMPT to VISUALLY REPRESENT campus climate in terms of microaggressions and activist action in CLAREMONT.
- The Claremont Community is offered a new opportunity to be EDUCATED AND KEPT UPDATED of the social climate around them through The MAP and the data it displays.
- Our Project is designed to be MALLEABLE so as to fit our Community’s changing standards and expectations.
- We would like our community's input on ADAPTING The MAP to its needs. The VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY will decide the DIRECTION in which to STEER our efforts.
- Our Project is defined by the sense of COMMUNITY GROWTH that comes with collecting diverse experiences.
-- FUNCTION --
- Community members inclined to contribute their perspectives will do so by means of an online self-reporting FORM.
- The form allows students to DESCRIBE any microaggressions / incidences of activism that occurred, where they HAPPENED and whom they were DIRECTED towards, at the Claremont Colleges.
- Community members have the opportunity to complement their text submissions with PHOTOS and/or VIDEOS that may help elucidate the visual/physical nature of events.
- There shall be NO BARRIERS TO ENTRY to use this tool. Our project shall be EASY TO USE and ACCESSIBLE AT ALL TIMES.
- The contribution form can be SAVED DIRECTLY on smartphone device home screens as well as bookmarked on computers.
- The project can be viewed on ALL HIGH TECHNOLOGY DEVICES OF THE DAY including smartphones, tablets and regular laptops and desktops.
- All contributions will be ANONYMOUS.
- It is important that ALL microaggressions and activism actions are EXPOSED to the Claremont Community.
-- MOBILIZATION TARGET --
- Our MAP is ACCESSIBLE and EASY to use.
- Our target audience are students, since this is the often the demographic that is most often ACTIVE in terms of SOCIAL JUSTICE ADVOCACY.
- We encourage STAFF and FACULTY to ENGAGE with our project. These groups often see the Claremont Community’s social climate from a DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE which is extremely valuable in terms of making the Project REPRESENTATIVE of our Community’s voice.
-- METHODS OF DISSEMINATION --
- We will post FLYERS in prominent places on campus to introduce our Project. Flyers will have key information about the AIMS of The Project and direct viewers towards related and relevant SOURCES such as our website, our online submission forms and our GIS results display map.
- We will create a FACEBOOK PAGE to further promote and disseminate UPDATES about our Project.
- Community members may ADDRESS issues surrounding microaggressions and campus activism on other forms of SOCIAL MEDIA using the HASHTAG #5CMAP.
- Project CURATORS will LOCATE and add these hashtagged posts to our Project MANUALLY.
- We will approach existing CLUBS & ORGANIZATIONS as well as Claremont College RESOURCE CENTERS about introducing this Project to their MEMBERS.
--INTENDED IMPACT --
- This Project will lead us on a PATH towards a HEALTHIER campus climate and more socially mindful student body.
- Our Map is an EDUCATIONAL TOOL, and the information it provides should accordingly be used to TACKLE ISSUES OF MARGINALIZATION within the Claremont Colleges Community.
- Claremont students already use social media to SPARK CONVERSATION about issues occurring around them and MAP will provide useful data and insights that help the Community ENGAGE with others and with their social climate more effectively.
- We will only become BETTER at tackling campus social issues once campus microaggressions and the ways we can (and have) previously has gone about addressing the issues they highlight are brought to the FOREFRONT of the COMMUNITY’S COLLECTIVE MINDSET.
- We STRIVE TOWARDS a Community where FEWER MICROAGGRESSIONS occur and communities are not afraid to stand up for their RIGHTS and demand CHANGES that will benefit the Society as a WHOLE.
- We STRIVE for a Society that listens to ALL VOICES within it with EQUAL RESPECT AND ATTENTION.
- We hope that CONTRIBUTING to our Project will come to be seen as a SOCIALLY POSITIVE, and REWARDING HABIT for members of the Claremont Colleges Community.