ASU announces new advisory council on African American affairs

PHOENIX — Arizona State University president Michael Crow announced Monday the formation of a new advisory council on African American affairs.

The council consists of 10 ASU faculty members, six staff members and six students.

Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, vice president of ASU Cultural Affairs, and Jeffrey Wilson, economics professor, have been tapped as co-chairs of the new council.

“I will be working alongside Colleen, Jeffrey and other members of the Council to develop, implement and evaluate the work that we have started in response to recent events that remind us that discrimination still exists and must be dismantled,” Crow said in a press release.

“Together we will draw from our shared knowledge and lived experiences to evaluate and develop all of the possible ways that we can overcome the systemic issues of racism and injustice.”

The creation of the council is one of 25 actions the university launched in September to focus on enhancing diversity, growth and opportunity for Black undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff and other underrepresented groups at ASU.

According to the release, the council will hold town hall meetings now through July 2021 to discuss the initiatives in depth.

Actions ASU is aiming to take include establishing a multicultural center on campus and establishing a presidential postdoctoral fellowship program for underrepresented communities.

The university also launched a new website to provide updates on the council’s work to students, faculty and staff.