Focus on Social Justice Issues

Statement of Support for Commitment to Social Justice at Willamette University

November 29, 2006

The Sustainability Council of Willamette University has had an ongoing and constructive conversation regarding ecological and social sustainability since 2005. We have embraced the idea that at Willamette we are not satisfied to conceive of sustainability as only an ecological concept. Without deemphasizing the significance of achieving ecological sustainability, the Willamette community is dedicated to advancing a more just society for present and future generations. Thus, Willamette University’s sustainability initiative, as outlined by President Lee Pelton, incorporates the “four Es” of sustainability:

  • Environment
  • Education
  • Equity
  • Economics

We recognize social justice and equity are critical components of sustainable communities. A commitment to equity prompts us to consider the viewpoint of every stakeholder in our decision-making. It allows us to address the unequal distribution of health hazards in our community, to consider the distribution of costs and benefits, and to consider whether decisions are good for all members of the community. It also allows us to effectively move in the direction we wish to go based on the consensus of all affected stakeholders.

Recent events and concerns expressed in our community illustrate that social equity and justice are a “work in progress” at Willamette. We have made great strides in the last decade to enhance not only the visible diversity of our campus but also the sensitivity, respect, and support we accord to all members of our community, regardless of race, religion, class, or sexual orientation. This has made us one of the most diverse and welcoming institutions — public or private — in the Pacific Northwest. Yet clearly these efforts have fallen short, as some do not feel fully part of our community. Whether by accident or design, they feel that their stories and concerns have not been heeded. In other words, they have not been accorded those fundamental claims of humanity — recognition and respect.

As a community of scholarship and liberal learning, it is our responsibility to engage these concerns — to listen, question, deliberate, learn, and then to act. A community of learning cannot exist, let alone thrive, without recognition and respect. President Pelton recently announced steps our community shall take to further enhance our commitment to social equity — that is, the substantive recognition and respect we each cherish and try to confer to all. These include a campus-wide teach-in, encouragement of curriculum development, and improved on-line resources and reports regarding our community’s efforts to promote diversity and social justice. The Sustainability Council applauds these efforts, as they reflect the Council’s foundational strategy of promoting sustainability, social as well as ecological, through education and engagement. We particularly praise and affirm President Pelton’s commitment to developing a living wage standard. This represents a necessary step toward improving the lives and opportunities for many of the most critical yet “invisible” members of our community — classified staff. We look forward to coordinating our on-going work with the new Council on Diversity and Social Justice, and developing new synergies as we seek to enhance equity on campus through thoughtful, reflective, and respectful dialogue.

In its continued efforts, the Sustainability Council seeks to extend, to frame, and to deepen the ongoing discussion and commitment to social justice at Willamette. We are committed to the equitable treatment and respect of all members of our community, especially to those that have been historically marginalized from the benefits of integrated participation in decision-making venues.

A new conversation has begun on campus. Perhaps as a community we do not all agree upon either the means by which attention to these issues was recently raised, or the nature of the response by various members of our community. The Sustainability Council would like to remind our community that individual and institutional change does not come easy; change often evokes the fear of the unknown. We hope however, that our community will approach this common project in a spirit of thoughtfulness, and hope: thoughtful with regard to respect for individuals as well as for the nature and progressive achievements and possibilities of this institution; hopeful in that this challenge provides an opportunity for us to grow and excel.

Sustainability Council