Recognize Your Power

By Sonja Fritzsche, Assoc. Dean – Dec. 1, 2018

My blogging debut came in the wake of the Nassar sexual abuse trial in February 2018 entitled “Dear MSU, Remember the Survivors.” I dedicate this new blog to them and other women like them for their enduring courage to speak the truth and not be silenced even when repeatedly ignored and dismissed.

I continue to believe as I stated in that original post that it is up to each and every one of us to decide to act to change a toxic culture with the power we have. The culture at MSU not only silences victims of sexual violence and sexual harassment, it perpetuates bullying. We all need to ask ourselves how we are participating in these structures. At a local level, giving credence to statements such as – “oh they are just like that” – reinforces habitual hurtful behavior that can have long-term consequences. Maybe not for you, but certainly for those who have less power around you. Call this person out if you can.

No matter how insignificant or unheard you might feel, you do have some ability to bring about culture change. It can be as simple as looking out for your neighbor. It can mean finally choosing to name an action instead of condoning it through inaction. It can mean having the courage to take a leadership role.

Here are five steps –

Truthfully assess your degree of power and privilege in your roles in the workplace. Partake in implicit bias training.
Identify your core values as a professional academic human being.
Formulate life and workplace goals and strategies that are directly linked to those values.
Don’t let this list languish in the realm of theory. Put your values into practice. To those of us who engage in research for the common good, the situations we are confronted with are not merely academic, but have real personal and emotional consequences for those who are repeatedly silenced.
Use that power and privilege to bring about change. Engage a feedback loop.

To this end, here are my core values and goals to bring about culture change at MSU:

Core Values

Equity, diversity, inclusion
Openness, transparency, access, consent
Respect, trust, accountability
Generosity, self-reflection, humility, forgiveness
Production of knowledge, education, and teaching how to learn on the liberal arts model

Leadership Goals

It is my responsibility not only to speak, but

to call out the silences, give voice to, work alongside, and advocate for the silenced.
to reduce fear and empower all faculty, staff, and students to bring their whole selves to their work. To ensure that their whole selves are received and not circumvented in scope and access by biases defined by their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, etc.
to support all faculty, staff, and students in their efforts to collectively build up a culture of stewardship and care.
to promote collaboration and inter/transdisciplinarity not as a threat to the disciplines but to enrich alongside of with the mutual goal of sustaining and valuing all contributions and opportunities for creativity and innovation.
to have the courage to act in all of the above, value the energy it takes, and the importance of constructing a support network to sustain this courage.

I wish to thank all of those who thoughtfully provided me with feedback on this blog post.