Fellow Carleton Community Members,
After careful and thoughtful consideration, Carleton’s Multicultural Alumni Network (MCAN), a volunteer-based alumni organization dedicated to improving and growing alumni contributions critical to multicultural students, is writing the following response to the current demands of students as well as the open letter / call to action from a self-organizing group of Carleton alumni. Since 1988 the MCAN board has undertaken efforts to support and advocate for the needs and interest of students and alumni, including 2020 efforts to disrupt the racial indifference experienced within the College and amongst Alumni organizations.
As advocates for students and alumni of color, it is imperative to expose the challenges and to demand visibility and inclusion with the broader Carleton Community, as this moment requires transparency, vulnerability, and immense effort. MCAN is aligned with the student organization’s demands and we support the decision of alumni who choose to support the call to action in whatever capacity they deem fit. However, we believe our efforts and work must persist and we will continue our efforts to support black, brown, and other non-white Carleton students.
On June 7th, 2020 the MCAN website was updated and revamped. Our communication plan is being finalized and will be shared with the broader community to demonstrate and increase accountability. Our programing to educate the Alumni Council begins in August with topics and asks not previously addressed by the Alumni Council and Administration. Additionally, we will track the Action Report as well as the progress being driven by the Alumni Council in order to challenge results and seek improvement as those plans advance.
Our founding principles consist of five pillars, which are Giving Back, Coming Together, Life After Carleton Campus Climate & Retention, Admissions & Recruitment. For the 2020-2021 fiscal year our focuses are addressing faculty and staff interactions and reeducation, supporting student demands and needs, and increasing Alumni engagement and visibility. These three focuses support three pillars of MCAN’s founding principle: Campus Climate and Retention, Life After Carleton, and Coming Together.
MCAN has been working for students and alumni of color for 32 years. We heartily embrace student-led change at the College and have every intention of serving these students and their demands to the best of our ability. We were once in their shoes and, soon enough, they will be joining ours. Together, we can create the positive change that Carleton needs to be a more just, inclusive, and equitable place for ALL its community.
Jessica Brooks ’09, Chair
Jennifer Lopez ’02, Vice Chair
Micah Evans Rivera ’02, Past Chair
Bethany Bobo ’20
Adriana Castillo ’18
Ricardo Garcia ’21
Debra Ponce de Leon ’81